A New Year, A New Frontier

The new year brought some new challenges for the Weavers. After four amazing months off with Margo, I went back to work. Luckily, my boss agreed that I could go part-time three days a week. This enabled us to cancel Margo’s slot in daycare and she is now being lovingly cared for by my mom on Mondays and Fridays and by Cary’s mom on Thursdays. This has been a difficult adjustment for me, as I know it is for all moms. Part of the reason Cary and I waited so long to get pregnant was because I desperately wanted to be a stay-at-home mom and we were not in a position for me to quit working.

For those of you who know me well, I have felt very strongly on this subject since I was just a teen and am sad that the circumstances of our society do not allow for more mothers to stay at home. It is just too expensive to live and I think most of us, including myself, want to be able to maintain a certain lifestyle. Sometimes I think I should just put my selfishness aside, buy a simple house in a less desirable neighborhood and be with my Margo. Things cannot buy us happiness, but my sweet girl sure can. At the same time, I feel that I didn’t work so hard to go to a great school, earn my degree and build a life to give it all up. I want Margo to go to summer camp, have college paid for, etc… all things that neither Cary or I had. It’s a catch-22 and there is no real solution, so off to work I go, missing my girl terribly, but also knowing that I am doing what I think is best for all of us. It is so comforting that she is with our moms and perhaps if things work out as planned, I will get to start staying home with her in a year or so.

Don’t get me wrong, I know I am VERY lucky that I have such an awesome arrangement with both my job and our mothers. My heart really goes out to those mothers who have to work full-time and especially those single moms who do it all alone! I count my blessings everyday and am all the more grateful for my special time with Margo on my days off and the weekend.

During my pregnancy, one of my favorite things was sweets—especially brownies. I ate sugar to my heart’s desire and got Cary on a big sugar kick too. I would buy things I NEVER buy like cookies, whole cakes and ice cream at the store and eat something every day at lunch and dinner. Since I had Margo, this has been my biggest downfall and I actually gained a few pounds around the holidays. So… Cary and I gave up sweets and sodas except once on the weekend. I have had to pass up carrot cake at work, warm Shipley’s donuts, muffins and more, but I have stuck to my guns and have managed to get a few pounds off. I think it is going to take some serious exercise to get the last few pregnancy pounds off, but I feel much better without all this sugar in my body. After the first few weeks, it has gotten much easier to resist the temptations. The plan is to continue this at least through Lent, but I am hoping we can make it a permanent lifestyle change instead.

Also, in the past three months after I had Margo I did a terrible job of getting out with her. Not only did I not want her to be exposed to germs, but I found it very stressful to get out for dinners, errands, etc… I now have a goal to get out with her once a week on one of my days off. She hates the car seat, but is getting used to it and we have had two very successful outings. We have gone to lunch both times… once she slept, the other she played and talked to me. We also made trips to Hobby Lobby, Pottery Barn and Janie and Jack. I have quickly learned that she loves getting out and seeing new things. It is still hard for me to juggle all of her stuff and the carrier, but I have to learn eventually. I know it creates a new, fun form of stimulation for her and it helps the day go by faster.

So in the new year, as we face a new frontier, pray for us… that mommy and Margo can be happy and thriving with the work situation, that Cary and I can be successful at our no sugar/soda diet and see it pay off, and that I become a pro at taking Margo on outings!