Not quite as I had planned, but February saw me heading back to work part time. I’m really really not ready to be heading off to work and leaving Alyssa at home, which is weird because she’s about 3 months old and Liam was only 10 weeks when I went back and for more time each week. I guess with everything we’ve been through it has just made me want to spend more time at home with her. I really only got her home a few weeks ago.
But bills need to be paid, so back to work it was.
This week we started with three days of professional learning – a literacy seminar and staff meetings and organisation. Staff were able to bring their kids and leave them at school with some of the teaching aides so I checked if it would be alright to bring Alyssa as it would help me to be able to breastfeed her and not put extra pressure on me to have expressed enough milk for her by then. So Tuesday came and we headed off.
Of course Alyssa was a huge hit with everyone. For most of the staff it was their first time meeting her and many had been very worried with everything that went on, so Alyssa was very spoilt with lots of friendly faces and cuddles.
I needed to feed her just as our first session started so I checked it would be alright to bring her with me and I could always take her to the kiddie room if she was disruptive. Hardly! She was an absolute angel. She fed relatively quietly – a bit slurpy every now and then and often followed by a charming loud and clear burp – but then I’d quietly take her to the back of the room and rock her to sleep. I could then put her into her pram and sit down and concentrate on the seminar.
At break times I’d wake her up and we’d go and have a drink and a chat to the other staff and Alyssa got to have some personal time with everyone and the chance to wriggle around and make some noise.
When breaks were over she was ready for another feed, cuddle and back to sleep.
I think once in the two days of the literacy seminar she made a little squwark and I took her out of the room but she was fast asleep by the time I’d made it to the door. Everyone commented on how well behaved she was, and many said they weren’t even aware she had been in the room with us. She really couldnt have been more well behaved. I was so proud of her.
On day three we were just in staff meetings so wouldn’t have mattered if she’d been a little more restless but again, she was a perfect student. I was so very happy as it meant I got those extra three days with her that I otherwise wouldn’t have. My colleagues got the chance to have lots of cuddles and chats with Alyssa and it also gave Warren a bit of time to get himself back into a routine of working with Liam around before going straight to Liam and Alyssa at home.
I thought we did well to get any work done with this little cutie hanging around. I certainly wasn’t short of spare sets of hands to help out with Alyssa during the days.
Too bad I can’t take her to work with me ALL the time.
Alyssa's Journey 