Max is officially 6 weeks old now. I can hardly believe it. Time has flown by so fast. In less than a week, it means that Chris will return to work and I will spend the remainder of my 6 month leave as a "single" mom. (Luckily, my family is coming to visit for the next few weeks!) It's been amazing having Chris at home with me and Max. Not only did he tirelessly and lovingly take care of me and Max during these tough first 6 weeks, but he was able to create a special and strong bond with his son. That's something that most dads don't get the chance to do.
We've been telling everyone here that dads in the States don't get much time off, if any, for the birth of their baby. New Zealand allows dads 2 weeks paternity leave. On top of that, Chris benefited from the Christmas holiday break and used some vacation time.
We're lucky here. The system is kind to new parents. And so are our employers (the University and bosses). Life here in Dunedin is kind to new parents. Things are laid-back. Slow.
We're able to BREATHE.
Take for instance: tea time. When Chris returns to work, he'll fool himself into thinking that he's working hard ... until it's tea time. At around 10:30am and 3pm, Chris and his co-workers will stop working and ritualistically gather to the tea room for a morning/afternoon tea break. Many even plan experiments ahead of time so that it doesn't clash with tea time. Or, like in my department, tea time is planned days in advance. And has a theme to it. (ETK)
(**Chris - Max and I will miss having you at home. We're the luckiest. Thanks.)
We've been telling everyone here that dads in the States don't get much time off, if any, for the birth of their baby. New Zealand allows dads 2 weeks paternity leave. On top of that, Chris benefited from the Christmas holiday break and used some vacation time.
We're lucky here. The system is kind to new parents. And so are our employers (the University and bosses). Life here in Dunedin is kind to new parents. Things are laid-back. Slow.
We're able to BREATHE.
Take for instance: tea time. When Chris returns to work, he'll fool himself into thinking that he's working hard ... until it's tea time. At around 10:30am and 3pm, Chris and his co-workers will stop working and ritualistically gather to the tea room for a morning/afternoon tea break. Many even plan experiments ahead of time so that it doesn't clash with tea time. Or, like in my department, tea time is planned days in advance. And has a theme to it. (ETK)
(**Chris - Max and I will miss having you at home. We're the luckiest. Thanks.)
1 comment:
Lovely pictures!
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