Farewell to Mat Leave

It's the night before going back to work. A part of my heart aches a little bit knowing I will be spending less time with them from here on. Mostly though, my heart is just so full. I'm grateful for what the last year has brought.

When I first started this mat leave, I knew for sure at around the 3-4 month mark, I would ask to go back to work. Sure enough, around Christmas time, I talked to one of my previous managers about going back part time. Then I didn't hear anything back. So I left it. And am grateful I did. 

This was the mat leave where it would be the last time all 3 kids would be in the house at the same time. This coming September, Mack is going to kindergarten. 

This past year, we've gone on camping trips, Great Wolf Lodge, drove to Edmonton, many many beach days/evenings, and just a ton of outings as a family. We have been blessed that Bryan is around during the day. We were spoiled not only because we got to spend the entire year together, but also because we had so much support around us at preschool, daycare, and my mom so that we still got one on one time with each kid. And we managed to have a few date nights in between plus social outings with friends at least once a week.

With all the chaos this past month and not being as present with the kids as we should have been, I vowed that I would not waste any more energy worrying about things that are not in my control. Especially not on the last day of my mat leave!

Today was the perfect ending to my mat leave. These 3 right here, these 3 have made the past year the best mat leave ever. 




Mackenzie, Bryanna, and Alastair - this past year, you have shown me that it really does take a village. And we should all count our lucky stars for the village we have. They are the most wonderful people who have the biggest hearts. 

I've learned that experiences far exceeds things. I've learned that being present in the moment means everything. This past year, we created so many incredible moments together. 

While my days with the kids will be different, I know that I will cherish our quality time that much more. No matter how frustrating bed time might be, I know I will close the door with a grateful heart because one day, I will miss that one more goodnight kiss and hugs from the kids.

Farewell, mat leave. You were good to me. This will be the last. But certainly not the last of the many adventures we will continue from here! 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Humbled by a Contest

About 18 months ago, Bryan and I went through some challenges in our relationship. We were at a point where we were deciding to stay together or separate amicably. It was both a chaotic and peaceful time for us. Chaotic about the unknown, but so much peace that no matter what happened at the end, we had nothing but love for each other. In the midst of it all, I had read about 8 books in 2 months to keep me occupied in the chaos. Then I stumbled onto a book that changed me.  It was a book on my wish list for the past 10 years. Yes, 10 years. And I am not sure what prompted it, but I finally bought the book. I won't go too much into Conversations with God. You can get it and read it if you'd like. It was exactly what I needed at that moment (isn't that always the way?). It gave me the peace I needed to let go of whatever ideas I had about our marriage. And from there, Bryan and I demolished what was, and built something new. A shift happened that I finally truly learned t
Read more

And Here He Is...

Image
I haven't had much time to think about writing because well, juggling 3 kids takes up a lot of time! I'm sitting here with maybe 5 minutes to spare before the baby will need attention again, so I better get to typing quick! Each pregnancy has been so different. With Mackenzie, I was miserable for the first 22 weeks with morning sickness, and then I felt like I could be pregnant forever! With Bryanna, I was miserable for the entire 39 weeks. I could not wait for her to get out! With this one, I was miserable for the first 20 weeks with morning sickness, and then great for 17 weeks, and then the last 3 weeks...well, let's just say there were some tears. With it being one of the hottest summers, I could not wait for this baby to get out! Plus the inconvenience of not being able to pick up the girls when I wanted to, or bend down to give them a kiss - I just wanted to be mobile again! So when my first consistent contractions came I was so excited. We even took one last wa
Read more

Week 36 - Almost Cooked!

Or as my friend Tara would put it - almost marinated. Baby can come anytime now, but could use 4 more weeks of baking (or at least I could use it). The sleepless nights have begun. I'm feeling more and more uncomfortable as I walk, sleep, and eat. I can only walk so much before I'm out of breath. It takes me a minimum of an hour to fall asleep. And well, I'm feeling pretty nauseous these days, so food is to a minimum. All this is preparing me for when the baby comes, I can't wait! (note sarcasm) Had my baby shower this past weekend and it was great! The ladies in charge did a great job decorating and a lot of people made it out, which was awesome. We bought our first baby item this week - a playpen from Babies R' Us (it was 40% off, I couldn't resist!). Next up on the list is a stroller. STILL trying to figure that out. On top of that, I'm now on the hunt for cloth diapers. Do we just buy the package deal now, or buy a few to try it out to see if we even
Read more