Mr. Mom

Alana went back to work on Monday and Jackson doesn't start daycare until January. That makes Mr. Madison, Mr. Mom for the month of December. The perspective of the last three days gives me hope I may survive. Jackson, too.

The position Alana holds at her company provides the capability for three months of fully paid maternity leave. There is some beauty in corporate America. All we had to do was have the doctor sign off the little release from HR that requested a full three months off. It probably worked out better for the months before Alana's delivery that we didn't talk to the doctor about it until after delivery time. It would have just provided unnecessary stress in a time when stress is even more unhealthy than it normally is. When we did present our doctor with the form from HR, she explained that she could not legally sign it because of the specific language in the form and the fact that Alana did not have surgery during delivery or any post-op health risks. What was I saying about beauty in corporate America again? Alana was really looking forward to having a full three months at home with Jackson, and we thought for several months that this was the case. It was not very good news on an otherwise miracle of a day. So Alana spent the next few weeks exchanging countless emails and phone calls with her HR department, which doesn't have an office in Dallas, and talking with her supervisors about how much time she would take off. And how much of that would be paid. Someone in the Human Resources department sent her an email threatening her job if she took off longer than six weeks. Anyone see the irony there? The ultimate conclusion to all of this was Alana would take two months off, only about a week of it unpaid thanks to her remaining PTO, return to work for a few weeks before the holidays, then take the rest of the year off. Something we'd have to live with.

On her first day back, Alana talked to HR. It turns out she could have had the three months maternity leave, fully paid. Sometimes, I'm glad I don't own a gun.

The mornings with Jackson are the best. From 7:30am to 10:00am, Happy Jack is in full effect. We started the transition to formula during the day a couple weeks ago because a 100% breastmilk diet while Alana is working is too ridiculous to attempt. But consequently, this is working well for all parties. Jackson doesn't mind and Alana isn't left with the full responsibility of providing food for him. We still give him breastmilk for evening mealtimes, though from a bottle because he has figured out he doesn't have to work nearly as hard to get what he needs from a bottle. Again promoting Happy Jack, Happy Mom, and therefore Happy Dad. Alana still nurses him at night, which is about the only time Jackson is fully satisfied with the boob. I imagine this will change later in life. He wakes up around 7:30 and lays in bed for about an hour, talking and waving his extremities. Something he never seems to get tired of. Then he gets hungry and wakes up Dad. I feed him, then lay him on the couch where he continues talking and waving his arms and legs. I have coffee and watch Sports Center. He takes a nap around 10 and eats again between 10:30 and 11. I've got the first part of the daily routine down. I'm still working on the rest of the day. It pretty much consists of the same routine, it just gets harder to keep Jackson entertained and get him down for his nap. I usually try to get out in the afternoon. It helps keep us both entertained. I get bored with television after about an hour, and Jackson gets bored with staring at the ceiling. Though he seems to last a lot longer than I do.



I want to write more about our outings. Our little moments, good and bad. But I have things to do. So stay tuned!!!