Hi-ho, Hi-ho, It's Off to Work I Go...

I've been back at work, on a part-time basis, for a week now and several people have asked me how I feel about it. I think I probably feel the way a lot of Mom's who go back to work do; I'm torn. On the one hand, it feels great to have a reason to get out of bed and put on something other than sweats. On the other hand, I find myself putting off getting ready for work until the last minute, opting instead to spend as much time with Charlie as possible. Unfortunately, my job doesn't keep me busy enough to keep my mind from wandering back home. I text or call Micha, since he is Mr. Mom for the next few weeks, to see how things are going. The housework has fallen by the wayside because I want to spend my evenings with Charlie, Mumbles and Micha. It still feels very chaotic which is difficult for a creature of habit, such as myself. I think Charlie might be feeling the strain as well. We used to get 3 and 4 hour stretches of sleep out of him and now he's waking every two hours again, with just one long stretch of sleep. Micha, I think, is having a rough time too. He's made the comment more than once now, he understands how I felt all those times I called him desperate and crying. Despite not exactly being smooth sailing, I think my returning to work will be really good for us. It will force us to get into some kind of routine and I think that will help everyone, including Charlie feel more 'settled'.

Charlie is a two month old now and is suddenly a different baby. Instead of fussing during his wakeful periods, he now enjoys lying on his back, kicking and staring at the ceiling fan (somethings don't change). He's become even more vocal and has found is hands. I don't think he is aware yet that they are his hands, but he enjoys sucking on them none-the-less. He still doesn't sleep much (like I said, somethings don't change) but seems to be getting easier to get him to sleep. For several weeks after he was born, he still preferred to be swaddled but now hates it, even though his uncontrollable little arm often startles him awake. He prefers instead to have an arm free and we catch him rubbing his blanket or the satiny edge of his 'lovey'. We've gotten a few 'social smiles', not the one's attributed to gas but the one's that are in response to something like Dad singing a silly song or Mom smiling at him and sometimes, the fan. The sight of Mumbles also often elicits a grin.

The boy, his blankey and his bear