Back to work

After five weeks on paternity leave I returned to work last week. There’s no hiding the fact that I didn’t want to go back…….I’d still rather be at home now to be fair.

It can be difficulty to work full time and be up during the night with a baby….millions of people do it but it can still be tough. I feel we have been pretty lucky with Henry but I wanted to document my first week back to work, Sharing our disrupted sleep pattern and to give a little insight to the day to day life of a working Dad.

Day 1 – 30 July 2018

Monday morning…the alarm goes off. Gracie and I get up and ready for the day leaving Mummy Hew and Henry sleeping. The whole drive to work I just wanted to turn back home and say ‘fuck it’. I’m not someone who normally gets anxious but the thought of returning to work made me feel sick.

The day itself wasn’t actually that bad, I managed to get through everything I needed to. I had a banging headache at the end of the day. Having not sat in front of a computer for 5 weeks took it out of me. But day one was complete….and it was OK.

When I finished work Mummy Hew wanted picking up from town, we only have one car and I take it to work. I picked her up and we made our way across town to pick Gracie up from nursery. I gave them both the biggest cuddle,Gracie kept trying to pull away but I wasn’t having any of it.

Mummy read the bedtime story whilst I prepared dinner (chicken fajitas🤤). I also provided feedback that the hoovering hadn’t been done and my dinner wasn’t on the table when I arrived home…..as if I’d dare!

Gracie went to bed after she brushed her teeth and cuddled Henry for the millionth time. We ate dinner and Henry fell asleep on my chest whilst we watched the Love Island final (don’t judge, I was late to the game and only started watching half way through).

Henry fell asleep as soon as the Love Island final started…he found it really boring. I settled him in his crib at 10:45 and off he went to sleep, dreaming about milk and cuddles.

Day 2 – 31 July 2018

After going to sleep dreaming of milk Henry woke for actual milk at 01:10. Mummy Hew fed him, I changed his bum and we all went back to bed at 01:40. I don’t mind the night feeds/bum changes at this stage as he has been pretty good and settles back down straight away. We all slept until 4:35 when he woke for more milk. He was a greedy little monkey and took more than he needed meaning he was sick all over his sleep bag. We use the Gro Snug at his stage and will upgrade to a Gro Bag in a few weeks. Henry went back to bed at 04:50 with a new sleep bag and Mummy Hew and I joined him in the land of nod.

Henry was awake again at 0600 until 06:45…..I pretty much ignored this wake up call and left it to Mummy Hew, I dozed as the alarm for work was going off at 7. Henry and Mummy Hew went back to sleep and I got up for work.

Gracie and I got ready for Nursery/work and left the sleeping beauties to it. I dropped Gracie off at Nursery at 8 and made my way to the office. I was already thinking about the day coming to an end so I could go home and give Henry cuddles and be silly with Gracie.

Mummy Hew text me at 8…Henry’s nappy had leaked. I mean I hate to say I told you so, but she definitely didn’t change his bum when he woke up at 6.

I left work at 15:30….we needed to take Henry to the hospital to have a scan on his hips. As he was a footling breech it’s standard protocol to have a scan when they are 5/6 weeks. All was well and no concerns were highlighted.

We picked Gracie up and made our way home. Gracie bought home some artwork she made at Nursery……a piece of paper layered with PVA glue and pasta. Why do Nursery insist on sending this shit home with them. I keep some of the bits she brings home but often they find their way to the big circular filing cabinet.

Gracie and I read a bedtime story and she was off to the land of nod. Henry and I were then able to spend the evening chilling on sofa…..except he was sick. On my chest. My lap. My legs. The floor. He just didn’t want to keep his milk down. He settled in his crib at about 21:00 and slept until 22:30…..epic fail on my part moving him from the crib downstairs to the one upstairs. He had more milk and settled at 22:50

Day 3 – 1 August 2018

Pinch punch first of the month! Henry’s first wake up call was 02:45. He had his feed, fresh bum and was straight back to sleep by 03:10. Little man slept until 05:20 again had a feed and was pretty much straight back to sleep. He then woke up at 06:45 until 07:00 which is pretty annoying timing. I was just getting up and ready for work. He had his feed but didn’t really settle whilst I was pottering around. He then got up and was ready for the day at 08:00

Today was a more of a struggle getting into work. I’ve had a couple of days to settle back in, but my diary was stacked. I’m still working a half day on Wednesdays, which is great, but I had loads to do. Once people had realised I was back my workload was back to normal. No rest for the wicked ey?!

