The new stage of this adventure is now in progress.
I returned to work originally just 2 weeks after Little B. joined us in this world. I worked for 10 weeks and now, for 12 wonderful weeks, I’ve gone to work about one day a week. A couple weeks it was one and a half, a couple weeks it was none. But still, this morning feels totally different from all those other mornings I’ve gone in because this time I don’t get to console myself that I’ll be home with her tomorrow. I look ahead and sometimes all I can see is how much more disciplined we’ll need to be with my time at home to get everything done every night and on the weekends – washing all the bottles, packing her daycare bag, keeping us all well fed.
The missus and I are stretching our work hours – she’s going earlier and I’m going later – so that little B has to be at daycare for a little bit less time each day. But that means less time together and early mornings. Hopefully we’ll figure out a regular routine fairly quickly and will settle into it.
It’s also hard because next week I have to go away for four nights and the missus will be a pseudo-single mom for those 5 days. I’m not quite sure how to prep us for that – obviously there are many things I can’t do in advance (washing all the bottles, etc) but I’m working to figure out what I can do to make that time a bit less stressful for her. Luckily two of the days are weekend days which means she won’t have the daycare prep and work to worry about. Anyone out there have tips for either of us on how to handle this first foray into parenting when the partner is away?
And now I must quit procrastinating, finish getting myself ready, wake that beautiful little one from her nap and get us out the door.