I am days away from giving birth to baby #2, and let me tell you, this momma has some goals and dreams while on maternity leave. But will I ever get to accomplish them? Probably not, and here’s why.
On maternity (or paternity) leave, all parents hope to have all the time in the world to travel, eat, drink, explore, and most importantly, relax. But truthfully, being on leave is all about bonding with your newborn. It’s about making sure that your baby is fully loved, fed, clothed, washed, and taken care of in every aspect. It’s not about you anymore. Sorry to be so blunt, but I realized that quickly after I gave birth to my first-born son.
When my first child I did was born, I did as much as I could while I was off work. And let me say, I definitely accomplished some personal goals. I ate oysters at Oyster Creek in Duxbury. And I drank alcohol again and enjoyed every sip of the Cabernet Reserve wine at La Cantina Winery in Franklin. I brought my newborn to the beach up in NH and put him in his UPPAbaby bassinet while I sat next to him, soaking up any sun I could. But did I really accomplish anything for me while I was on maternity leave?
It’s No Longer About Me On Maternity Leave
The short answer is, no. I did not really accomplish anything that I wanted to do on maternity leave. I never had that spa day all to myself. (This is a hint to my husband if he’s reading this right now!) I never took a road trip to a place I have never been before. And lastly, as a musician, I still haven’t even sat down and written a song since my first child was born.
I’ve learned that being a parent is beautiful and in many ways self-reflecting. You have to leave your ego at the door and realize that life isn’t about what you want any more. My children come first now in every thing I do. For example, if they are hungry, I must drop everything I am doing and make sure that they are fed. If they are tired, I may have to leave the fun brewery that we are at to make sure that my kids go home and take a nap.
So this time around, I’m still making goals for myself because I think it’s important for mothers and fathers to not completely change who they are. But the question is, will I get to do ANY of these things? I’ll have to report back after my 12-week maternity leave is done.
Go On A Road Trip To Somewhere I've Never Been
South Boundary is also known as the “Avenue of Oaks” because of the beautiful live oaks that line the street making almost a canopy above the street. This is located in South Carolina. Maybe I will take a road trip here.
I have goals of going on a road trip with our family to somewhere we’ve never been before. Preferably out of the New England area. The problem with traveling with two children and a dog is that we are at the point where we have to stay at an Airbnb. But traveling to an Airbnb is much more expensive than a hotel in the summer time. So will we even leave New England? Probably not.
Go On A Brewery Tour
There are plenty of brand new picnic tables at the beer garden with umbrellas to shun the rain or the shine
I don’t mean take a tour of a brewery. I actually mean go to multiple breweries in one day. Before kids I would have had a blast doing this with my friend or family. But with kids, we will be lucky to hit up one, or even two breweries in the day.
