Now my little love is very quickly approaching her first birthday and I have been lucky/blessed/fortunate enough to have had a full year off to enjoy/learn/embrace/be challenged by/love motherhood. I have been amazed and blown away by how busy and all-consuming motherhood is- and must admit I am truly in awe at women who work at being stay-at-home moms. And when I say work, I mean work, because a lot of the time, it is very hard work for very little recognition. And those mamas deserve some praise, that has to be said.
Me, I must admit, that much as I have loved this year and being a full-time mum more than anything I have ever done, I am now more and more starting to miss being part of the paid workforce too. I miss the fast paced world of magazine publishing. I miss overhanging deadlines and caffeine fueled writing binges. Working lunches somewhere nice. Getting dressed up in the morning to go to work, heels, dresses, make-up; the works. And it is this bit that brings me to the next bit.
And as my longing to return to work has intensified over the last weeks, so has my window-shopping for hot new workwear. I find myself lusting over the perfect office dress. The killer meeting shoe. The "I-have-four-hundred-PR-appointments-two-editorial-meetings-an-overhanging-deadline-AND-after-work-dinner-plans" perfect pants/blouse/coat combo. You get my drift, I miss miss miss my office life.
Monique Lhuillier's Pre-Fall 2011 shows were filled with the most perfect work outfits. Seriously. I am talking stuff that dreams were made of. Classic and figure-friendly silhouettes, and show-stopping use of color. Rich, decadent and versatile = yummy working mummy fantasy. Now if only my bank manager would agree with me in that I "Absolutely Need" all these wardrobe updates!
It is important to point out, however, that much as I cannot wait to start working again, I also know the day when I will not be able to see my baby all day every day will be heart-wrenchingly hard. Tears will be shed. Guilt will commence. And yet in my heart of hearts I know that Nahla will enjoy the company of other children. Will learn to play and share and be compassionate and caring about her little friends. And will have tons and tons of fun.
In Norway practically 100% of Norwegian children go to kindergarden/creche around the time when they turn one. This is because in this amazing country we are blessed with 12-months FULLY PAID maternity leave- by law, regardless who you work for. And when that year is up, most mamas return to their jobs and their little munchkins go into daycare. It is the way things are done. And it works. It is a blessing, a freedom, a privilege Norwegian women share and that enables women to not have to chose between career and family, because we can have it all. Lucky lucky us.
(Photo Credit from here)
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