The final countdown

It's not much of a countdown when the counter reads "zero", but anyway, today was my last day of parental leave. As with Meh about seven weeks ago, it's going to definitely be a difficult adjustment to head back to work and only get to see Zachary in the mornings and evenings. Granted, it's not so terrible; I'll be with him on weekends and one afternoon a week, but it's still going to be hard not taking daily walks with him and Korby, singing and dancing with him in the afternoons, and seeing him smile and laugh when he looks at me at random moments throughout the day.

This morning we went to what may be my final parent-child class with Zachary; in a few weeks he transitions up to the 6-month-old sessions anyway, which occur on a day Meh has off work. But there were lots of wistful goodbyes -- oh, and finally another dad to briefly chat with after class! Next week's class involves music for babies, so I'd still like to attend if my work schedule will allow...

We popped over to Costco to grab lunch first for daddy and then to bring to mommy, and then headed over to visit mommy for lunch. As before, it was bittersweet to realize that this will be our last lunchtime visit -- though again, in retrospect, I don't see why we wouldn't visit her on weekends and maybe even Monday afternoons. Then we headed home and read, played, and danced the afternoon away, as we had done so many times over the past 6 weeks. (The CD from one of Zachary's first favorite movies arrived in the mail, and he kept laughing and smiling as we danced to it.) I've noticed that he's become talkative and happy more and more as the weeks progress, becoming such a little boy! Well, other than that whole mobility thing, which I'm sure will come soon enough, particularly once he's spending time with another fairly mobile baby at his new nanny's.

Quickly enough though, it was time for his bath and bedtime ritual. Meh got home, put him to sleep, and that basically concluded my parental leave. I know, it's good for everyone to get into more of a routine, and for Zachary to be with other grown ups, and for the two of us to have our professional lives outside of our family life. And I am supremely grateful that I got this extended opportunity to be with and care for our son. But I'm sure going to miss all of the time we spent together dancing, reading, walking, rocking him to sleep, and otherwise playing. I'll just have to cherish those early mornings and weekends that much more!