Life as a working mommy ...

So, I figured I would start this blog to discuss my life. My life juggling being a wife, a mother, and a career woman, all rolled into one. I am *cough* slightly OCD, despise a dirty house, and wonders what I did with all my free time before having a baby.

So, today my husband and I decided to switch our work schedules. He had been working his normal 5:30/6am to around 2:30 and I was working 8-5. This staggering of our schedules allowed for Elizabeth to be in childcare for less time. We wake her at 6, get her dressed, fed, in the car and to child care around 7:15/7:30 and picked up between 3 and 3:30.

This works great, what didn't work great was my 1/2 of the bargain. I would leave work as early as possible to get on the road for my 45 minute commute home. Once I got home I would quickly change into sweats and take Elizabeth. By that time, she was starting to get cranky, and there were days she didn't even care to see me. I would try and get something ready for dinner (or Mark would perhaps have something laid out if we were so proactive as to have our dinner menu for the week written out) while putting Ellie in her highchair, warming up a cube of her cereal. I'd sit down and try to get one or two spoonfuls of cereal in her mouth before she got too cranky and only wanted to chew on her bib or the washcloth. At this point I might have about 10 minutes to let her be content eating her bib so I could get dinner partially started.

This next part actually changed about a week or two ago. I used to deal with a very cranky baby around 5 or 6 which made for a long evening, and difficult to be excited to spend time with her as well as prepare dinner. After starting to read the book 'Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child,' I decided an earlier bedtime was necessary, and it was the trick. If Elizabeth doesn't get a bath, she is changed into her pjs by around 6, and a bottle is made. She is done eating and in bed not much later than 6:45 anymore (and she sleeps until 6am!). The change killed me coming home at 5:30/6pm. I couldn't handle not spending time with her as well as the stress of making sure we were all well fed and to give daddy a break since he was home with her for the 2 hours previous.

Something had to change, thus the flipping of our schedules. Working 6-3 is not a problem for me, and was my schedule before having Ellie, it's Mark that is going to have to adjust.

This is just another one of those changes/sacrifices/compromises that has to be made as a married couple with a baby. Just another of many more to come.