Maternity Leave

I remember the days that I looked forward to maternity leave. I couldn't wait to just stay at home all day and do nothing - just laying around and watching TV, playing on the computer, and talking on the phone. Ahhh, it seemed like it would be a mini-vacation from all of the stuff that was going on at work. Well, now I get to stay at home with Abby, but there isn't as much free time as I had expected.

I feed her, pump if needed, work out a burp (from Abby), change her diapers, change her outfit, try to get her back to sleep (which involves rocking, patting, shushing, singing, swinging, and swaddling).

As she drifts off to sleepyland I realize that the clock is now ticking. I jump up and use the bathroom, brush my teeth, think about taking a shower (no that can wait)....I'm hungry!

I go to the kitchen and look for something easy to fix. Toast! And this time I will put cheese on it...a grilled cheese (sort of) and....now what's that noise? Abby is crying!

Back to the bedroom to see that she has spit up on herself and needs another change. I guess I didn't work out all of the gas bubbles in her tummy. Oh no! Her crying is making me leak now! Grab the pump and get it started. Baby is changed, I am pumped, and I repeat the process to get Abby back to sleep. I'll stick her pacifier in for good measure. Ok, where was I? Oh yes, the food!

I go back to the kitchen and get my cold cheese-on-toast sandwich and refill my glass of water. I gobble that down and decide that I will check on the news to see if there is anything of importance going on outside of my four walls. It's the same old stuff...global warming is causing our heat wave, Nicole Richie is pregnant and going to jail and planning her wedding (in that order), and the hype about the hurricane season has already started. I then scan the other nine thousand channels but can't find anything worth watching.

Then I remember the saying "sleep when the baby sleeps". Ok, I should do that. I turn the TV off, turn the fan on, and snuggle up under the covers and......wahhhh! Abby is awake and hungry. It starts all over again, and again, and again.

I can't wait to go back to work so I can get some rest!