Time Still Flies

It feels like yesterday I was typing the last blog post of my Brady maternity leave. Here I am again, but it's Cate going to school for the first time tomorrow. Again I have the framed pictures of my babies packed up in my work bag. Again I have the baby's school bag packed up with her name labeled on everything inside. Again I'm wondering how I'm going to get everyone dressed and ready and still get to work on time. And again I'm planning to reward myself for this emotional turmoil with a big, fat Starbucks coffee.

Maternity leave was a gift! Despite the logistical and emotional challenge of adding a child to the family, the days were joyous. I will always remember the one-on-one time I spent getting to know my little girl, spoiling her with perhaps too many cuddles and kisses. I will remember fondly the days I opted to stay in my jammies and hold Cate on the couch as she slept - while Emma used my hip as a pillow. I will remember the excitement as 4pm approached, not only because Ellen came on TV at 4pm, but because I would soon be picking my boy up "early" from school.

The second time around I planned to slow down my maternity leave by refraining from too many errands and housework. I was successful in self-management but it turns out this did nothing to slow down my leave. Time still flies. And I still feel like I could have squeezed in a couple more cuddles and kisses. But I don't regret skipping all the naps I was told to take. I much more enjoyed keeping my eyes wide open and marveling at my little Cate.