My plan after finding out I was pregnant was to not go back to work at all. I was all about being a stay at home mom.  When I told my bosses the good news, they said “well we have 9 months to find and train your replacement.”  I worked until the beginning of September, because it was my due month.  I am lucky enough that we could afford for me to stay home with Connor.  I was fully wrapped up in being a mom.  Let’s be honest being a new mom is a FULL time job, being a mom in general is a full time job.  With Connor being streaky breastfeed, I was getting very little sleep and time alone.  Even though I have an amazing husband that would fully take on all things baby, but feedings, when he was home. It was only a few days at a time.  Raymond would come home for 2-3 days then it was back to work for 7-10 days at a time.  His first night home every time was the hardest because he himself was running on very little sleep from the job they were on at the time. Even with all of that I still had no plans on going back to work. I was going to be that mom.  I wanted to be that mom that helped out at all of the school events.  The mom that drives all of the team to and from games.  Yes, I had big plans for being a stay at home mom.

When Connor was around 6 months old, he finally took a bottle. The trick was it had to be fresh and I couldn’t be in the room at all.  It was nice to just be able to go to Wal-Mart by myself. So, when Connor was about 7 months old, I went in to work for a day while my bosses went to a school. What made it possible for me to be okay with me leaving him for a day was that I knew he was in good hands with his Nanny. (A Nanny is what we in the south call our Godmothers.) I must have texted her every 10 minutes to check on him. I’m pretty sure I didn’t get that much work done. After that they asked me if I wanted to come back to work part time. Raymond and I talked about it.  Connor would learn some social skills, learn how to feed without me, I would get some adult time, I had someone I trusted to watch him, and the extra money would be great to have again.  I’ve always worked.  My paycheck was our extra play money.  It’s what we would go out to eat with, put gas in the boat with, and just spend on extra stuff we may have wanted.  So that little extra money would be nice to have again.  Me going back to work was something I wanted to do but was also scared to do. It started out just 2 days a week for just a few hours a day. I think I cried the whole first week and checked on him 100 times a day.  By summer I was working 4 days a week still just a few hours a day.  Connor’s Nanny would keep him when Raymond was on the boat.  She is a stay at home mom herself and she enjoyed the time with him and the extra money too.  Yes, I paid her.  She was taking time out of her day and away from her kids to help take care of mine.  I know he was in very good hands with her, she loved him as if he was hers.  Raymond would keep him the weeks he was home.  It quickly became their time.  It was our routine and it worked. I still didn’t have time alone to myself though.  I really felt like I was going a little crazy at times. 

This went on for about a year.  Connor was about to turn two and they had an opening in the two-year-old program at a local private school. We decided that it was going to be the best thing for him.  He would be around children his own age, he would be learning, and they help potty train (which is a big deal in my book haha.)  He was used to being dropped off at his Nanny’s so being dropped off at school wasn’t a big deal for him. He went with ease and loves being there with his new friends.

I was used to only working four days a week and schools was going to be five days a week, with Fridays be a short day.  The new decision was to work five days a week or take time for myself.  It had been two years scene I had Kendra time.  I had already started my Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/southernmamaofone17/) page and was really loving doing it. The choose was easy! Momma was taking her few hours on that one day a week all to herself.  This is my time to go to my appointments, clean the house without someone making a mess behind me, shop in peace, or just be alone and nap. It was even time for Raymond and I to just be together alone. 

Going back to work was not an easy choose to make but I’m very glad I did.  Not only did I go back to work, but I went back and started doing a different job. I’m learning new things and getting to be more hands on with the machine side of things along with still helping out with the office when I’m needed. I have amazing bosses that understand when I need to take time off for my son.  I missed two weeks when Connor had the flu, they called every day to check on him.  Having understanding bosses who loves me and my son like family sure helped make it easy to go back.

Going back to work may not be as easy for every mom.  Some mom may have to go back to work even though they don’t want too. Some mom may be ready to go back right away.  Just remember that you are you and the chooses that are right for me and my family are not going to be what is right for you and your family.  If you have a great spouse that helps out or even just someone you trust with your child it does make the transition easier on all parts. I’m not here to tell you to go back to work. I’m just saying it may not be easy at first, but it will get better and it may even be the best thing for you and your child. If you choose to be a stay at home mom, then that is amazing.  Being at home taking care of your family is a full-time job too. There is no right or wrong choose between the two.  There is just that right choose for you and only you know what that may be. Do what is best for you and your family. For me going back to work was the right choose at that time and in the future things may change.  I at lest know that I will be okay with either. I’m at a job that I love and know that when the time comes for field trips or sports events my bosses will be understanding as to why I must go. I’m around adults and I get to have alone time to help me keep from losing myself again.