Just go with it: life after work

I have been back to work for 6 weeks now and we are finally starting to get into a good routine.  Sure, there are still days where I'm running around trying to figure out what I can make for dinner in 10 minutes, that's considered somewhat healthy.  But for the most part,  I've got this.  However, if you would have asked me a month ago how I liked being back at work, I might have crawled into the fetal position on the floor and ignored your question.  It's not work itself that was the problem.  In fact, I'm really enjoying being back at work.  The problem was the sh*t storm that happened at the same time as my return to work.  It just seemed to be one thing after another.

First, my husband got an infection in his elbow that was so bad it required him to be on IV antibiotics for 4 days!  Of course if they stick a needle in your arm and attach a pump to your waist and they expect you to visit the hospital on a daily basis.  So that was fairly exhausting in itself.  The swollen elbow and IV also meant that my husband couldn't help much with J.  But to make matters worse, I got a bad flu at the same time.  Anyone who has had to parent when all they want to do is curl up in a ball and die will understand how awful this was.  And of course, all of this happened over the 4 days before I was returning to work after my mat leave!

Luckily, by Sunday evening, things were looking up.  I was feeling better and hubby's IV was coming out Monday morning.  We had survived!  But the universe had other plans... I managed to get through my first work day and actually enjoyed it.  J on the other hand, had an awful day at daycare and it was clear by Tuesday morning that he was sick.  Off to the emergency room we went, where the kind doctor informed me that I was to keep him home and stay home with him for the rest of the week.  You can imagine how good I felt about calling my boss with that news!  Luckily, she is amazing and totally understood.

So we got through the week and things were looking up by the weekend... So I thought.  The following week we got strep throat (all 3 of us).  The week after that J got an ear infection that was so bad that his ear drum ruptured!  By this point, I kept thinking things couldn't possibly get any worse, but it just kept piling on.  I got to a point where I had to just go with it.  Roll with the punches as they say.  Amongst the doctor and hospital visits we continued with life and work.  We even managed to celebrate J's first birthday.

Luckily, after the ear infection, things started looking up.  J received antibiotics that not only made him feel better, but it seemed to help with his appetite, which was something that we had been struggling with for months!  My baby was finally eating!

By my 4th week back from mat leave, I was finally starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel.  My husband and I fell into a pretty good morning routine and I finally felt like I could do this working mom thing.

So if you are about to return to work after baby, know that the first few weeks might be tough.  Hopefully you won't have to face too many issues but I think it's fair to expect some bumps along the way.  Just know that it does get better.  It still isn't always easy but as things come up, I've learned to just go with it.

J