My 12 weeks of leave were busy busy busy. I generally got out of bed before 9 am and I didn't take a single afternoon nap throughout the 12 weeks. I didn't want to squander any of it!
There were newborn photoshoots, full moon/month celebrations, Ryan's various work commitments (casting, fitting, 3 photoshoots and 1 film shoot), various get-togethers with friends, visits from family members/relatives/friends from out of town, 2 trips to Malaysia, checkups at the gynae/paed, various craft projects, etc. It was also a period of new beginnings for Ryan as he took on some new challenges (I will post about them in a separate post) and we were kept quite busy with those.
There were the quiet days of course, when I stayed in and ate cornflakes for breakfast and lunch. I watched episodes of Modern Family (one of the things on my to-do list) while Rachel napped in her Moses basket, with Max, our dog, laying beside her. When I wasn't in the mood for videos, I'd surf the internet and chat with some of my mates.
My favourite part of our days - the mornings. Rachel is always in a good mood, with a huge grin to share and I spend a long time just talking to her and watching her expressions. She is delightfully talkative and her favourite word is a soft, cooing "ow... ow...". It makes me chuckle and smile every time she says it.
If I were to guess her favourite part of the day, I'd say bath time. She is always happy to be in the water, whether she is kicking about or just relaxing in the tub. Or perhaps, just like me, it's the mornings, when we have our little conversations?
Oh well, all good things come to an end? Well, actually, I like to think that things are good because they come to an end. Meaning, my 12 weeks were so precious because that was all I had. If I had (much) more, I might have been less motivated to make the most of my time and it might simply have passed by uneventfully.
And so, I went back to work today. I sent Rachel to the nanny, the same wonderful lady who looks after Ryan. As much as I loathe to give up our time together, I am happy that she is gaining another family of people to love and adore her.
After 12 weeks of being away from the office, I forgot all the passwords and security codes. I couldn't even get myself into the ladies' because I forgot the security code (yes, in my company, the ladies' is considered a high-security area). Morning rush hour traffic seemed a lot heavier than I remembered and it didn't help that it started to rain as I entered the business/banking district.
Small delights - The first pair of high heels that I'd worn in what felt like forever (3.5 inches high). My favourite carpark lot empty and waiting for me. My room in the office (almost) as I left it. My usual tealady was not around today, but the one who stood in for her knew who I was and asked about my children. Otherwise, there wasn't any fanfare - everyone was busy with their own work and their own thoughts - and I was absorbed into the loop as seamlessly as I dropped out 12 weeks ago. It was actually quite comforting - it was as if I'd never been away.
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