Home and away

It's been a busy three weeks in Eve's world, during which she has flown halfway round the world, twice. She was angel baby on the trip to the UK when she was just with me (and I found sanity with a mother of an 8 month old who similarly had decided that the steps to the top deck on the jumbo and a bag of peanuts to rattle was the only way to keep her little one occupied), and a bit of a devil baby on the flight back when the Boy accompanied us.

Once we got back, however, I then had to leave my darling baby girl for the first time since she was born.

Considering the huge amount of travel I have done since I came to Asia, I have been remarkably lucky that I have not had to travel on business at all since Eve was born. For a whole year there has not been one night that I have spent without her, until this week.

It was awful.

I cried when I left my sleepy and jet lagged daughter on Monday at 7am. I cried when, at the airport, I realised I actually had time on my hands to do what I wanted rather than wrangling my daughter away from all manner of dangers. I cried every day when I called home twice and she chatted to me on the phone, I had taken her little toy bunny with me to remind me of her, and, yes, I cried every night as I cuddled it to sleep.

I had dinner one night with a friend and her two little boys, both under 3. I don't think anyone could have ever hugged them harder.

I am so very, very glad to be back.