I was actually off work a total of 4 months as I took three weeks off before Shipley was born due to pregnancy hardship (AKA varicose veins..yikes!). These 4 months have been the most life-changing, exhilerating, breath taking, happy, growth filled, and loving months of my life. They have been full of "firsts" for Shipley and Pete and I. It has been a whirl wind of joy, worry, and getting in the groove of parenthood. So when I had my first two days of work and I cried buckets and buckets of tears before leaving the house. Those two days came and they went and Shipley was there waiting for me when I got home with a big smile on her face.
Which leads me to the "kinda sorta part". You see I cried and cried because I felt like my endless days to hold Shipley with no place to be and no time frame was coming to an end. And yes now that I have more of a schedule with going back to work...things will be less leisurely at the Moormeier household; but my role as a mother is far from over. Even if Im gone for a day or a night...she will still be waiting for me with that heart melting smile and those big blues eyes. I will cherish the moments I spend with her all the more!
So I like to think of it like really my maternity leave is never ending. Because life will never be the same as it was before now that I have this little munchin to share it with. It is just taking a new turn as it will many times in the years to come. I find comfort in knowing that my role as Shipley's mother is permanent and she is not going anywhere. Even though I won't be home with her every single day...she is still my baby always and forever. And some day when she has her first day at kindergarten or high school...or goes abroad (help me) I will tell myself the same thing. Near or far...nothing can break the connection between a mother and her baby. :)
That being said..I wanted to document some of my favorite memories of this magical time spent at home with my little girl..it was simply the best!
-sleeping in daily-morning skin to skin sessions-bath time and dressing ship-eating breakfast at 2 pm-power walks to the coffee shop-meandering the baby aisles at target-snuggling and watching Downtown Abby (seasons 1-3)-mastering the moby wrap-watching S sleep-meeting daddy for lunch down town-doing workouts n the baby's room while she naps cause I don't want to leave her side-video chatting with family n friends-having no schedule, to do list, deadlines, or agenda-filling my freezer with breast milk-play dates with other baby friends-crock pot meals and baking cookies-reading S books and picking favorites-walking to whole foods for a snack-our first story time at the library-our first trip to the ZOO-especially meeting baby Lily the elephant-watching Shipley grow before my eyes...smiling to laughing to rolling over
