A Fairly Smooth Adjustment

Well, I’ve been back to work for over two weeks now and we’re starting to get back into our routine again.  In some ways, the transition back to work has been easy.  Lunches are packed the night before, bottles are already made, clothes are set out.  I have to get up earlier to get ready so that I can have time to feed Mitchell before I leave, but so far it hasn’t been a problem.  I’ve been able to get him on a schedule where he eats around 9pm and then sleeps until 2:30 or 3 (sometimes even later!).  This means that he’s ready to eat at 6:15 so I can feed him before I leave.  I’m grateful that he’s a better sleeper than Evie was at this age.  Getting up only once a night, most nights, has been nice, and it’s been easier to get him on a schedule.   This is the only life Evie has ever known so she really had no problem getting back into the swing of things.  It was a little rough the first day, after being away from the sitters for a little while, but by day two she was perfectly fine.  Mitch seems to be adjusting to being with a babysitter fairly well.  The only thing I’ve noticed is that he has suddenly become very fussy in the evenings. I’m not sure if this has anything to do with me going back to work.  I know that babies have fussy periods at certain times of the day so it could just be that.  

One of the hardest parts of going back to work isn’t being at work.  It’s after work.  I am so happy when I can break out of the office and go get my babies.  But I’m not used to having to juggle two kids and give them my attention in this shortened time span.  Before Mitchell, I could devote all of my time to Evie after work.  Even once he was here and Evie went to sitters a few times a week, I was able to give Mitchell my complete attention and then turn my focus to Evie once she got home.  But now it’s so much harder because I’m away from both of them all day long.  I want to be able to give them both my attention after work, but I’m still working out how to do that.  Like I said earlier, Mitchell has been a little fussy in the evenings and really just wants to be held or bounced.  Evie, on the other hand, wants me to “put Baby Mitchell down” and play with her.  It’s been difficult for me to try and balance that, especially if Pat’s not home.  I try and hold Mitchell while I play with Evie or lay him on blanket next to me, but sometimes that’s not good enough.  Evie wants my complete attention (and both my hands free) or Mitchell wants to be walked around.  I’m sure any parent can relate to these moments where you wish you just had another set of hands to take over.  Luckily, most of time Mitchell is a really good baby.  We will all get used to our schedule again with time.

 Juggling two kids aside, I think the hardest part of going back to work for me has been how fast it seems that time passes.  Not the work day, but time in general.  Kids grow up so fast anyway, but it seems like when I’m working, they grow up even faster.  I don’t have all day to just sit and rock Mitch anymore and he just seems older when I pick him up.  And Evie isn’t a baby anymore – she’s a little girl.  Where does the time go?!  I’ve struggled with this before Mitchell was born and I struggle even more with it now.  I wish there was  way I could work and still spend most of the day with my kids.  I don’t want to miss a moment.  I feel like I’m going to blink and they’ll be teenagers.  I hope one day that I’m able to find a better balance between work, family and having some kind of a social life.  Right now, I dedicate almost all of my free time to being with the kids since I’m away from them all day.  It’s work, kids and then fall into bed to get some sleep so that we can wake up and do it all over again.  The house is a mess, there are piles of laundry that need to be folded and Evie’s room remains half finished.  I don’t know how people do it all!