Final Day of Work

My final day of work before starting maternity leave.  Such a strange feeling.  Of course I arrived to: "You made it in!", "You haven't popped yet?!?", "You're here!"...  Yes, dear colleagues, despite your predictions, I did indeed make it to work today. :)

It's still up in the air how much time I'll take off.  That will be decided by baby and myself.

I'm still scared to death about how we'll spend our days - between W, baby, and myself.  I just can't picture how things will go.  How will I juggle feedings and still manage to play race cars?  How will I get W down for a nap if baby is having a particularly difficult day?  How will W feel if I'm holding baby, but he also wants to be held?

I'm very worried about W's feelings/emotions as he transitions to his new role as big brother.  But I know it will all work out in the end.  Because it has to.  And these boys of mine will always have a playmate, a friend, a brother - that's pretty amazing.

I have a brother.  We got along alright as we grew up (we still get along, though different lifestyles/thoughts/interests have definitely distanced us), but I've always wondered what it would have been like to have a sister.  A sibling who shares similar interests, a confidant.  I'm so excited for my boys and I hope they are the best of friends.

I read an article today that brought me to tears.  My favorite part:

"Moms. The crazy, heart-stopping love that we feel for our children runs deep through each and every one of us as moms.

And this knowledge is painful at times. It's why every sappy commercial brings us to tears. It's why we can't watch the news. It's why we get in the car and cry after we drop our kids off to their first day of school. It's why food allergies are terrifying. It's why our hearts ache when we hear about miscarriage or fertility problems. It's why we are up at night worrying about our teens. It's why the thought of our children eventually leaving the nest makes us weep into our coffee. It's why the death of another mother's child is so utterly heartbreaking . . .

It's also why we should always provide a blanket of support to all fellow moms. Not only to those who are suffering through the unimaginable pain of losing a child, but also to those mamas going through plain ol' rough times . . . and even those moms who are just having one of those days. Hug her and if you are struggling to find the right words, all you may really need to say is, "I know, I'm a mom.""