Vacation Leave

I've reached the point in my maternity leave where I am now using "vacation" instead of sick leave. By choice, I have taken 6 additional weeks of leave beyond the 6 weeks that are mandated. Although I am being charged vacation time for these additional weeks, it would be a misconception to think that maternity leave is any sort of vacation. Sure, it is time away from work, but "vacation" implies sleeping in...no household chores...leisurely meals...and fun adventures. Maternity leave is far from any of these things: it's catching a cat nap in between nursing; it is doing lots of laundry and constantly cleaning; it's eating standing up or one-handed while bouncing a fussy baby; and it's spending more time at home than anywhere else. I say all this not to complain, but to simply debunk any notion that maternity leave is easy. It's only at the end of maternity leave that things become a little less chaotic and a little more predictable. I remember these last weeks with Emmy when I was finally feeling more confident as a mom...and then my world was rocked once again with the transition back to work. I've been staying somewhat connected to work with daily emails and text messages, but even so, it will be a harsh reality to return to the 8-hour workdays and the rushed mornings and evenings. I am trying to savor this time with Eli and with my family of four. Since I am using up all of my vacation leave anyways, we are squeezing in a little bit of fun with the daily grind of running a household. Our adventures lately have included: 

- Lunch at the Graham Soda Shop & Grill, followed by a sweet treat from the Tasty Bakery next door

- Dinner at Forsyth Seafood Market & Cafe, another restaurant featured in the Our State magazine

- Girls' brunch at Mae's Vintage Kitchen in downtown Kernersville with my mom's best friend, Ramona

- A day trip to Statesville for lunch with Shawna, my childhood best friend

- Chick Fil A date with our friends Lyla and Stephanie

- more Chick Fil A with the cousins (and Emmy's first time having an ice cream cone!)

- Visits to see Great Grandma Nancy

- Cuddles and dinner with Caro

 

I am continuing to go to the Baby Cafe breastfeeding group on Thursdays, and today was my fourth time attending. I am enjoying getting to know the other moms there, and the weekly weigh-ins are so helpful. When I return to work, sadly I will no longer be able to attend, but I have liked going during these weeks of my maternity leave. At today's Baby Cafe, I was thrilled to see double digits on the scale. Whooo hoo! Eli weighed in just a tick over 10 pounds. Here are a few pictures from this week of our growing boy!