Browsing Category: Parenting

On balancing work and mothering two weeks later

March 15, 2016 Zoe

I have been back at work for two weeks today. It has not been easy. I don’t think I quite appreciated how much work it would be to try and function as a normal working person while also mothering a tiny human. The fact that I get to do it from home without putting on heels only makes life slightly better. While I still have a lot to learn, things have gotten easier.

The past two weeks have already taught me a lot. I’ve learned about how I’m able to work, what kind of mom I want to be, and I have some more ideas about my life as a Work at Home Mom. I also have come to appreciate just how good a baby I have – of course Harley has her moments, but for the most part she’s a very chilled baby. So, here’s what I’ve figured out thus far. Continue Reading

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2 Comments Parenting

On leaving my baby with a sitter

March 14, 2016 Zoe

Since Harley has come home from the hospital, she has always been with me and/or Dean. And, to be realistic, the hours we have spent apart could probably be counted on one hand. I’ve occasionally popped to the stores and left her at home with her dad, but mostly I take her with me. When I’ve had meetings for work, she’s come along, too, and everyone has been wonderfully supportive of my little sidekick.

However, I have been invited to a really cool event for work, and I won’t be able to take her with me. It’s the first time I’m thinking of going somewhere with my husband and leaving the little munchkin behind. I know I have to do it eventually, but is she ready for it… and am I? Continue Reading

5 Comments Parenting

baby sitter going out leave me

How much attention does my baby need every day?

March 10, 2016 Zoe

Being back at work has forced me into a balancing act. I want to do my best at my job, while also taking care of my tiny person. Harley isn’t a particularly difficult baby. Yes, she cries at times, but once I hold her, feed her and make sure she’s clean, she’s generally quite happy. But that doesn’t make balancing both activities easy, and I realized a big part of my guilt lies in feeling like I’m not doing enough with Harley.

I have these images in my head of orphanages when communism fell in the USSR. You know, the rows of cribs and babies crying for hours without any attention. These poor neglected babies who weren’t raised with love, who didn’t get the necessary stimulation, who were condemned at an early age to a life without opportunities every child should get. Now, obviously Harley’s experience is nothing like that, but it doesn’t get the mental image out of my head. I’m not neglecting my baby, but I am focusing on other things from time to time. But how bad is that? How much attention does a baby need? Continue Reading

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Failing as a Work at Home Mom

March 8, 2016 Zoe

I love the term “Work at Home Mom” (WAHM). It’s much more accurate than working mom, or stay-at-home mom. I’m working, and mothering, from the home, and the onomatopoeia of the acronym works well too – it’s the sound of your energy hitting the floor by the end of the day.

Today marks a full week that I’ve been back at work. It hasn’t been easy. Okay, that’s sort of an understatement, as is “it’s going to take some getting used to”. The reality is, working from home with a baby to take care of is ridiculously hard. There are the odd moments when Harley sleeps and I’m able to focus on the work I want and need to get done. But most of the time, she is wanting my attention just as much as my work is, and I end up feeling like a failure on both accounts. Continue Reading

7 Comments Parenting, Rambling

bad mother Motherhood Parenting

Silent milestones

March 7, 2016 Zoe

The past weekend was Dean’s birthday. He is one of those weird people who doesn’t like to celebrate his birthday; this concept seems so strange to me seeing as I’m one to mark and celebrate just about any occasion. We had a wonderful day, though, filled with family, friends, food and laughs. One of my favorite moments was when Dean demanded from Stacey, our awesome friend and Harley’s godmother, that he wanted to hold Harley instead of her. It was one of many milestones I observed this weekend.

You see, normally, I hold Harley for hours every day. When she’s awake, she mostly prefers to be held, although she also seems to enjoy the pram or going for car rides. Recently, I’ve been able to pass her off to Dean for a bit – they “watch” cartoons together (I’m not really sure she’s even looking at the screen) and he has fun playing with her. Those times are becoming longer and more frequent, although I still feel like I have a body on me all day, every day. But she seems to be changing a bit, and so does he. Continue Reading

4 Comments Parenting

Milestones Time flies