First day back...sorta.

Today marks the official end of my maternity leave. Sigh. 6 weeks passes oh so quickly.

I admit I was freaking out a bit last night around 7pm while I was frantically sterilizing all of my breast pump parts and trying to figure out how much breast milk you leave for a baby who has been exclusively nursed. My head felt like it was going to explode my to-do list all over the sterile flanges.

This morning I held Kevin a little longer after he nursed and then got Nathan ready for school. He asked me once again why I couldn't go on his first kindergarten field trip today and why I never came to the special stuff at his preschool like other parents (I did take off work once to go to the Thanksgiving dinner at his preschool...for the record) I said "I'm sorry sweetie but I have to go to work but hopefully I can another day" and that was that.

Driving into work I felt ready. Ready to get back into the routine. Ready to spend time with my lovely patients. Ready to see my coworkers. And ready to clean teeth- which in a weird way is sort of like therapy to me. I prayed for the boys in the car and shed a few tears when it was Kevin's turn. My first day away from my sweet littlest son.

I got to work and walked in only to find out a water main break was causing us to close for the day and we all got a paid day off. Easiest first day back ever! Haha. I remembered Nathan's field trip and told a coworker about it and she said "you should surprise him!"

Yes! Yes I should!

I was SO excited to drive to the Family Farm and pumpkin patch to meet up with  Nathan. I stood with the other parents waiting for their children to get off the buses and hid a little behind a tall man because I didn't want Nathan to see me right away. 

He got off the bus and I saw my opportunity to walk up behind him and tap him on the shoulder while other parents were finding their kids. He looked up at me and grinned ear to ear and said "Mommy!! What are you doing here?!" and hugged me tight. 

Yep. Best first day back ever.

We toured the apple sorting area and farmers market together. We learned how pumpkins grow.

We crammed under an umbrella while pumpkin picking and trying not to get too soaked (those stems have some major stickers- ouch!) I silently thought thank you when Nathan forgoed the big pumpkin and picked out a small one...yanno, since the moms and dads always end up carrying that stuff.

I sat with him while he enjoyed lunch. He was surprised by the rare treat of candy in his lunch bag.

The afternoon's plans got rained out so I brought him home early and enjoyed conversation in the car with him.

It was a stolen day. And I'm grateful for it.

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The rest of the day has been the normal roller coaster of intensely sweet moments and pulling-my-hair-out crazy moments. 

One moment the older boys are cuddled up to me and Kevin while we try to coax him into giving us his first little grins.

And the next is me holding a screaming baby and dropping tuna all over myself (note to self: cannot eat a tuna sandwich one handed) while Luke is loudly declaring "DONE!!! DONE!!!l" from the high chair and Nathan walks in to show me that while I thought he was painting Handy Manny apparently he thought he was Handy Manny.

Aaaaaaand just like that. I'm ready for my first real day back to work tomorrow. 

:)