Maternity Leave Is Over

I've returned to work. At first it didn't seem real. It was as if I was just visiting my friends, checking in to see how everything was going, and then I'd be on my merry way. But, yesterday it sunk in: I'm back.

I'm glad to be back in the office. I love my job, I adore my co-workers. I'm lucky like that. But, it also means no more mornings spent reading to W while B takes his cat naps and no more trips to the park in the morning. No more lunches shared just between W and me. No more staring at B for 15 minutes in the afternoon just because I can. I'll miss those moments with my boys. It wasn't all sunshine and roses, believe me. I was ready for a break from arguing with W over everything and chasing him when he refuses to stop running toward the street. I needed a break from B's diapers and I really needed to get back into a routine that forced me to shower, blow dry my hair, put on makeup and get dressed.

The great thing about maternity leave was that it allowed me to get to spend some time with W and get to know him on a different level than I did when I was working. Going back to work makes any mom worry about the stuff she's missing. And I do worry about the little things that I might miss out on.

For now, work is a positive part of my life, so I'm going to keep doing it. However, my track record of priorities and work-life balance has been pretty bad. So, with this fresh start I've promised my family and myself to put being a mom first. And now I can honestly say I'm happy to make that promise.