Monday, March 15, 2010

Temporary Stay at Home Mom

I KNOW people say that being a mother is the hardest job in the world. I don't doubt that because of the severity of the job that's true. I mean... It's not often that a life if in your hands 24/7. Mental and emotional pressure put on ourselves has got to cause some major job anxiety. Granted, that comes in the job description of motherhood whether you're also working outside of the home on top of that or not.

At this stage of my life I won't have the chance to stay at home with my child for awhile, but I will have the chance to experience it for a few months, and let me tell you... I don't care what anyone says, I'm looking forward to that SO MUCH.

Sure, maybe there will be spurts of cabin fever and nights when I'm so incredibly exhausted, but I am very much looking forward to putting sacrifices like that in for someone I actually love.

Don't get me wrong, I like the people I work with currently, but I just imagine days where I'm at the office until 2am, or mornings where I'm called in at 4 (yes, it happens) are more worth it when it's for someone you're willing to do anything for.

Already after a long shift at work I am excited to rush home and greet my furry child as well as my husband. It's by far my favorite part of the day. We're lucky enough to work our schedules so we get the same days of together every now and then... No matter how strange the days. We don't need to do anything extraordinarily fun for entertainment. We're both totally happy with vegging together laughing over youtube videos or stories from work.

I look forward to letting the house go when I feel like it, and napping with my little mini me. I look forward to going for summer strolls around the neighborhood with her and our dog Snoop.
I look forward to family trips where people will be excited to meet and greet her, and I'll be proud to share her with the world.

I look forward to documenting her every tiny milestone... Even though I thought that was so silly before.

I look forward to diaper explosions and projectile vomit. I know, it's strange but I do. What better to blog about than that?

I look forward to afternoon picnics with our little family, and trips to the park. And if that doesn't happen very often so what! We'll have an indoor picnic with movies and quick snacks.

I especially looking forward to photographing EVERYTHING!

Some people have told me they looked forward to going back to work once their leave was over, and that work outside the house was so much easier. Many times I think this is coming from women who enjoy being challenged professionally and say being at home and not having adult stimulation all day is the hard part (let me add that I'm not saying you're NOT mentally stimulated if you're not working outside the home, people just tell me it can get challenging talking to a child all day. If I wasn't working outside the home I'd still find ways to have fun and interact with others.) ... But I'm not going to let that be my mentality during my leave.
Family really means so much to me, it's the top priority in my life. I never thought I'd want to or enjoy be a mom who stays at home, but like I've heard, everything changes once you see that baby... I feel like that already happened to me the moment I saw her on the ultrasound screen.

I'm going to enjoy every week, day, minute and second of being home with my little girl, no matter how difficult. Because I know how it is on the other side, and I know children grow so fast. Who care's what's harder? Working outside the home... Staying at home and working with your children... it's not a competition! I just want to look back at my time at home and know I didn't take it for granted.