The transition from working girl to stay-at-home-mom (SAHM for short, as I've learned from blogs and articles) has been a difficult one. When I was working full-time, I admit that the idea of staying home taking care of a sweet baby all day seemed idyllic. Crafting, keeping a perfect house, cooking dinner every night, all while keeping a baby happy, was what I expected staying home to be like. If someone would have asked, I probably would have admitted that I knew it wouldn't always be easy, but I didn't expect it to be like it truly is.
Staying home can be a lonely job. I'm lucky that Levi's job allows him to be home 20 days out of the month to help with Nora and keep me company; I honestly can't imagine doing it all by myself more often than I do. Staying home can also be frustrating for someone who likes to get things done and keep things a certain way. Most days that I'm home alone with Nora I feel like I get almost nothing done around the house. I'm often lucky to get a load of laundry in and a shower by 5 p.m. And if I try to get out of the house to go somewhere, I have to plan twice as long to get ready just to get out the door.
The hardest part of staying home for me has been losing my set of friends from work. Though we can still get together (and we do), it will never be the same. We don't see each other every day anymore, and we don't know what's going on in each other's lives to the same degree we used to.
All that to say, there are some great things about staying home. I get to spend almost all my time with a sweet baby. I get to watch her change and develop. I get to care for her and be there for her when she needs to be comforted. I have freedom to do things with Levi and Nora as a family any day of the week. We can vacation outside the limits of vacation time.
I don't wish I were still going to work every day and putting Nora in daycare, but there are some aspects of that scenario that are appealing. As with anything, the grass is always greener on the other side. In this case, I've found that, actually, the grass is green on both sides.
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No matter how you slice it, being a mom is the hardest (and best) job ever! It doesn't matter if you decide to go back to work or stay home, there's guilt, never enough time in the day and pros/cons either way. You are doing a great job finding your groove and things will only get better as Nora grows.
ReplyDeleteI woke up this morning and my baby is now fully dressed, gotten breakfast and playing quietly in his room before I even get up in the morning, and he just turned four! It goes too fast. Enjoy every minute :)
ReplyDeleteSo true, I wasn't a very good SAHM. Thankfully a friend and I did a playdate share so we could work a few hours here and there and my Mom also watched the kids so I could work a few hours. I needed the best of both worlds. Finding what works best for you is difficult and once you do it will probably change again. lol
ReplyDeleteMy babies are now 17 & 15 with the oldest graduating next Friday. While we've struggled all our lives so I never worked full time, I wouldn't trade a single second of being here for my family at a moments notice. Going on any field trip I wanted to and helping in class, being the team mom that drives them to meets as needed, etc :)
I am sad to miss being a mom with you! We would have lots of play dates!! :) laundry and household chores get a little easier as they get a little older (or it did for us anyways). But you're raising Nora, not your house. Be glad and joyful in speaking scripture to her and singing hymns. Our homes will turn to dust, but our children we are raising for The Lord. You will find a groove. Try to get out of the house (even if you aren't all as ready as you'd like) just to see adults and get fresh air!! I love you, friend!
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