The Return

It has seemed weeks if not months away, but my return date to work is drawing near and in fact I am now buying time with holiday as 20th July seemed too early to go back. How life has changed since I started maternity leave last October. Some of those times have been extremely difficult,testing and an enormous learning curve. Others have been highly rewarding and it has been a wonderful time to get to know this little person full of character who has entered our lives. Life as it is now is pretty full on. Life B.I. (Before Isobel) was also full on so how to combine to two? I am not sure. Of course plenty of mothers do it and life becomes a juggling act trying to tick all the boxes and give as much of yourself as possible to each of life's compartments. When I look at Isobel laughing when we have done something silly, experiencing new food, the thrill of her first swing, making a new sound or lying peacefully asleep after another day I wonder what I am going to miss out on. There are so many experiences I am looking forward to doing with her. One friend said in someways it is a relief to get a bit of the old you back again and maybe she has a point. I try not to dwell on it too much fearful of going into the unknown. Who knows, things may work out very well. Luckily Isobel is very sociable and is enjoying the time we are spending at the childminder's so hopefully she won't mind as much as me. Only time will tell.