Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Back to the Grindstone...


Well, my first week as a day FLEW by - and now I'm back at work.

In Europe, dad generally gets two weeks paternity leave. Before everybody jumps on the 'isn't corporate America awful' bandwagon, my company here gives the new father a similar deal (without it having to be government mandated) but unfortunately, you have to have worked there for a year to get it.

So I was at home for just a week - which was long enough to appreciate that stay-at-home mothers don't have it quite as easy as we working men sometimes imagine (and that's even without Tina having sheep, horses and a successful non-fiction career to wrangle with at the same time, like my mother did!)

But it's nice to be back at work. For a start, it means I come home eager to bounce my wee bairn on my knee - which gives Tina a few hours of blissful rest until the graveyard shift begins again.

That being said, Martin continues to be a very good baby, sleeping and eating well. The only downside seems to be his ability to generate twice his weight in garbage/rubbish every day!

The whirlwind of becoming a parent seems to be over. Now settling into a routine seems to be the next step...

Oh, and yes - that really is my 'office.' Tina bought me the poster!

5 comments:

The Chemist said...

Paternity leave? That's a new concept for me. I remember when my siblings were born my father would have to pawn the rest of us kids on our aunt so he could go to work. I'm not even that old.

I suppose that the times, they are-a-changin'

Unknown said...

Love the poster. Glad the first week is going so well :)

for a different kind of girl said...

I love that poster, but before you realize it, you're not going to be able to see it, what with all the photos of Martin that will come to live in that space!

Anonymous said...

I didn't know your mother was a writer. Can you tell us the names of her books?

The Maid said...

The routine never really got routine until hubby went back to work...then the monkeys learned to depend completely on mom during those hours...and not to expect too much! LOL

So I'm sure Tina misses you...but those sweet first hours when you come home are heaven for her and Martin too...trust me! :)

Glad you are so hands on and that you are all adjusting well. :)

Don't forget to bring the beautiful mama some flowers in the next couple of weeks...it can be kind of anticlimatic to settle in to motherhood. :)

(What with all of the attention that was paid to mom to be...and is now being paid to baby. Mom sometimes needs a pick me up!)

Have a great week!
The Maid