This past week was busy and rough. It was Cindy’s first full week of work since returning from maternity leave. (she returned mid-week her first week back and last week was short because of the long weekend) And Jake had a lot of presentations and deadlines, so he was back home late and also up late into the night. We were both a bit overwhelmed and felt pretty exhausted by the end of the week.

It was rough and we were left wondering how other working parents do it!?

Cindy finally cried and had a mini-breakdown Friday night thinking about how, after all the holidays and breaks, her new normal would be pretty close to what this past week looked like. By most standards, she already gets a lot of time with Baby R when she gets home from work since she has a teacher workday, but for her it just doesn’t feel like enough time. It’s no wonder why so many women leave the workforce after having children. And she was fortunate enough to get 5 full months with Baby R. She can’t imagine only getting 6-8 weeks.

As for Jake, there were a couple of nights this past week where he came home after Baby R had been put down to bed or was just about to be put down. It made him a little sad knowing he didn’t really get to see her almost the entire day. It is sweet, though, how he rushes to her the next morning to get in some extra cuddles.

We’re trying to not dwell on how hard this past week has been and focus more on soaking in the time we have with Baby R this next week. For Cindy, it’s hard to not let her mind wander and think about what her days could have looked like with Baby R if only she had more time at home. We realize we’re in a transition period, especially Cindy, and it might just take time to adjust.

With Thanksgiving coming up, we realize we have a lot to be grateful for. God has truly blessed us, and while this transition period has been difficult, we know not to take any of it for granted.