ON LEAVE, 2009

On 27 March 2009 I brought home my tiny vulnerable premature baby son, after spending three long and stressful months sitting by the side of his incubator in hospital watching and waiting for him to become strong enough to leave. It was amazing to finally have him home after months of hardly touching him. Finally he was my baby and I could hold him as often and as long as I liked; and so I was happy to spend my days sitting on the sofa while he slept in my arms. I sat and held my sleeping baby for hours, watching him, the time pass and the light fade - never daring to move, to turn on the light or get some food in case he woke. My baby was so prone to infection we rarely had visitors and I hardly ever left the house - but I was so overjoyed to have him there I barely noticed the days slipping away. Although at times I felt isolated and lonely, it as also a relief to be away from the constant noise and stress of an ICU unit and I came to enjoy the silence and peace as our flat became my world. As the weeks and months went by I began to see it in a new light, at first quiet, dark and still - but as the time passed and my boy grew stronger it was a place full of beauty, life and hope and so, slowly, I started to document our life in the flat while he slept. This is the collection of photos I took while on maternity leave.