In the next couple of months I am getting ready to embark on a new adventure – stay at home mom. This August, my husband and I will be welcoming baby number two to our growing family. With the cost of putting two children in daycare and the thought of having to travel regularly for work, it doesn’t make sense to continue working. So I am starting early with beginning to transition my world from working nearly 65 plus hours a week to being a stay at home mom by the time the new year comes.
Right now my week is typically full to the max. I work for a non-profit organization. I love my job, but it does require a lot of overtime and late night phone calls. My work primarily focuses on students and volunteers and a flexible schedule is necessary. Also, I currently travel about two weeks per month. When I am on the road for work I typically log about a 10 -12 hour day in meetings and calls. When I’m home, my day typically starts with taking my son to daycare in the morning and coming home to work from 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Then the “other” full time job starts: mom and wife. Prepare dinner, clean the house, and get ready for bath time. After my son goes to bed, from about 8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. I spend time working on my personal blog American Made Mama. Then bedtime for myself. Rinse and Repeat.
Though exhausting, I have lived this way for the past ten years. Being busy, being on the road, and never slowing down. I have to wonder if I will be bored when my 90 mile an hour day slows down a bit. This brings me to the Fairfield County Moms Blog.
I want to be a contributor because I believe in the power of connecting with other women and sharing advice, joy, guidance, and inspiration. I hope that what I can contribute will help to educate and inspire others. Mom’s need to know that no matter what kind of “mom” you are, you can also inspire actions in others. All moms have a story to tell and I can’t think of a better way to spend any additional time I have then hearing the stories of other moms making it day by day being the best mom that they can be.
When I was younger I used to dream of being a stay at home mom. My idealistic version of happily baking, cooking, taking the children on adventures, and having a perfectly tidy house is likely a far cry from what I will face in reality. Sweet bliss has quickly turned into a vision of exhaustion, markers all over the walls, and trying to juggle my attention between my tantrum throwing toddler and very needy newborn.
The thought of this transition brings out a lot of emotions for me that I have been working through over the past couple of months.
- I am excited to catch all the “little” moments. The daycare my son is at is awesome, and they document everything. But I must say that I am a secretly happy to get to witness all those little moments myself. Not being able to miss out on the small changes day to day is an exciting part of parenting that I am really looking forward to.
- The “Am I really supposed to be stay at home mom,” question is something I find myself thinking all the time. With new ways to “lean in,” am I missing an opportunity to continue being a powerhouse career woman and juggling two kids? I compare myself to some of my friends who are shattering the glass ceiling. And sometimes I feel guilty for not putting more of a priority into my own success.
- Now that my job will be to take care of my children does that mean that my own expectations of what I should be accomplishing each day is higher? With my husband bringing in most of the family’s income is there a certain responsibility for me to relieve him of other parenting duties that we had typically shared in the past?
- My husband is helping create a life in which we are going to be offered the opportunity for me to stay home. I know that not everyone can have this chance. So, I find myself often reflecting on the appreciation I have for the lifestyle that we have been able to build for ourselves.
As I transition into this new journey, I am faced with new challenges each day, but I am ready to face them. I can honestly say that being a mom has been 100% the best thing that has ever happened to me. My son inspires me to want to be a better version of myself. I want to be happier, healthier, and more of a role model for him each and everyday. I am looking forward to adding a new sweet baby girl to our world and building a strong foundation as a stay at home mom.
