No matter how long you take, maternity leave never feels long enough. Just ask Jeri Ryan! She took a year off work to be at home with her daughter Gisele Lynn, but now she doesn’t want to go back!

The actress has headed back to work for a role in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Playing “ball-busting attorney Parice Larue is a great opportunity for the actress, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t tears!

“I cried,” the 41-year-old freely admitted to People. “It was especially hard since I’ve been with her nonstop since she was born.”

It sounds like Jeri’s time as a stay-at-home mom couldn’t have been more perfect.

“Gisele loves to be outdoors, and we garden together,” said the actress, who grows broccoli, cabbage and carrots. “She’s a great eater. Any green vegetable, she’ll go to town on. She has a very adventurous palate.”

After gaining 28 pounds during pregnancy, Jeri also used her time off to get back into shape.

“It took me 10 months to get back to normal,” says the actress, who does Pilates three times a week. “It was a little frustrating, but I realize it’s harder to take the weight off when you’re 40.”

Jeri will reprise her SVU role this fall, and hopes to bring the whole family to New York for the trip.

“I loved my year off,” says Jeri, who is married to chef Christopher Emé and has a 14-year-old son Alex, from a previous relationship.

“I milked [my maternity leave] for as long as anyone could milk it!” she said. “Now it’s time to go back to work.”

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Jeri Ryan’s second baby Gisele Lynn entered the world so quickly, her husband Christophe Eme almost missed taking the first photo! The baby girl took only 11 minutes to arrive, and she’s been eager to embrace life ever since. Gisele, who was born on March 2, will make her debut in the May 26 issue of People magazine.

“She’s very French,” Jeri laughed. “She has really strong lungs, is not afraid to show us what she wants and doesn’t like to be rushed during meals. We joke she’s going to be either a French chef or an opera singer.”

Like most new moms Jeri is struggling from a lack of sleep, but said she’s lucky to receive a lot of help from her French chef husband.

“Christophe is a dream dad. As in love as we were before, this makes it even deeper. [He] cooks delicious meals for me every day. I’m so spoiled. I couldn’t be luckier!”

Sounds like everyone’s idea of heaven! A super quick labor and awesome French food afterwards? Sign me up!