Coming to Terms with My New Career Choice

In January, Brian and I took a huge leap of faith. Instead of taking my 12 weeks of maternity leave, and then heading back to the daily grind of my 8-5 job, I decided to stay at home with our precious children. After 38 days of NICU life, I couldn't imagine leaving E & I with any one else. They both came home on heart monitors, and most daycares I called wouldn't dream of taking the twins because of that reason. I also had heard horror stories from NICU moms whose children were in daycare. I didn't want that for our kids, or for us. So I approached my boss and asked what were my options.

I heard the term "Work at home mom" today and thought, "That's me." Sometimes it just hits me that I'm not going back to work full time. I now work 20 hours a week still doing what I love and get to stay in my pajamas all day holding, feeding and loving on my kids.

I can't imagine anything better than staying at home, but it's also taken me some time to get used to the idea. For the past 10 years, I've been a career-minded woman. I always knew I wanted a family, and even knew that, eventually, I wanted to stay at home and raise my kids. But I never thought it would be a possibility.

Before the twins, I got up every morning, got dressed, rushed off to work and spent all day with adults. I had my own schedule. I felt important.

Now, I have trouble finding time to shower, much less fix my hair or makeup or even put on "normal" clothes. Some days, even with the best of intentions of getting the laundry finished or the dishes washed, I find the entire afternoon has flown by as I've held one baby after the other.

And I'm learning more and more every day to be ok with that.

I'm certainly not going to gripe or complain about my new role in life. I absolutely love being with my twins all day. I love being there for every smile, every giggle, and every milestone. I love that when it snowed last week, my 7-year-old stepdaughter could stay at home with me and play all day with the neighborhood kids. And I look forward to hanging out with her all summer instead of sending her to daycare. I wouldn't trade this life for anything.

It's just taking some time to acclimate.

To you other stay at home moms out there, I salute you for the sacrifices you make for you families. I applaud you on those days when you feel like you haven't gotten anything accomplished because rocking a sick baby or playing peek-a-boo takes up all your time. And I congratulate you when your toddler sleeps all afternoon, and you get that sudden burst of energy to get all the housework done. Even more so, I am cheering on those of us who still manage to find the time in a day to work part time while navigating this new and incredible world of staying home with kids.

Because all I have to do to in order to come to terms with my new career choice is to look into the faces of my adorable 3 month old twins, and I know for sure we did the right thing.



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