Hats off to stay at home moms!!

So Pete has been gone since Monday. It's been fine - Maribel and I are totally used to each other's rhythms and so each evening we did roughly the same thing. I picked her up from Nana's, came home, spent about a half hour playing, then had dinner, bath and bed. Once she was down I cleaned up the kitchen (which she destroys to a new degree each night - now she's GOING for the cabinets to pull things out..), fed the chickens (and yes, the damn roosters), fed the cats, fish, and showered. Then I did 1-2 hours of work in front of the TV while also pumping for the next day. PHEW! I know it's mundane, but the list is exhausting!

Lately things at work have been BUSY! They are always busy, I guess, but I'm involved in two additional out-of-the ordinary major projects that are eating up a huge amount of my time. That and we are pushing hard to bring in the Spring numbers and be ready for the Fall group... This has all led to me needing to do a few hours at night. I love my job, and I enjoy my colleagues and the work we do so it's not terrible to work at night, but it does push me a little over the edge.

I have to say, however, that the mornings put everything back in perspective. Maribel has been a champion sleeper lately - sleeping through the night (shhh, don't jinx it!) so she and I both wake up rested and happy. When I go into get her she is usually insistent upon me getting her, but happy the instant I pick her up. We hang out and talk for at least a half an hour before the work of the morning begins and it puts me in such a great space. The few days that she has slept in and I end up getting her up and right out the door are actually worse for me than the days when we are on our routine. We like routine, the both of us, but also the routine allows me time with her, and that is an awesome way to start the day!

We'll see how long I keep this up...

We will. Honestly, I have thought of starting some kind of blog for the last 10 months but haven't done it because I just haven't had time. So here goes. We'll see.

My impetuous for blogging is the hilarious marathon I find myself in regularly of working and being a mom to my amazing 10-month old daughter. When she was three months old and I went back to work it was all I could do to get down the driveway to the office every day without bursting into tears. Now we have a better routine, but I still find myself struggling with the balance of it all.

We have an amazing situation - her grandmother takes care of her when I am at work, and I am able to work two days from home. On those days she goes to grandma's but I get an extra hour with her on either end of the day.

I have also been inspired to start this by all the other great blogs I currently read. Hopefully, people will find this interesting and amusing. But for now, here are some pictures...

Here she is on her first day..

And now... the most amazing little girl in the world!