Mat leave

Sometimes I wonder what I'm doing running around like a crazy woman on my Maternity Leave.  Most women look forward to their precious year off and savor all the lazy cozy days on the couch holding babies and baking cookies, but I've chosen to take on some major tasks during this time off and I sometimes regret it.  Since my husband is one of the pastors at our church we spend a lot of time having people over, attending events and planning events.  I decided I wanted to participate more in that and help share the load a bit.  One thing I've started doing is cleaning the church.  This is part of my husbands job, but it always seems to be pushed through his schedule and end up on Saturday evening or afternoon and I really missed having him all to myself on Saturdays, so I volunteered to treck the kids down there along with my rubber gloves and get my hands dirty myself.  I thought it would be better for me to pitch in on a Friday and have a Saturday for the fam than to send Greg out the door literally 7 days a week.  But here I am on my year of leave, scrubbing toilets and floors, mopping, vacuuming and washing....not quite a year "off".

I also opted out of a sedentary Mat leave when I signed up for the half marathon, of course.  I often think of my first Mat leave when I'm running and remember how nobody expects you to get skinny fast or do anything like working out, especially since you're on sleepless nights and you have a sore body.  But here I am again, running farther than I ever have only a few short months postpartum.  When Liam was 5 months old I'm pretty sure I couldn't run to the driveway and back.  I am proud of myself for having these goals and deciding to keep busy and enjoy life instead of using the year to eat baking and sit in the yard.  But sometimes part of me feels like a little more down time this year could go a long way. 

                                                           4 months after Elliot was born

                                             Huge belly a few weeks before Elliot was born
My body has undergone some major changes in the last few months, and I am feeling good and healthier but I just wonder what this Mat leave would be like if I were at home more or sitting around with the kids more.

I spent most of yesterday morning playing with Liam in his room. We made a big bowling score board and played for a few hours while I sipped my coffee and encouraged him. I loved it and remembered all the time I poured into him that first year.  I used the year for him, not for me.  I hope I'm not setting myself up to spend Elliot's year on myself while he sits in the high chair waiting for me to get back from a run or finish my project I took on.  Like I said, I'm glad for the goals and I feel great about them, but the year is already more than 1/3 over and I've been so busy.  I hope this summer I can slow down a bit.  Take the kids on walks to the park, play in the pool with them and let them know that this Maternity leave is more for them than for me.  I just hope it's possible to do that and finish my other goals without total burn out. The best solution would be to incorporate them into some of my agenda and hopefully this summer weather will allow that.  Pulling two kiddos in the wagon to the pool, swimming all day and pulling them home could burn a few calories, right?