Time marches on, and twelve weeks' maternity leave is never as much as it sounds on the FMLA form. Indeed, those twelve weeks are long gone, and Abby has been back to work for quite a while. Thankfully, by a special dispensation from our very generous and accommodating employers, we have been able to work out a flexible schedule to take care of baby's needs: Abby works from home every day but Thursday (when she goes into the office); I work in the office every day but Thursday (working longer hours/a half day, respectively).
Here's what my (new) typical Thursday looks like:
3:00 a.m. Wake up when Thomas fusses.
5:30 a.m. Wake up when Abby gets ready for work; protest being awake by lying fitfully in bed.
6:00 a.m. Realize I'm beaten; get up and make coffee/eat breakfast.
6:15 a.m. Start work.
7:30 a.m. Meet with my pastor.*
8:00 a.m. Awaken Thomas.
8:45 a.m. First attempt at feeding Thomas (usually he eats only enough to stave off absolute hunger, thinking his mom will feed him at the next opportunity).
9:30 a.m. Put Thomas down for nap/get to work/see tweets about some awesome company or departmental treat that I'm missing out on by being at home.
11:00 a.m. Thomas's first fake-out (those who are not steadfast of heart can easily be taken in and get him up at this point, but he is only faking and will soon go back to sleep).
11:30 a.m. Thomas's second fake-out (like the first and second crack of roasting coffee beans, this second fake-out signals that the end is near).
12:00 p.m. Get Thomas up from his nap; second attempt at feeding Thomas. (Usually by this time he's pretty upset--and ravenous--so I try to coax him in whatever ways I can, by singing, dancing, talking to him, feeding him on his playmat or in his bouncer, etc., to get him to eat like he should).
1:30 p.m. Put Thomas down for a nap (with varying degrees of success)/get back to work.
2:00 p.m. Thomas screams/I realize that Thomas's second feeding didn't go as well as I thought/Thomas eats again.
2:30 p.m. Thomas back in nap mode.
4:30 p.m. Thomas wakes up mostly happy.
5:45 p.m. Abby arrives home, whereupon I hand the boy over and he gets his first decent meal of the day/put finishing touches on my work.
6:15 p.m. Destroy the image of Madonna and child to broach the topic of dinner; make something; eat.
7:30 p.m. Bathtime with Daddy morphs into bathtime with Mommy because Thursdays are upside down.
8:00 p.m. Thomas goes to bed/I recount exactly what happened while Abby was at work.
10:30 p.m. Read until bed.
I've grown to love our weekly "boys day," but I'm not sure Thomas feels the same. Though he does have the benefit of not wearing pants as often on Thursdays. (I still wear them, and he's a baby! It's okay!)
* Yes, I realize "one of these things is not like the other." This remains the best time to meet. Much of what happens from 7:30-9:00 has conversation over coffee in the background.
:)
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