But heading back to work after my maternity leave has been tough. Luckily, my husband is a magician who works from home, so he'll be on Daddy Duty while I'm at the office. Last Thursday we did a trial run. It went like this:
Joe: It's your day off from Elliot. What do you want to do?
Me: Spend it with you and Elliot.
Eventually I headed to the computer to catch up on emails and stuff, but it was so hard not to respond when I heard Elliot fussing or crying in the other room. Joe's an excellent father and I trust him implicitly to do a great job -- but I have to admit, I wanted to step in constantly, such as when I heard things like this:
Joe: I'm going to go upstairs now. I am covered in poop.
Joe: I don't know what your deal is, little man, but you're clearly fidgety.
And of course I wanted to join in on the fun:
Me: So! What are you guys up to? Are you going on a walk? ...Can I come?
Joe: We already went on a walk.
Me: Oh.
~An Hour Passes ~
Me: Ooooh, you could Skype with my grandma. She would LOVE that. Here's my phone, her number's right there, do you need me to set it up or show you how to do it? (Keep in mind my husband is much more technologically savvy than I am.)
Joe: Um, I think I can figure it out.
~Twenty Minutes Pass ~
Me: You know what you could do right now? You could read him a book! Or tickle his feet! Or do Tummy Time! Or listen to music and dance! Or --- oh GOD I JUST WANT TO SNUGGLE HIM AND KISS HIM ALL OVER BUT I CAN'T FOR FOUR HOURS AND TEN MINUTES.
Joe: I got this. Just, go do your thing until 6 o'clock.
Oh my gosh, that's so funny! I know exactly how you feel...it's a mom's instinct! But you'll do great, and Joe will do great, and Elliot will do great :)
ReplyDeleteYou're very kind to say so :)
DeleteAw, you sweet mommy. I'm so glad you have a fantastic hubby to help you, but I know it's tough! Just remember what they say about absence and the heart. You'll only love your together time even more! :)
ReplyDeleteIt's true -- I definitely cherish every minute this way. Thanks, Anita. It's always great to get your thoughts.
DeleteIf there is one thing I would change about my kids' early years, it's this: I would have given them more alone time with their daddy. Not because I needed it, but because it would have been good for them to have two parents that would work as their soothers, their happiest place to be. I couldn't STAND to walk away even for a minute, and since I worked from home, I didn't have to. But looking back, I wish I had.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely perspective. Thanks for sharing that, Elana. I agree it's a gift for him to spend so much time with his dad, and I'll try to keep that in mind when I'm missing them.
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