Back to work…

Today marks my return to the office, after the longest break from my professional life that I’ve taken since I started my career in 2004.  I wish I could say that this time off has been restful, but Eve has kept us pretty busy.  I was able to steal a few days of relaxation amidst the relative chaos of our first few weeks as parents, and I was helped and encouraged by my family and friends visiting and providing support.  Becoming a parent is absolutely the rewarding thing I’ve done so far, and spending my vacation time to welcome Eve has been great (despite being tiring).

One of the best things has been the additional perspective that one gains in such a short time.  Things that were previously very important to me have paled in the last three weeks when held up next to the needs of a beautiful little baby that depends on Tasha and I for everything.  Are things like my computer, my work, and my hobbies still important?  Absolutely.  A man has to stay sane, after all.  But the late nights at the office, the single-minded focus on technical projects until they’re done, and the neglect of my own needs for stress relief and relaxation are things of the past.  My Dad gave me some very good advice right before he left when he told me that now my health and well-being are the most important compared to everything else.  I have to continue to be able to provide for my family and must have the physical and mental wherewithal to do this, so I have to take care of me.

I also have to take care of Tasha, since she’s providing most of the “hard work” in child rearing.  She has to feed and care for the baby while I’m at work bringing home the bacon, I feel that I have a responsibility to take some time with Eve once I’m home so she can relax and take care of herself.  We’re going to have to stick together, thankfully this has never been a problem.

So it’s back to work with me tomorrow.  I’m going to try to make it a full workday, armed with Red Bull and 5 Hour Energy to keep me going.  We’ll see how the next two days go with me working and Tasha caring for Eve during the day, and we’ll make any necessary schedule adjustments over the weekend to make sure that we both can hack this schedule long-term.  Next week it will be back to the grind as usual!  More soon!