heigh-ho

I cannot believe it is already time.  Twelve weeks have passed since my last day at work before Elia was born and today marked my first day back at work.

Yesterday, Elia and I spent hours snuggling on the couch.  She napped longer than she has in weeks, almost as if she knew that our daily time together was coming to a close.  Almost like she knew that spending the day curled up with her was the only way I could imagine spending my last day of leave. The day flew by too quickly and I could hardly believe at bedtime that I'd wake up and return to work, leaving the cozy little life we'd created over the past twelve weeks.

Le sigh.

(Todd says when you add "le" on the front of something it becomes French and therefore far more emphatic.)

Today I woke up with a heavy heart and got ready for work for the first time in three months.  I dropped Elia off at Grandma Joan's for the afternoon and basically ran out of the house in an attempt to stop the tears that were filling my eyes as I left. And then I got to work and someone kindly asked about the baby and the tears rushed back into my eyes.

Le sigh.

And then the day went on.  And more people asked about her and I told them I'd love to fill them in later, another day. And then I started to work and the heaviness on my heart started to lift, ever so slightly. And then the day ended and I got to see my baby girl again and that was good.

And we will do it again tomorrow.

I am thankful to have co-workers who warmly welcomed me back.  I am thankful that Elia will be well cared for while I am working both by my mother-in-law and the school she'll attend three days a week. I am thankful for a boss who is letting me take my time to work up to a full-time schedule and beyond thankful that I am only working partial days this week.

So back to work I go.  Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, heigh-ho, heigh-ho.