Home again, home again, jiggety jig

Well, what a two weeks it was. Austria involved me working very hard, not sure it worked as a 'gradual reintroduction to work' as I was on duty from 7am-9pm most days, and on a couple of days it was hard to find much time within that to see Pob. Mum did wonderfully with her, but the whole experience made Pob a bit unsettled and so I had terrible nights with her. Italy was superb, and she settled well once we were all together as a family - H met us at the airport and she was delighted to see him. Holidays in Italy will be top of my list for a long time now - only an hour's time difference, weather gorgeous, people in love with babies. All good ticks in my box. Of course Italians seem to love all babies, but I tell you Pob was extra specially charming. We got lots of "oh bellissima!" and even requests to take photos and video of her. She loved the attention from her adoring public and developed a new line in head shaking that really entertained the crowds.

We've been home since Friday but things have been very hectic. H's brother is having a kind of breakdown so we tried to see him on the way back from the airport, but he'd gone for a walk and didn't reappear before we had to leave to get Pob home for supper. Then Saturday my brother, SIL and two nephews arrived to stay for the weekend. It was lovely to see them but BOY is my 3-year-old nephew LOUD! His outbursts made Pob cry a couple of times, but equally he was very sweet with her and brought her toys when she was getting a bit screechy, announcing to me "this is to make him better." (he hasn't quite got the hang of pronouns yet).

Sunday was a big family party for my aunt, and Pob tired herself out smiling and head waggling at everyone. We got home just in time for me to give her supper, and for me to have a complete breakdown at the thought of the nanny starting in the morning. I just don't want this lovely time with Pob to end, to go back to work and leave her, but leave her I will, next Monday I start back at work.

The nanny started this morning, and so far it's fine, although she does talk a lot! She's already done some steamed pears and tidied Pob's toys, so it can't be all bad. It'll be a long week escorting her to all our usual haunts, but it will make me feel better to give Pob a week of having both of us together before I head off to work. Pob's fine with other people, but she clearly is a lot happier when I'm around.

I'm going back to work 4 days a week (although in my job 4 days a week may mean 5 days one week, 4.5 the next but try to get home early a few times). My aim is to get back from work in time to put her to bed each night when I'm in London. When I'm travelling obviously H will have to do bedtime as well as the nights, and the nights are no fun at the moment. I hope Pob decides she can sleep through the night again soon, it's been three months now since she slept through and H and I are both constantly tired. Perhaps this is just the new way of living, and in a few years we'll forget there ever was uninterrupted sleep between 11 and 7. We're alternating nights on duty but somehow even my one night off doesn't lead to be feeling completely refreshed.

So we're fine. Pob is still wonderful (I'd post pictures but typepad can somehow no longer see iphoto - anyone got any hints?), I'm rather stressed, but it's sunny out and I'm going to make the most of this last week together.

Comments

[motel manager]

I'm so jealous of your vacation - it sounds so wonderful!

[lucky2]

Sounded like a nice vacation. So happy that Pob loves people -- that is so wonderful (mine was attached to me studying people intensely for a long time!)

I guess it is good your nanny talks a lot -- at least you know that Pob will be getting a lot of verbal stimulation. Does she speak another language? lol

Enjoy this week.

[Amyesq]

Welcome back! Glad you had a lovely vacation. Italy would be on top of our international vacation plans, too. Not glad you have to go back to work, but what can you do? It may be nice to have some Thalia time.

[Summer]

That sounds like it was a lovely vacation!

Hope the first week back at work isn't too stressful for you although I imagine the first few days, at least, might be kind of tough.

[Bittermama]

Sounds like a lovely vacation even if the work trip was hectic. Just wait til you've got one of those LOUD three year olds of your own! But hopefully by then she'll be (mostly) letting you sleep at night.

[May]

Enjoy your time with Pob. My heart goes out to you - making the right decisions for your family should feel good, in all fairness, but it doesn't, and it's hard. Pob is very lucky to have such a wonderful thoughtful mother, and she will be absolutely fine, and you'll both be so happy to see each other every evening!

I'm glad the holiday was good - I grew up in Italy, and it's the one thing I really miss, the Italian Baby-Worship. I remember taking my littlest sister about in Italy (I am a good 14 years older than her) and everyone being so pleased to see us and sympathetic when she was having a melt-down. Accompanying my neice about in Britain - not so fun, and she's a MUCH better behaved child than my sister ever was.

[Bee Cee]

Italy has always been on my top 5 list....we're going to Venice later in the year but there's so much more of it I want to see. Your post made me want to go NOW!

Hope you enjoy the week with Pob, what fantastic weather...are we really in England? And I hope work goes well for you, I am sure it will be tough at for you.

[Nikole]

Sounds like a lovely vacation. Sorry for the sleepless nights. Hope Pob gives you a rest soon.

Have you tried copying the photos you would like to upload onto your desktop and uploading them to typepad from there? That's what I have to do. But I haven't tried to upload photos in a few days, so maybe there's something else wacky going on?

[silene]

Glad you had such a nice time in Italy - I'll have to add that to the list (France is not as baby-worshipping, but that's where we'll be going for the forseeable future so everyone we know there can spend time with the Kitten - it seems that planes don't fly the other direction somehow...)

As for nannies, I was REALLY stressed out about leaving the Kitten. I am happy to report that, 4 months into the "experiment", it is much easier. The Kitten has become attached to her nanny and it is nice to see the toothless grin when she arrives in the morning. There is that much more love around my baby and I see this as a good thing. As a bonus, the nanny speaks French to her, so that I'm not the only one (particularly nice given that I can't be 100% consistent since the daddy speaks not a word...) So all in all it's a plus in our lives, even if it's still hard to walk out the door in the morning. I hope you have a similarly positive experience, once you get over the shock.

Enjoy your last week at home, and good luck with the transition.

P.S. - The Kitten has started with the head waggling too, and it just charms the pants off everyone - me included. Every week I think she can't get cuter, and then the next week she does...

[Antigone]

Oh Italy. Mmmm so much good food.

[Betty M]

The Middle East does a good line in baby worship too but not so good for holidays......
Hope the nanny is working out well in your week together.