Wednesday, May 26, 2010

juggling

Sorry for the lack of posting since Charlotte came along. First, I was struggling to keep up with her, to figure out her rhythms and catch some sleep when I could. Plus, the whole pumping and bottle-feeding issue ate up a huge chunk of each day. Luckily, we resolved that before I had to go back to work.

Now, I am working again. The niece we spoke with last September, who then agreed to come to our home 3 days each week to babysit, agreed to sit for someone else 3 days per week, so we only get two. I am struggling to get work done on those no-sitter days as well because I have to prove to my boss that I can work from home, even with an infant. Otherwise, my accumulated vacation time would last only 7 weeks, and then I'd be faced with a tough decision- quit, decrease my hours, or find daycare. I'm hoping to stretch the vacation hours as long as possible, probably just delaying the inevitable, but I'd really like to win the lottery before my time runs out.

Anyhow, our niece adores Charlotte, and for those two days each week I am confident that she's in good hands. It's a huge difference, though, between working 3 days in the office versus two. My boss is not happy with the schedule we started with, so my mother offered to take the baby one afternoon each week... since we work in the same place, I'll take Charlotte to work with me, feed her in my office then send her home with my mother for a few hours. Luckily, mom lives only 10 minutes away from work, and the same distance from my house as my office, so there's not a lot of extra drive-time. We'll see how it goes and how long it lasts, starting next week. Meanwhile, these two weeks of spending just 2 days in the office have been hectic. Every time I put Charlotte down for a nap, I am on the computer and calling my office voice mail. It seems that whenever I am in the middle of something, Charlotte needs me. I think I've juggled well, but this isn't something I could continue long-term. I am exhausted, and no one is getting 100% from me. On top of that, C's and my new business is going very well and I have all the paperwork to deal with for that on top of trying to be a good mom and responsible employee. I feel like I haven't had a break in two weeks, on top of not having a full night's sleep since December.

Anyone want to share their lucky numbers with me for my next lottery ticket?

1 comment:

Kate said...

Sweetie, If I had the numbers I'd share.
Your Charlotte is just the most adorable baby, goodness gracious, with the BOW! I would not have thought i was a bow person, and yet, and yet.. the cuteness is nearly overwhelming in a very good way.

your juggling sounds exhausting, and I am hopeful your new business will ramp up to be The Business for you and afford you some flexibility. It sounds very hard to manage right now and I am hopeful that you find a balance that feels more fulfilling and rewarding.

thinking of you lots,
xxoo
Kate