I just made my first solo trip since my daughter was born, and if it wouldn’t have required a complete packing overhaul involving a much larger suitcase and waking her up in the middle of the night to get her things, I probably would have given into my nerves at the last minute and taken her with me.

In my daughter’s 15 months on this planet, I have left her overnight with her grandparents just one time and my husband and I couldn’t get home fast enough we missed her so much.  However, that time my husband and I were just a quick 50 minute drive from home.  This weekend I needed to fly hours away….there would be no quick return if I missed her, if she had a meltdown or worse, an emergency.  What’s more, in her first few months of life I was working so she was used to me leaving now and again. Now I’m a stay at home mom so she is with me all the time!  And let’s be honest, I’m with her all the time.  I was just as worried about myself as I was about her.

The truth of the matter is, I was attending a funeral…not ideal for a newly walking toddler who explores everywhere and comments on everything, we have also just made the tricky transition from two naps to one and sleep timing is critical right now so not great for a weekend of time zone changes and travel during bed times, and she is cutting THREE molars.  It just seemed a better idea for her to stay at home with my husband on her turf with her schedule in tact.

Let me tell you, it turned out to be a fantastic idea for everyone!  My husband and daughter had a wonderful weekend together going to parks, playrooms, and restaurants, on walks, shopping for flowers and simply hanging out at home.  These three days of uninterrupted daddy/daughter time were particularly priceless because he works such long hours that he sometimes doesn’t get to see her for days in a row.  The first thing he said to me upon my return is, “Our daughter is amazing.”  Of course he already knew this, but being the only one with her all day long allows you to take in every magical moment.  And those moments are non-stop.  So for me, this weekend was about pausing.

I learned that no matter how much you love your child, a little break can be a good thing.  On the plane I read magazines that had been collecting dust by my bed for months, I ate meals before they were cold, I worked out in the hotel gym, I had conversations with adults, I wore a dress with heels and makeup and I even stayed out past 7pm one night!  I also talked non-stop about my daughter, showed her pictures to people, pumped every six hours and video chatted with her each day.  I missed her like crazy, but I took advantage of my mommy time.  It was a little recharge that every mom can use.  So while I now understand the hesitation to take some time alone, I also understand the benefits.  And when my little peanut woke up an hour earlier than normal on the morning I returned home, there was no waiting to see if she fell back asleep, I ran right in and hugged her….I don’t think either of us could wait a minute longer!

-Jolynn Baca Jaekel has been a fitness professional for more than a decade. Her first child, Parker,  just turned a year old this January. Jolynn, her husband Rob, and Parker recently relocated from NYC to Washington D.C.