The Stay-At-Home Mom

(Written yesterday, Wednesday)

Whew.  What a day.  Or what a past two days, really.  Loads of go-go-go.  Now that I'm finally just sitting down "doing nothing", I can think of 10 other things I really should be doing while Delano is still asleep.  But isn't that how it always is, moms?  You know you could use the break, you know you WANT the break, but you feel guilty not doing those things that are really only successfully accomplished while your child is napping.  What's ironic is that catching up on one of my shows (aka "doing nothing") is actually one of those things.  If you think for one second I can engage in television while my almost-11-month-old is awake (and therefore expecting to be entertained), you've lost your mind.  Even though I know that's what some people think I do all day.  ;)  My friend Natalie said it best in her Nooga.com (Im)perfect Parenting Blog when she stayed home with her 3-year-old daughter for 3 days in a row and was trying to come up with things to do:

"I really loved the time I got to spend with my daughter and was also humbled because it made me realize how freaking hard stay-at-home parents work.  There are some who will tell you that staying at home isn’t really work.  Those people can just go eat a poison muffin from Whole Foods because STOP BEING RUDE AND MEAN.  So to all of you stay-at-home parents out there, my hat is off to you."

Natalie is a working mom, and I have nothing but love for working moms (unless you're a sucky parent when you ARE at home).  And most working moms pull two jobs:  their paying job away from home and then the job of being a mom when they get home.  But for those stay-at-home moms out there (like me), it's NOT lazy days full of shopping trips, daytime TV, bubble baths and truffles.  Unless you're one of those rich housewives who has a nanny.  Or one of those moms who constantly leaves your child/children with a grandparent or babysitter so you can go live life like you're not a parent.  But then, you're not really a stay-at-home mom, are you?  Your nanny/mother/babysitter serves as that.  ANYWAYS - it's a challenge.  Some days are relatively easy-going, but others are like thunderstorms of mayhem.  Some days I'm pretty productive - chores get done and I work on my to-do list, maybe because Delano takes great naps that day or maybe because he's actually content in his walker long enough for me to bust out a wifely duty.  Other days, it's pointless to even try, because Delano demands ALL of my time.  No matter what the type of day, the day is ALWAYS long.  It starts early and ends late.  And for a lot of moms out there, it continues throughout the night, so it never really ends.  And I know I've talked about entertaining the baby before, but OH MY GOSH......you can do/play with EVERYTHING in the house.......and manage to kill about an hour.  And you have to do it EVERY DAY.  It's enough to make you crazy sometimes.....and absolutely love your life other times.  But anyone who thinks it's easy should spend 5 days in a row with your child/children on whatever your budget is (no cheating with an unlimited budget!).  Actually, make that 7 days......because there is no such thing as a weekend off!

Please please please pay me this?  Or even just half?  :)

Let me add into the above paragraph that my husband is AMAZING and willing to do or help with whatever I need when he is home.  He needs no instruction or micro-managing at all.  I don't even need to tell him when the baby was fed/changed last.  He is an absolute NATURAL when it comes to taking care of a baby.  If something were to ever happen to me, he would be absolutely fine from a single dad perspective.  I say all that just to let you know that I'm NOT secretly complaining about my lack of support.  And I'm definitely NOT complaining about being a stay-at-home mom.  I love my job.  It's what I've always wanted to do.  It's just definitely not as easy as an outsider would think!

So I'm 14 weeks pregnant today!  Had my doctor's appointment this afternoon - I've gained one pound since three weeks ago, my pee looks good and the baby's heartbeat sounds good as well.  I go back in three weeks for another quickie appointment.  Speaking of being 14 weeks, I need to take a belly pic.  I guess I'll do that tomorrow.  And I realized yesterday that I COMPLETELY forgot to take Delano's 10 month sticker picture!!  I was looking for it to add to my "print" folder (for the baby book) when I discovered I didn't have it.  Ah well!  This high chair picture was taken a few days after his 10 month birthday, so it will just have to do as his 10 month photo!

So cute!!!!