Back to Reality

Maternity leave is glorious. I don't care if I don't get to sleep through the night. I don't care if I get pooped and puked on. I spent 12 amazing weeks sipping morning coffee by candlelight, watching daytime television, going on runs in beautiful fall weather, and cuddling the most perfect child in existence (bias, obviously).
And then October 27th showed up. Back to work. Back to reality. I really am blessed to have a job with extremely flexible hours, and awesome coworkers. Still, I pick Jackson over my coworkers any day. Sorry ladies, but I know you understand ;-)
I am finishing my 3rd week back, and while it isn't necessarily easy or normal yet, we are getting there.
Our days start off bright and early(4:50am, always a good time). I need to start this off with a celebration: Jackson slept from 8pm-5am last night!!! He has been getting pretty consistent at getting in 8 hour stretches of sleep, but I usually get woken up about 45 minutes before my alarm is set to go off, which is enough to make any sleep deprived mama just about lose it. To be awoken by nothing other than my alarm for the first time since going to bed the night before felt like a dream.
Typically, I can rush to get ready before little man decided to wake up (I wasn't so lucky this morning, someone heard me in the bathroom getting ready and decided he was hungry, hence my hot mess hair today). I have started laying out my outfit the night before, which is a MAJOR time saver. I also have literally started packing everything except my keys, phone, and jacket in the car the night before. That way, once I am dressed and ready, Jackson gets taken out of bed, changed, we usually laugh and spit our tongues out at each other for a few minutes, and he goes right into his car seat.

In depth, stimulating 5am conversations. Kidding, I was sticking my tongue out and he was trying to copy me.

Out the door by 5:20, not too shabby.

Clearly thrilled to be up at the crack of dawn.

I get to my moms for our drop off at approximately 5:35, depending if I get stuck behind a driver who has never seen snow before and decides to drive 2 miles per hour. I unload my sweet boy for one more kiss, snuggle, and smile, and off to work I go.
6:00am-2:30pm: think about my baby, text mom for updates of my baby, look at pictures of my baby.

Coffee, Cheez Its(white cheddar, the only way to go), and the world's cutest screen saver, times 2.

Sometimes I do work. Yesterday, my boss called me to complete some very important business in preparation for the other boss' retirement party.

Seriously. This is my life.

 

I bolt out the door the second the clock allows, and I'm off to pick up my main man. If I am feeling ambitious and not completely exhausted, I may stop at the gym to squeeze in a run beforehand. So far this is not happening too often, but between taking an unexpected day off for a doctors appointment, and a fall snow storm, life has been crazy. Hopefully I can get back on a workout schedule next week. Hopefully.
Once I pick up Jackson, we usually head straight home. I have decided grocery shopping is now a weekend activity, which also hasn't happened, hence our empty cupboards. We get home, little man eats, and Mike usually demands a hand off of the baby almost immediately. Guys gotta get in their bro time, you know?
We eat something at some point, last night I was especially ambitious and made grilled cheese and tomato soup. Fancy, right? But I used provolone and Gouda cheese, so I deem it fine dining.
Around 7 Jackson gets a bath, puts on some jammies, and practices spitting, laughing, and talking to mom and dad.

Basically all we do from 4-8pm.

 



I do everything possible to put off feeding him until 7:50, seriously I count the minutes. The earlier he goes to bed the earlier he wakes up, so I time it so that he is in his crib and out like a light at 8:07pm, exactly, because I am a superhero and just that good.
After that, Mike and I maybe squeeze in a TV show, and we are out around 9pm. That really never changed the entire time I was on maternity leave, this girl needs her 14 hours of sleep.

It's hectic and stressful, and not as fun as baby snuggles, but I am back to work, and I am surviving so far. I just close my eyes and ignore the empty cupboards, unused workout clothes, and piles of unfolded laundry. Now if I can just win the lottery, life will be perfect. Until then, I'll take what I have. I love my boys, love my family, love my life.