Photo Bomb

My (failed) attempt at a mother/son self-portrait

On being a stay-at-home mom

Interesting perspective on stay-at-home moms in this CNN article.

My decision to be a stay-at-home mom really surprised me. It wasn't anything I ever thought I would want to do. But when we started looking at daycares, nothing felt right. And given the cost, I started thinking... what would I really be working for?

We were very fortunate that Ben's job allowed me to even consider staying at home as an option. I have many friends who simply need the extra income. Others that hold their family's benefits. And others that simply want to work. Whatever the reason, it's OK to work. Kids thrive in daycare. I'm not trumpeting stay-at-home moms as superior in any way. It was just the best option for us.

Granted, money is tight and there are some days that I practically throw Will at Ben when he walks in the door. But most days are totally awesome. I love the flexibility of being a stay-at-home mom, and I love that I get to spend my days with Will. We've developed a great network of other stay-at-home moms and babies, so we're constantly meeting for play dates or going to various child development classes.

My life as a stay-at-home mom is non-stop. It's hard to rarely have a break, and for my work and personal life to be one chaotic mess. But I love the time I'm spending with Will. And it's really nice to be able to stay in my jammies until lunch when I want to.

Play group

I'm trying to start a play group for babies in cranial remolding (helmet) therapy. I have joined a few online support communities, but I think it would be nice to connect with families locally. 

I made this flyer and asked our orthotist to pass it out to his other clients. Here's hoping I'm not the only one who thinks this is a good idea!

At the very least I got to put my marketing skills back to use.

And in case you're wondering, that kid is not Will. It's a photo I found on Google Images. Still cute though.

Me Time

One of the best things I've done for myself lately is to ask my mother-in-law to take Will on Thursday afternoons. It's such a lovely break.

Sometimes I do homework or clean. Other days I go shopping or grab lunch. Today I'm getting my hair cut, and enjoying a few quiet hours of down time.

But wouldn't you know it... I miss him terribly already. I wonder what he's doing, if he's fussy, and whether he misses me. I know it's good for him (and me) to spend some time apart, but I'm already counting down the minutes until 4:00.

Parenthood is so fickle.

Mom Milestone

Baby spit-up down my back. Nice.

No one said this would be glamorous.

Goodbye, financial independence

It's crazy to think about, but I only have three pay checks remaining. Only six more weeks of work (and six more weeks of financial independence).

Ben and I have lived blissfully budget-free for the past 4 years. We didn't have a joint-account until a few months ago (which I really liked, by the way). We both happily paid our share of the bills, and spent/saved the remainder as we saw fit.

Now, in just two months, we'll have one account and a strict budget. We'll give up a lot of comforts from our DINK (Dual Income No Kids) days. Like cable, gym memberships and going out to eat. I don't regret or question our decision. It's just going to be a big change (on top of the already monumental change of bringing a new baby home).

So while I probably should save as much of my remaining pay checks as possible, part of me wants to spend while I can! Among my pie-in-the-sky dream purchases... a 13" Mac Book Pro. Perfect for the new mother and graduate student, don't you think? Sadly, one Mac Book = one pay check. Given that math, Ben said it's a hell no.