Hi
Well as you know from the last post on this subject, my husband did the drop offs and collections last week and none of them were full days.
Well... Aaron bless him... had his first full day in childcare today and it went really well. Mum still hasn't done the whole thing yet, as Daddy did the drop-off and Mummy did the collection.... So I am having a graduated return to work.
Daddy has him all day tomorrow, and Daddy's dropping him off on Thursday at 9:30 so again I will only have to do the collection.
So I haven't experienced the stress of a drop-off, followed by a full working day, followed by a collection yet..... and won't have to this week.
I am so glad I did not go back to work in December, when I would have had that PLUS bad weather.
Bye for now, Liska xxx (it is rare for me to do a photoless post but I haven't taken any photos since the soft play ones of yesterday. Sorry)....
xxx
Showing posts with label return to work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label return to work. Show all posts
Tuesday, 12 April 2011
Saturday, 9 April 2011
Return to Work After Mat Leave
Hi
Well everyone told me the build-up is worse than the reality and how right they all were...
Walking around the office I felt like I never left and everyone made me feel so welcomed and valued - was wonderful and like a tonic. A much needed tonic.
The train though felt odd. For 18 months I have been a special case either travelling with a baby inside or on the outside. Travelling alone felt VERY odd. As I put on 7kg (due to Xmas and winter hibernating) one lady even offered me a seat! Oh dear! And that didn't happen when I had a HUGE bump...
So how was the week...?
Tuesday I left home at 7:10 and Aaron woke at 7:08 crying, so I cuddled him for 2 minutes and left him with Dad which was hard as he had not yet stopped crying.
Wednesday I left home at 7:10 and he woke at 7.
But Thursday he must've been more settled as I left at 7:10 but he did not wake till 7:40.
Normally I would breatsfeed him back to sleep but the husband couldn't do that ... and as Aaron is bottle fed too I hadn't organised myself to express.
Monday night he took till 12:30 to get to sleep which was crazy.... but Tuesday night and Wednesday night it was 10:30. After a busy week he was asleep by 9:30 Friday night, probably because he got a lot of fresh air Friday.... BUT we slept in, both of us, till 10 a.m. Friday... so you'd think he'd then stay up late, but no, we both needed it.
I got smiles and giggles every evening when I came home.
Luckily hubby was off this week so he dropped him at Sandra's the 3 days at 10 a.m. and picked him up Tues at 1 and Wednesday at 3 and Thursday at 1. Wednesday was the only day he did not go to his Mum's after, which meant Tues and Thurs I had to meet them there after work, when all I wanted to do was come straight home.
The week went really well, but it was hard to detach from Aaron.
Tuesday I felt a bit brain numb with so much to take in but by Wednesday I was working at full speed and achieved a lot in the latter 2 days. My mat cover was with me all day Tuesday.
All 3 days I got to work at 8, leaving bang on 5 the first two days, but stayed till 5:30 Thursday, and did have the BlackBerry on all day Friday replying to some emails.
I am determined not to become a workaholic again though.
Every night I packed all of his bags for the next day. I am glad he started off with half days at childcare which was a gentle start for him and the way I wanted it to be.
It was only during the week that I realised the advantages for me. I wasn't walking down the road like a pack horse early morning and wasn't collecting him, so it was a gentle start for me toooo. Next week will be closer to reality with me collecting him, BUT husband will drop him, and he has him all day on 13th.
I was so very upset in the run up to returning, like it was the end of an era, BUT it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected, and I think Aaron had a good week.
I've never been good at delegating and delegating my biggest creation, my ultimate responsibility was the hardest thing of all. But I have survived to tell the tale.
I am so glad Aaron's nearly 10 months and that I didn't go back at 6 months which WOULD have been too soon for both of us.
Liska x
Well everyone told me the build-up is worse than the reality and how right they all were...
Walking around the office I felt like I never left and everyone made me feel so welcomed and valued - was wonderful and like a tonic. A much needed tonic.
