Dear Alice...

Dear Alice,

Monday, I'm going back to work.

I stayed at home with you during almost 18 months and I had a wonderful time. It was an incredible privilege to spend my days (and nights) with you. As a baby, you hardly ever cried and were the easiest little creature to be carried around on my many mom adventures. Now, as a toddler, you hardly complain, adapt like a champion to new situations and are easy going as long as we stick to our well established routine.

So why I'm going to work you might ask? Simply because I think that I can have the best of both worlds: a rich family life and a motivating career.

Monday, I'm going back to work but you should not worry. We will still have plenty of fun together because I found a great part-time job (24 hours a week). I think that you will approve of my career move since I will be working for a non-profit organization that provides mom-to-mom support for breastfeeding mothers in Montreal.

Monday, I'm going back to work but I feel at peace to leave you, my precious daughter, with people that will eventually become your second family. We were lucky to benefit from a very gradual integration (mornings with you the first week, mornings the second week and short days this week ). Over those weeks, I saw you evolve in your new daycare environment and, from the sparkles in your eyes, I know that you are happy. 

As a family, year after year, we will celebrate the changing seasons. At almost 18 month old, as summer slips slowly into early fall, I hope that you will embrace smoothly the beginning of this new routine.

As Big Nutbrown Hare said to Little Nutbrown Hare : "I love you right up to the moon - and back."

Maman

xox