The first time round, it was in winter and full of big excitement and little knowledge of what was to come. As I approach my second maternity leave (in 3 weeks' time), it feels like I've never left the transitional space that I found myself in last time. I will have returned to work for a total of 9 months in between leaves and for 3 days a week. The one-foot-in, one-foot-out existence has encompassed some of the best parts of both spheres of living, but has also come with pl