Amanda's Baby Blog: Gearing Up (Mentally) to Return to Work

Gearing Up (Mentally) to Return to Work

I knew this day would come… I just can't believe it's come so soon! The day I'll be heading back to work. Now it's not that I don't want to go back to work, in fact, I have a lot of fun doing what I do. It's simply that I don't want to leave Gage. I told him today that we were going to snuggle every day for the rest of his life. Ok, I realize that won't happen, but one can dream.

But I have been trying to enjoy every moment I have with him. And I am trying to make returning to work as easy of a transition as possible. I am lucky as work is letting me come back part time for a few weeks to ease back into things. I'll be starting Thursday doing the 10 p.m. news. And when I do start back full time, I'll get to come home on my dinner break so I can put Gage to bed. I just started reading him books at bedtime and that's one of my favorite new things to do with him. I know he probably doesn't understand a thing I'm saying, but one of these days he'll appreciate "Good Night Moon" and "Pat the Bunny" (and I'll probably be able to recite them from memory)! Having a baby has given me a whole new respect for moms and now for working moms. I know this is something every mother returning to work has to face. Any advice on how to make it a bit easier (and keep the tears at bay) would be appreciated!

Nanny Interviews: Weeding Out the Criminals

Yes, one of the people we interviewed to be a nanny apparently has quite the record! It's funny how you have a gut feeling about people. I sure had one when I talked with a nanny candidate – enough so that I did a background check and that's when I found she had a few arrests with the latest being 8 months ago for drinking and driving. I'm all for second chances – just not with my newborn! We did, however, interview several more people and I felt really good about them. So we picked our top 2, but when I called them they had already accepted other jobs. I was kicking myself for not jumping on it sooner. But on the other hand, I wanted to interview enough people so I knew that I had picked the best person. But things have a way of working themselves out. We had bought subscriptions to care.com and sittercity.com and one of the people to contact us was "Miss Vicki." When she came over to interview, I just knew she was the one. You can just tell when someone is a good person. She had been a nanny for a family for 10 years, but the kids were growing up and she was no longer needed. Prayers have been answered and she has agreed to watch Gage when I'm at work. Whew – I can check that one off the list!

Vaccinations: Who Does It Hurt More?

Vaccination day for Gage reminded me of when Willie (our Wheaten Terrier) tore his ACL. When you're a parent (even if it's of the furry variety), your heart breaks when they're in pain. The only difference is I actually cried when Gage got his shots! When we took him in to get his 2 month vaccinations, he was so happy – he had no clue what was coming. But one moment after the first needle prick, his little lip curled under, as if to say "Mom – what did you just do to me?!" The good thing is, we got him to stop crying before we even left the doctor's office (I stopped crying, too!). But I definitely need to do a better job of being strong. Next time may be easier – hopefully!