Back to Work

The much anticipated first week of being back to work is over and it went rather well, all things considered.

For me, it took a while to adjust back to office life. There were the small things, like remembering to bring my office access card around with me (I kept forgetting it!) and having to recall all my passwords. The Company Helpdesk got many calls from me to reset everything. And when I left for lunch, I forgot my usual protocol of taking my phone and wallet only and instead brought my entire bag with me. It was only when we returned — really late — and my colleague lamented that we looked so conspicuous, especially with me carrying my bag, that I realised what I’d done. And for someone who was permanently in heels pre-pregnancy but has for the past many months been shod almost exclusively in slippers, being back in heels is seriously killing my feet. Ouch, my poor toes and calves.

It’s only been a week so it’s a bit early to tell if I’ll be able to manage workwise, but for now, things are good. It did however hit me mid-way through the first day that I had step on it and get everything done in the course of the day cos I wasn’t going to be in the next day to finish it off. But it felt so good to know that I would have the next day off. And at the same time, it was really nice to be back and yapping with my colleagues again. It is a big deal, being able to feel a bit more like myself again.

Noah on his part, did quite alright with the change to his daily schedule. Thanks perhaps to the fact that I used to bring him over to my parents’ place once a week, he seems to be alright with making the trip down twice a week on Monday and Wednesday. I think it also helps that there’s a whole army of folks to help look after and distract him there — my DaYiMa, my Mum, my brother (who doesn’t start poly till April), my Mum’s helper and my own. The reports from my Mum were that he’s a happy baby throughout the day. He’s an angel, except for the fact that he wouldn’t drink his milk. Argh.

On Monday he drank all of 3 ounces the whole day. I was a bit heartbroken when I changed his diaper when I came back in the evening and saw the pink uric acid crystals in the diaper, a sure sign that he was dehydrated. Needless to say, he was ravenous by the time I got back and wanted to feed every hour till he went to bed for the night, and worried Mummy here let him. On Wednesday he improved to 6 ounces but was otherwise playing and sleeping well. Unfortunately towards the end of the week he seemed to catch on that I wouldn’t be around for longer stretches than he was used to. On Thursday when DD left for the office and I disappeared into the room for a bit, he started whimpering, only to stop when I reappeared in front of him to catch him as he lunged into my arms. Then on Friday when DDMum came over to take care of him in the morning, he apparently cried a bit when we left, and a fair bit more later. When I came back after lunch, he had cried himself to sleep and not drank more than an ounce of milk. Sigh.

One effect of this separation however is that he seems to be much more excited to see me these days. Haha. On Friday after I came back from work, I picked him up and dream-fed him an ounce and a half from the bottle, then after he’d rejected it, latched him on to continue his feed. The little bub latched on, sucked a couple of mouthfuls, then pulled himself off in shock and stared at me (with his mouth open for effect) for a good minute as if to say “Mummy, you’re back!”. Then he broke into the sweetest gummy grin before latching himself on again to continue his feed. You’ll be right in thinking I completely melted! My baby missed me! Arw.

Anyway, I’m now actively trying to bottle feed him a bit more so hopefully he’ll get used to it soon. In the meantime, he also seems to be on an alternate day eating schedule where he makes up the previous day’s feed on Tuesday and Thursday!

So he’s a bit clingy these days but since I miss him when I’m in the office, I’m that much happier to carry him when I’m home, which works rather well for all of us. I pray that it will continue to be so.