Absentee Blogger!

I have been an absentee blogger. I had to really cram for my licensing exam and that meant little time for me.

My life lately has been work, spend time with Monster and Hubbs, study and some how find time to *try* to keep my house in order. I use the term "try" as loosely as possible because I haven't been doing a heck of a lot of cleaning, more delegating actually. Hubbs has been so supportive during the last two months and I couldn't have done it without him.

Now that the exams are done and over with (for now) I'm finding a little more me time. That means blog time folks! I have a lot of catching up to do! Here are some blogs to look forward to in the coming days:

Christmas Photo Blog, Infant 10 month milestone check list, 10 month photo shoot, and New Lifestyle Resolution blogs! Stay tuned!

I hope everyone has a safe, happy and memorable holiday season! I also hope you lives have returned to some normalcy!

Working? Student? Mom?

Not only have I returned to work to become a working mother, but I've also become a working, student mother.

What possessed me to take on so much? My desire to change professions. I was just hired at a local insurance agency and in order to sell insurance you must be licensed. I am definitely not complaining, the fact that the company was willing to hire me in an entry level, pay for my education, pay me to obtain my license and pay for my licensing, of course I'm going to work my butt off!

As a new mom, just returning to work it feels like a lot. Not only am I now away from my baby 5 out of 7 days a week for the majority of the day, but I'm studying after Monster is a sleep in order to obtain my license.

Just when I thought my life would settle down and be quiet until after Christmas, I am handed an opportunity I just could not pass up. How have you dealt with returning to work with a baby at home, and when did you find time for your husband?!

Life in Crazy Town!

For the last month (wait, perhaps longer..) Hubbs has been on compressed shift at work. Essentially he's off Monday to Friday, but then works three 10.5 hour shifts over a 48 hour period.

Thankfully after four weeks on that god forsaken shift and two weeks holidays we're soon returning to our routine. Normally Hubbs works the graveyard shift, comes home, hangs out with the Monster and I until about 4 in the afternoon and then heads to bed for a sleep before his shift rolls around at 1am. We got on a fairly good routine, and I'd often get to skip out on making dinner because I could just head to my moms.

After the month we just had, with a sick and teething infant, plus Hubbs crazy work schedule I am SO looking forward to some normalcy. Just in time for Christmas preparation! I will have my normal evening-mommy-quiet time after Monster goes to bed, and before I go to bed to get things in order. I swear my house stays cleaner when I have alone time to do it the cleaning in!

Of course, this normalcy can only really last two and a half months longer because soon I'll be returning to work. Eek! That is a whole new ballgame, a whole new set of routines and I don't even want to think about that! Lets get Christmas over with first... ;)

Contemplating Baby Care Guidelines

Part of being a parent is providing for your infant (or child) just what they need when they need it, whether they're able to tell you or not. I pride myself on my ability to read my child and to organize his day in such a way that he wont have to scream at the top of his lungs to tell me I'm a half an hour late in feeding him, or he's ready for his nap.

The real challenge comes in when you decide to give the responsibility of following the routine to another care giver. I'm contemplating a time in the near future when I will sadly have to return to work. Of course I plan on (unwillingly) going back to work, because we live in a two income society. I have people by the arm fulls willing to watch over my Monster for me, and are fighting tooth and nail with each other (and me) to do so.

Of course, ideally, I'd love to be able to afford only working Saturdays and Sundays so Monster's primary care givers will always be my Hubbs or I. That just doesn't seem like an achievable goal. Picking a secondary care giver, out of my armful of volunteers is my next mountain to climb.

The criteria of course would have to include someone who can follow a routine, and listen to instructions about sleep, and nutrition from my Hubbs or I. It will be hard enough dealing with the mommy guilt associated with returning to work, I would love to not need to worry about the care my Monster is receiving while I am away at work.