It's hard to believe that our son, Conner, is 8 weeks old this week. It's also hard to believe is how quickly this time is flying by!
Conner
First, I have to start by expressing my gratitude to my work. Like any working mom, my job is protected for 12 weeks so I can take time off with the baby to recover and bond.
I'm coming back December 5th, which means I will have spent 11 weeks home with my son. I realize this is a blessing, as many moms cannot afford to take off this much time or it just isn't feasible in general. We saved money, saved vacation time and sacrificed to make 11 weeks happen. It wasn't easy.
This extended time off makes me wonder how I did it the first time around with Stella. I was only able to take off 6 weeks because I was set to start a new job in Indianapolis and needed health insurance to kick in ASAP. My husband wasn't able to move to Indiana yet, so I had to leave him and the baby four days a week to start my new job. It was gut wrenching and I cried every time I made the trip. I couldn't be more thankful for the support of our extended family during this time.
Looking at Conner today, I don't know how we did it. We juggled being between homes, crazy hours with the baby's schedule, searching for a home and starting a new job.
Conner/s 7-week picture
Every day, I'm thankful for this little smile you see above.
So what have we been up to?
Well...a nasty bug hit our house and we spent about three weeks trying to keep Conner well (which we did) and get the germs out! It was stressful.
But now, Stella is back to school and everyone is well again. I'm back to sewing and taking little trips to the store with Conner. I also did a painting party recently to take a few moments for myself. It's so simple but it makes me so happy.
Our first big test with the kids will be our first trip home to Illinois for Thanksgiving. Here's to two kids, 1 dog, two adults and a week worth of clothing in a 4 hour drive. We can do it....we can do it. I have to keep repeating this.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone and I'll write again before I return to work.