I finished at half 12 and picked Mummy Hew and Gracie up. I promised Gracie I would take her to the splash park. She bloody loves it there, running round through the fountains, giggling when she gets splashed. It’s priceless. I asked Gracie what she wanted for dinner and she asked if we could go to the pizza restaurant. So we went to Pizza Hut. She learnt a valuable lesson too.

After the pizza Gracie asked if she could take the pink crayon home, I said no as it belonged to the restaurant. When we got to the car I saw the pink crayon in Gracie’s hand. I asked her where she got it and that she needed to be honest with me and I wouldn’t be cross. She told me she stole it. Her face dropped and she instantly new she had done wrong. I told her she wasn’t getting a sticker for her chart and explained that stealing is wrong. She told me that she knew and she promised not to do it again. She asked if the policeman would take her away…..I was half proud that she knew she has done wrong and half cross that she took something she shouldn’t. I know it was only a crayon but that’s besides the point. I’m glad her lesson was learnt with a crayon, rather than something else. My heart sank for her when a police car drove past us on the way home and a look of guilt came over her, she said ‘Daddy, I hope the policeman doesn’t see the crayon’ I don’t think she will be stealing again.

Henry and Gracie had a bath together. Gracie went to bed (after her book about the policeman and the boy who stole a computer game – mean I know) and was giving all the cuddles. Henry took a while to settle after his bath, he’s still not keen on the water. Once he was fed he fell asleep on my chest at about 20:30 and we took him up to bed at 22:00.

Day 4 – 2 August 2018

Henry woke up at 12:45…but I didn’t, I stayed asleep. Mummy Hew says she tried to wake me but I didn’t wake up. I woke up at 01:30 just as he was going back to sleep. Mummy Hew had changed him, he weed on one sleep suit and was sick on another. I felt guilty that I hadn’t woken to help and could feel that Mummy Hew was a bit cross that I hadn’t woken, she says she wasn’t but changing his bum at night is my job….well when I’m not sleeping. He settled back down at 01:35 and woke at 04:40. I didn’t hear this either. I woke at just before 05:00 changed his bum and sleep suit after he was sick on it. He was also sick on my side of the bed but I was so tired I didn’t really care. He went back in his crib at 05:30 but didn’t settle and Mummy Hew fed him until 06:10.

Gracie came through and woke me up at 06:45 and we got up and dressed for the day. Henry and Mummy Hew slept until 08:30.

I felt nakered. Work is getting busier, it’s like I was never off. I don’t normally take a lunch break but I didn’t even stop to eat, I don’t even think of eating until I was in the car home. When I got home Gracie wanted to jump on me and be thrown in the air, we did that and played some silly games (pretending to be tigers is our favourite at the moment) she I put her to bed just after 19:00. She was excited because she has Friday off Nursery and asked to play with he play dough.

Henry didn’t really nap in the evening. He had a good feed and sat on my lap staring at the wall most of the evening. He drifted off about 22:00 but woke as we went upstairs and wanted more milk. He was a bit restless and settled in his crib at 23:15

Day 5 – 3 August 2018

Henry woke just after 2am. He has what felt like the world’s biggest feed, had a fresh bum and went back down just before 02:45. He slept though until 4:14 Mummy Hew fed him, I changed his bum and he went back to sleep at 5:10. He didn’t sleep for long and was awake at 6:30, he then fed until 7:45. He was quite restless and was struggling with his wind.

I made my way to work whilst Mummy Hew and Henry went back to sleep. The little monkey stayed asleep until 09:30!! Friday went so much quicker knowing I had the weekend to look forward to!

By the time I finished work Friday I was ready for another five weeks off. The thought of having to return after two days didn’t exactly fill me with excitement. But I had the weekend to look forward to and enjoy!