Top 5 changes in our family since returning to work

I have been back at work for more than a month. L1 turned 3 and L2 passed the 6 months mark. Thank God we have survived the whole of August as one sick family. Yes the bug just passed from L1 to my hubby to me then to L2. It just didn't seem to end and the kiddos are often on drugs.

Yet if you asked me if I could choose again, I would still want to return to work. There is an interesting synergy between being a mom and an educator. My kiddos reveal so much to me about learning and being amazed at this world that might somewhat seem hopeless. There have been many changes since I've returned to work but thankfully everyone is supportive and patient with me.

#1 "If I don't sleep, nobody sleeps!"

Yes that's the catch phrase that's on a new T-shirt that L1 received. Totally true since I need to get him to sleep before I can get L2 to sleep. My kiddos only fall asleep when I am by their side, daddy just won't do. In fact L1 was adamant that I stay by his side initially even while L2 was wailing away in the other room. Some days I just can't take her wailing and try to get L2 to sleep and L1 will be by my side humming a sad melody that goes "mama mama mama..." such that in the end neither sleeps and the cycle restarts with me trying to get L1 to sleep in the other room. Now, L1 is more receptive towards me carrying L2 while being with him and trying to get both to sleep at the same time. Somehow his older brother instinct tells him to give in to his little sister.

Then there are times when L2 cries in the middle of the night. I stumble into her room to comfort her. Somedays I am so tired, I feel like I am a drunkard who can't walk straight and somewhat fearful that I will drop her while trying to pick her up. Sometimes, L1 realises that I am not by his side and starts screaming for me. Fortunately now he knows where to find me so he just stumbles to the other room and sleeps by my side. Sometimes he just waits for me to get back to the room and cuddles me. I never know when I will have a bad night so I just take one night at a time.

Since returning to work, I average 4-5 hrs of sleep during the week. During wkends, I'll be glad if the kiddos let me sleep in which is usually unlikely :P

#2 "Mama make my milk!"

Since L2 can pretty much sleep through the night, it is necessary that I pump the moment I wake up at 5:30am. Even during the pumping process, I fear waking up either one of the kiddos. Initially L1 would wake up and insist that I don't pump. Even when I offered him the expressed milk, he wasn't keen. He would say "Meimei's milk smelly". He would insist that I make his formula milk not daddy. Sometimes while pumping, he would request for cuddles and tug at the pump tubings or parts. Obviously that will get me stressed up. My "liquid gold"!!! It's interesting how he has totally forgotten he was once breastfeed as well. Even when I try to get him to latch or suggest he try my expressed milk, he's not keen.

While I'm at work, I have to be mindful to keep pumping at regular intervals. It's such a hassle carrying all the barang barang to the nursing room and storing the milk. Thankfully no one in the office is using the nursing room except me but there are cases of others misusing the nursing room which can be annoying. The nursing room in the office is pretty make shift. Somewhat like a storeroom so hygiene isn't fantastic. There is no assigned socket for the pump so I had to use the socket that was meant for the fan. There's also no assigned fridge for my expressed milk so I use a lock & lock for my bm and a ziplock bag for my pump parts to keep it as hygienic as I can. I survived using this nursing room with L1 the last time so let's hope I will keep pumping for the next 12 months!

#3 "Papa goes to school. Mama no need to go to school?"

While there are changes in our routines, both kiddos are developing too. L1 is asking a lot of questions and able to pick out the differences in patterns. He does not understand the concept of work so we just tell him we all go to school. He does question though why is it that sometimes only one member goes to school but the rest stay home. He is a kinesthetic learner who loves associating his learning with movement. He is a pretty sharp boy too. When grandma said his colour sticker book was a "good book", he retorted that it was a "colour book". He knows that he is no longer the one who is showered with attention and tries to get it by "fake" crying. Actually both kiddos have this trick up their sleeves and crying does seem to be infectious sometimes.

#4 Leaving the crying baby behind

This one I really don't like. Having to leave for work while one of them is crying away especially when they are running a fever especially post-immunisation. They will always be my babies.

#5 Sibling love

L1 has grown to love his sister. Amazing when he suddenly cuddles her and showers her with kisses. He'll say "I love you meimei." Unfortunately she's not so keen on his displays of affection. They have started to play together and I'm looking forward to more sibling love moments :)

#Work #Changes #SiblingLove