Yesterday I had a request from a friend’s husband. Their baby isn’t yet born, but having been warned about the difficulty of getting a nursery or school of choice, they started researching and applying as soon as she passed her first trimester. (Correction: he’s researching and applying at the nurseries, while she’s “just” having the baby). He asked me to draft a template email to follow up on his applications; something warm, flattering and intelligent to seduce the heads of the nurseries into accepting their son. Having been there, done that, it was an easy job: first a tour of the place, followed by the application, then a glowing, complimentary follow-up praising the nursery’s philosophy and staff, and finally phone-calls “just wondering if a place had become available”. Persistence paid, and now Leo goes to a nursery of our choice, refusing to go to his key-worker and bawling as soon as I turn to leave. When I go to pick him up after 6-7 hours, even if he’s happily engrossed in something, he’ll see me and scrunch up his face and show me his “how could you, my very own darling mother, have left me?! I was so sad all the time” face.
Long Story Short
The first day I had to drop him for a 6 hour stint, I came home and went on a baking bender, churning out twelve veg muffins, a coffee and walnut cake, a broccoli and bacon quiche and some chocolate and banana bites with the leftover pastry. Then I cleaned the house, top to bottom. And I thought if I’m this productive on the first day without Leo, then God help my work place when I return – they won’t know what’s hit them! Obviously that was just the first day. These days as I walk to the nursery to drop him off, I almost taste the peaceful, leisurely lunch I’ll have on my own later, as I read a book, or watch something online. Oh and that long, hot shower, such a luxury.
The Future Planning
Jokes aside, I now find prioritising very intuitive and I am starting to think “sensibly, like a grown up”, like telling myself to get my work stuff - clothes, laptop, notebook etc ready now, and not be panicking on Monday morning, my first day back at work! Since my colleagues are based in the US, I can start late in the morning but also have to work later into the evening. The plan to work for 6-7 hours at the office, head home to do Leo’s nainai and neenee (bath time and sleep, to the non-punjabis!) and then work a couple more hours later. What I’ve found incredible is that I seem to have an adequate amount of energy even after a total of 5-6 hours’ broken sleep. (Important note: A complete contrast to my husband, who after looking after our son for 3-4 hours max, will needs an equally long nap to recover.) Well, I’m counting on this energy to see me through, although I’ve been warned that I’ll be shattered after the first few weeks of juggling work and baby. As I learnt from the long-distance flight with baby, if you set your expectations low enough, the reality is often a pleasant surprise!
(The author is a former TV journo and currently the Head of Communications and Marketing at Anthemis Group in London. She became Mama to baby Leo in April 2015. She started this blog as an outlet for the intense, roller-coaster experience that pregnancy and motherhood entail. And for recording the journey with as much humour – black mostly – as she can cram in. Oh and dispensing free gyan as she ticks the been there, done that milestones.)
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