Happy at Home

I had to spend two full days at work this week and it was like torture. I don't know how I used to work like that. Working all day means cramming my Cutie Pie quality time into just an hour in the morning and maybe two hours in the evening if he's not too sleepy.

I know that a lot of women work full time and they feel totally satisfied with their situation. I am very happy for them but working in an office full time is just not for me. I was a little excited to go to work on Monday after a long week with a sick baby. But the novelty soon wore off and I found myself thinking about what Cutie Pie was eating for lunch and wondering how long he would nap. These are not the most productive thoughts to have when one is trying to work.

Having a child has made me a much better employee. Anytime I think about slacking off I just imagine how great I will feel when all my tasks are accomplished and I can leave early to pick up my baby from his school. Suddenly, I am full of renewed energy. Cutie Pie is the ultimate carrot.

I'm so glad to be back on my short day schedule. Yes, it means I am much more busy trying to do paper work at home and take care of Cutie Pie. It also means I am exhausted from chasing my little crawler around the house, my skin is dry from excessive use of disinfectant wipes and I spend much of the day with baby food stuck in my hair. But, I love every bit of it.

http://theadventuresofcutiepie.blogspot.com

Balance

Cutie Pie is learning to crawl. He is getting so close to figuring it out that I don't let him play on the floor unless he's got a video camera pointed at him. It is so amazing to watch him get up on all fours and try to balance and move at the same time. He seems to be terrified of pushing his body forward and whenever he tries, it makes him cry. Surprisingly, he has no trouble crawling backward! He doesn't seem to crawl deliberately and he obviously has no idea where he is going but he really truly is crawling backward. I can't wait to see him figure this crawling thing out and watch him take off. I realized that if he makes his first little move at school where I can't see him, I will be absolutely devastated.

After spending a week of luxuriousness with my Cutie Pie, I decided that I can no longer be a working mom. After mulling it over in my head for a few days and of course, discussing my life changing decision with my husband, I decided to make it official. I resigned from my job! It was the moment most people only dream about! I walked into my supervisor's office and I told her that I wanted to resign. At least that's what I tried to do. She wouldn't let me quit. My boss simply said "No."

What do you mean "No?" I was completely baffled. I can quit if I want to and you can't make me stay! My boss thought fast and told me I could work from home and schedule my office appointments in the evenings around my husband's schedule. I know that many women ask their employers for schedules like mine. I wish I could say that I hammered out a deal with my employer but I'm afraid that I am just too naive for such manipulation. I was just really, really lucky.

It was positively painful to even consider quitting my dream job. It was even harder to think about missing out on precious time with my Cutie Pie. There seems to be no right answer. You either choose to work and feel guilty at leaving your child to be raised by someone else or you choose to stay home and lose your professional identity in the process. It looks like I will be learning to balance too.

http://theadventuresofcutiepie.blogspot.com/