Work Grooves and End of Day Story Time (Week 13, Day 6)

The second week back at work, while still daunting, is much easier to wrap my head around than the first. We are starting to figure out a morning routine in which I'm able to get everyone in the family successfully dressed, fed and off to work/daycare in a timely manner. Being back at work has its advantages - I'm excited about the new opportunities for me to contribute and have some important challenges in front of me that are motivating and important to the success of the business. My days are full, and I'm enjoying work. The hardest part of it all is knowing how much of a go getter I am, and finding the balance between driving myself as hard as I did pre-baby against my overwhelming desire to leave everyday and see my daughter. I realize more than ever that the only one pushing me to stay late and over achieve is me. It's never been a bad thing, and my dig in deeper and get the job done has gotten me where I am today in my career. But it's hard to dial it down, and in these first weeks I'm finding that I'm going to have to scale down my expectations for myself at work, or I will successfully drive myself mad. While I still want to excel and do my very best, I can say without a shadow of a doubt I want to be home on time everyday so I can spend some awake time with Madeline and put her to bed. If that means I'll need to work at night to satisfy my need to stay ahead, so be it. The priorities have so greatly shifted that I find myself racing out the door every day to see my precious baby's smile. Reading her a story and putting her to bed has become my favorite part of the day.

End of day cuddle time

Today was a family luncheon at the daycare, and my schedule worked out well enough for me to attend. It was a special treat to visit in the middle of the day, and be the one to pick Maddy up from her nap. She seemed thrilled, and we got a little extra cuddle time in for the day. There were several other families there, and it was fun to see the community of children and parents. Talking to the nannies there, it was heartwarming to hear how much they enjoyed Maddy, and were falling in love with her smile and happy personality. It made me feel wonderful knowing how much these women care for the children they see everyday.