Time does not move at the same speed all the time. I remember thinking after the first few weeks of maternity leave that 6 months was an eternity, and then thinking the same again halfway through. Then, with about a month and a half to go, time sped up and the days started disappearing fast. I think it’s mostly because the days are far less tedious now, because Ingrid’s company is much more fun than it used to be.

Now during the last few weeks I have suddenly become really busy, discovering all sorts of important tasks every day, and even though I’ve been trying to get things done before I go back to work, my to do list is growing rather than shrinking.

Today I took a day off from baby-watching and left Ingrid in Eric’s care for the whole day (except I kept the milk bar open). Just knowing that I don’t have to worry about anything – that she is being taken care of, that I can ignore all her noises – meant that I could focus fully on whatever I was doing. I got more done during two hours this morning than I normally do in a whole day. I can totally understand parents who take their children to day care even when they are not working.