Today marks my first day as a 95% stay at home mom. This has been in the works for a while and I didn't want to say anything until it happened. My job cut back hours to 3 days a week and no longer needed a full time manager. I will still go in for a few hours here and there to help out, but for now, I am staying home.
We had always wanted to be able to have me stay home, this has just happened a LOT faster than we could have imagined it would. I have a lot of worries and fears. This is a brand new part of our lives, and we are optimistic.
Our goal having children was that we would raise them the way we wanted. I grew up with a stay at home mom and feel that I was extremely lucky to have that time with her.
One of the worries that Dan and I both had and talked through, was feeling jealous and that one was pulling the weight more than the other. I worried that Dan would come home everyday, and feel that I got to stay home and play with the baby all day while he was working to support us. I am so glad my husband and I can have honest conversations, because he agreed that it would be hard for him to not feel that way.
It is also going to be very strange to have to ask for money. I am not good at doing that. I don't like the idea of viewing my husband as someone who gives an "allowance" for doing things like cleaning. We both think that as long as we keep open communication, then we will be able to navigate that one pretty well.
I am looking forward to getting into a routine for each day/week. I know that I am not going to be able to keep the house spotless, but I am going to put strong effort into that. I am looking forward to all of the things I will get to do with Gabe as he grows. Then, when Dan gets home, we will get lots of time as family.
Until December that is. Starting in Dec, Dan's work is opening a new clinic in NOVA. So he will be working up there Mon-Thurs for 2 weeks at a time. He will be home Thurs-Sunday and go back up Monday morning, but it will still be an adjustment for all of us those 4 days he is gone. I am very thankful though, that he has such a steady job that thinks so highly of him. Seriously, those are some of the greatest people I have ever met.
I know this is a somewhat serious post, as it needed to be. I wanted to get the truth about how things were out there, so as I post things in the future, there are no questions. As a family, we are really looking forward to these changes and looking at the positive in every situation. I am SO open to advice from other mommies who stay at home. On anything really.
Hopefully I will be able to post again soon, with some fun stuff we have been doing. Until then...be well.