The train though felt odd. For 18 months I have been a special case either travelling with a baby inside or on the outside. Travelling alone felt VERY odd. As I put on 7kg (due to Xmas and winter hibernating) one lady even offered me a seat! Oh dear! And that didn't happen when I had a HUGE bump...
So how was the week...?
Tuesday I left home at 7:10 and Aaron woke at 7:08 crying, so I cuddled him for 2 minutes and left him with Dad which was hard as he had not yet stopped crying.
Wednesday I left home at 7:10 and he woke at 7.
But Thursday he must've been more settled as I left at 7:10 but he did not wake till 7:40.
Normally I would breatsfeed him back to sleep but the husband couldn't do that ... and as Aaron is bottle fed too I hadn't organised myself to express.
Monday night he took till 12:30 to get to sleep which was crazy.... but Tuesday night and Wednesday night it was 10:30. After a busy week he was asleep by 9:30 Friday night, probably because he got a lot of fresh air Friday.... BUT we slept in, both of us, till 10 a.m. Friday... so you'd think he'd then stay up late, but no, we both needed it.
I got smiles and giggles every evening when I came home.
Luckily hubby was off this week so he dropped him at Sandra's the 3 days at 10 a.m. and picked him up Tues at 1 and Wednesday at 3 and Thursday at 1. Wednesday was the only day he did not go to his Mum's after, which meant Tues and Thurs I had to meet them there after work, when all I wanted to do was come straight home.
The week went really well, but it was hard to detach from Aaron.
Tuesday I felt a bit brain numb with so much to take in but by Wednesday I was working at full speed and achieved a lot in the latter 2 days. My mat cover was with me all day Tuesday.
All 3 days I got to work at 8, leaving bang on 5 the first two days, but stayed till 5:30 Thursday, and did have the BlackBerry on all day Friday replying to some emails.
I am determined not to become a workaholic again though.
Every night I packed all of his bags for the next day. I am glad he started off with half days at childcare which was a gentle start for him and the way I wanted it to be.
It was only during the week that I realised the advantages for me. I wasn't walking down the road like a pack horse early morning and wasn't collecting him, so it was a gentle start for me toooo. Next week will be closer to reality with me collecting him, BUT husband will drop him, and he has him all day on 13th.
I was so very upset in the run up to returning, like it was the end of an era, BUT it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected, and I think Aaron had a good week.
I've never been good at delegating and delegating my biggest creation, my ultimate responsibility was the hardest thing of all. But I have survived to tell the tale.
I am so glad Aaron's nearly 10 months and that I didn't go back at 6 months which WOULD have been too soon for both of us.
Liska x
Thursday, 17 February 2011
Stunned and Sleep
Hi,
For anyone who has read my regular "sleep" posts.... when he slept, when he didn't and when he did again... you'll know we've always been a late to bed late to rise house...
Well the other day... Valentine's Day actually... Aaron got up at 8 and so did I. I thought *super* he will go to bed early and me and DH can have our first evening together in 8 months, and how appropriate on Valentine's Day. Well if memory serves me right, DH went to bed at about 11:15 p.m. as he was to be up for work at 5 a.m. and me and baby went to bed at midnight :-(
But wonders will never cease, last night Aaron was asleep at 8:30 p.m. and slept till 8 a.m. this morning. Am I going to join all the other Mothers, who have a 8 till 8 baby???? I think it is too soon to dare to hope but it WOULD change my life!!! I would have an evening where I could have some leisure, or more importantly, catch up on the housework.
Aaron and I normally spend every waking hour together, but if I became an 8 till 8 Mum, wow, that would be wonderful, and with how sunny it is in the morning nowadays, I think it may just happen... I think the bright mornings wake Aaron up. We have lined curtains but they are not blackout.
