Throwback Thursday #7: Up Close & Personal

Happy Thursday, reader(s)! A very good friend of mine returned to work this week after being home on maternity leave, and it reminded me how tough that time was for my husband and me.  I will try not to go on a political rant about how ridiculous it is that the US doesn't have guaranteed paid maternity (or paternity) leave (coughcough like this cough or this coughcough), but after speaking with my friend, I decided to take a look back at the photos I took of OG and I on our last day together before I was forced to return to work.

I use the word "forced" because the mortgage won't pay itself (although, can someone please invent a self-paying mortgage?! kthnx!), and I had only saved up enough to get us through 6 weeks of unpaid leave.

And to put this into context...#realtalk...I was never the woman who lived to have children.  I have always loved being around kids, and kids usually really like me (probably because my inner child is alive and well), but I never had the ticking of a biological clock in my brain. Everything I had read said most women need at least 16 weeks to heal/bond after birth, but I figured I'd be able to manage with 6-10 weeks...mainly because I didn't have enough money for more time, but  also because every woman is different, and I assumed (silly me) that I was the type of woman who would be excited for a bit of "normalcy" and "adult time" after that amount of time at home with a newborn. Spoiler alert: I was so very wrong on so many levels. It was a huge miscalculation on my part.

Back to the OG TBT topic: I looked at a series of pictures I took on our last day before I returned to work.  They are some of my favorite pictures because we both look so comfortable (especially OG, since she's sleeping in most of them) and I remember every moment perfectly. They are also close-up pictures, which we don't have many of anymore now that she's a toddling monster.

I have always wanted to eat this baby. Always <3

OG didn't want me in this picture...heh.

"I see myself!" - OG's thought process

so. much. love.

So good luck to all the mommas (and dadas!) out there who have to leave their precious nuggets and go back to work. If you don't feel like you're emotionally ready, that's ok.  It eventually does get easier.  But it really sucks. I still get sad some days when we drop off OG, or if one of our sitters tells us about something new she started doing that day.  I just try to focus on all of the fun adventures she is having, and the quality time she'd getting to spend with her family/friends.
Also, you're most likely extremely sleep-deprived if you're heading back to work, so BE SAFE.
And you're not alone. <3

Just keep fighting for family rights! Our country needs to step it up and offer guaranteed paid family leave in order to give our children (and future) the best start possible!