WaPo blogger Mary Ann Akers took a maternity leave in late September 2009 as she and husband, Newsweek’s Michael Isikoff, welcomed son, Zach, into the world on Oct. 5. But it’s nearly five months later, and Akers remains on leave. Her last item for the website appeared on Sept. 10, 2009.

On Sept. 30 WaPo reported:

The Sleuth is Away
While the Sleuth is away, check out The Reliable Source for Inside the Beltway Gossip and Capitol Briefing for the latest Hill news. Visit 44 for the latest from Obama’s Washington, and check in with the Fix for political news and analysis.

Is it just a case of ‘Mommy Realizes Being a Mother Is –
Understandably — More Rewarding Than Gossip?’ or something else?
Unfortunately, our efforts to sleuth and ask both the Post and Akers have resulted in interesting dodges, weaves and non-responses on Akers’s part (it’s noteworthy to say here that the Post PR department is always responsive, when they know something or when they don’t). Akers did not return a FishbowlDC attempt to contact her by e-mail.

So let the countdown begin:

Will Akers return? Or is she entering a new phase in her life?

Stay tuned…