Because this 8 till 8 malarchy is totally new to me, when he fell asleep breastfeeding on my knee last night, I thought it was a nap, so I typed one-handed on the internet thinking he will wake after 30-40 minutes.... Got till 10:30 and he was still asleep, so I put him in the cot and he DIDN'T wake :-0
I went to bed at 11:30, thinking I was shattered BUT I was still awake at 12:30, mind far too alert. Oh and then when I started to get sleepy my nose was all congested... so I went and tried his Sterimar baby that we got free at a PR event this week. Squirted it up my nose, and I am telling you, even though it wasn't even the adult version, it was the equivalent of TUNES for the nose... remember the old advert "breathe more easily' well I DID and I then went to sleep.
Sadly, because Aaron had got to sleep a few hours earlier than normal, he hadn't yet had his nighttime bottle, and I didn't want to wake him to do a dreamfeed so he woke at 3 a.m. and I hadn't been asleep that long so I felt like a zombie. I got up, gave him a bottle and he was still *hyper*. I then brought him into the bed and breastfed him to sleep. That compromises the space in the bed so I slept uncomfortably until he woke at 8. Luckily husband is off today so he got up with him and I slept till 9:30.
Do I dare hope I have a 8 a.m. till 8 p.m. sleeper..... THAT would be like a Lottery Win, and would be an ideal framework to set us up for Mum going back to work.
Sorry there's no photo in this post, which is very unlike me. I will edit the post later with a photo if I can think of something appropriate.
Bye for now, Liska
For anyone who has read my regular "sleep" posts.... when he slept, when he didn't and when he did again... you'll know we've always been a late to bed late to rise house...
Well the other day... Valentine's Day actually... Aaron got up at 8 and so did I. I thought *super* he will go to bed early and me and DH can have our first evening together in 8 months, and how appropriate on Valentine's Day. Well if memory serves me right, DH went to bed at about 11:15 p.m. as he was to be up for work at 5 a.m. and me and baby went to bed at midnight :-(
But wonders will never cease, last night Aaron was asleep at 8:30 p.m. and slept till 8 a.m. this morning. Am I going to join all the other Mothers, who have a 8 till 8 baby???? I think it is too soon to dare to hope but it WOULD change my life!!! I would have an evening where I could have some leisure, or more importantly, catch up on the housework.
Aaron and I normally spend every waking hour together, but if I became an 8 till 8 Mum, wow, that would be wonderful, and with how sunny it is in the morning nowadays, I think it may just happen... I think the bright mornings wake Aaron up. We have lined curtains but they are not blackout.
Because this 8 till 8 malarchy is totally new to me, when he fell asleep breastfeeding on my knee last night, I thought it was a nap, so I typed one-handed on the internet thinking he will wake after 30-40 minutes.... Got till 10:30 and he was still asleep, so I put him in the cot and he DIDN'T wake :-0
I went to bed at 11:30, thinking I was shattered BUT I was still awake at 12:30, mind far too alert. Oh and then when I started to get sleepy my nose was all congested... so I went and tried his Sterimar baby that we got free at a PR event this week. Squirted it up my nose, and I am telling you, even though it wasn't even the adult version, it was the equivalent of TUNES for the nose... remember the old advert "breathe more easily' well I DID and I then went to sleep.
Sadly, because Aaron had got to sleep a few hours earlier than normal, he hadn't yet had his nighttime bottle, and I didn't want to wake him to do a dreamfeed so he woke at 3 a.m. and I hadn't been asleep that long so I felt like a zombie. I got up, gave him a bottle and he was still *hyper*. I then brought him into the bed and breastfed him to sleep. That compromises the space in the bed so I slept uncomfortably until he woke at 8. Luckily husband is off today so he got up with him and I slept till 9:30.
Do I dare hope I have a 8 a.m. till 8 p.m. sleeper..... THAT would be like a Lottery Win, and would be an ideal framework to set us up for Mum going back to work.
Sorry there's no photo in this post, which is very unlike me. I will edit the post later with a photo if I can think of something appropriate.
Bye for now, Liska
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