A Boring Life

I wish there was a better reason for being absent from the blog this long, but we have just been living, tackling my ever growing list of pre-baby things to do, and enjoying the weather when it graces us with sunshine.  I got pretty sick at the end of May, and it made for a week of pure survival mode.  Luckily Lucas just got the sniffles but the illness hit me like a ton of bricks, and for you fellow mommies, we all know too well there is no break for us when we are sick, they really should invent something to help us moms avoid illness!  Thankfully the hubby was as helpful as he could be the moment he would get home, and during the day I have to say that it felt that Lucas sensed I was definitely not myself, and he was overall a champ at entertaining himself for extended periods of time, or was happy with an educational video while I watched from the couch stretched out in miserable head cold gloominess.  With all that said blogging was far from my mind that week and I found it difficult in the weeks after to write, especially since sometimes life seems a little boring around these parts.

During this time away I've been reflecting a lot on how life will be changing all too soon with baby number two's arrival, and my overall decision to stay home and raise my children.  I had visions of play dates every week, taking the kids to educational excursions, basking in the joy of watching every milestone with my own eyes, and activities galore that I could partake in with him.  The truth is being a stay at home mom is work, more work than I ever tackled in my professional career before babies.  It sure isn't glamorous, unless living in yoga pants is is your idea of glamour, if so then I'm living the life.  There are days that we don't leave the house because someone decided to wake up on the wrong side of the bed and I cannot fathom dealing with a tantrum mid shopping trip or in the middle of a play date (lets be real sometimes that person who woke up cranky is me).  Some weeks go by and the most interesting thing we did was go to the park every day to play with the neighourhood children. My life is ruled by a routine that I have created myself, a routine that I consciously try to pepper with trips to Chapters to play with other children, play dates, and yes I try at least once a week to fit in that all allusive education excursion.

Some would say its a boring life, but you want to know the real truth.  I wouldn't trade my boring, ordinary existence right now for anything in the world.  I don't miss the office gossip over morning coffee, I don't miss the deadlines, other people's expectations, or dressing up for meetings at all.  Sometimes I crave more adult conversation, one that doesn't revolve around us moms discussing the latest sleep problems, or what food our children this week has decided is no longer part of his diet.  But nothing beats the little conversations I have with my every growing son, and learning to decipher his "language".  I do sometimes miss having a little more me time in the week, I'm not going to lie, one that doesn't involve running to the grocery store to get 15 minutes to myself, or taking an extra long bathroom break when the hubby gets home (admit it you have ALL done this!).  But then in the middle of the day when I'm exhausted from running after a toddler, and I just want five minutes of peace, he grabs my hand and a book and sits in my lap, and its pure bliss.

There are days when Lucas decides to tackle and finish a difficult puzzle, or he cuddles up to me on the floor for no apparent reason, or he cries out mommy the moment he wakes up from his nap; and I realize that I wouldn't want to miss any of that for anything in this world.  Would it be nice to have a little more money in the bank for bigger vacations, sure but we aren't struggling with our everyday expenses and that's all that matters.  There really is no money that could buy this time with my children while they are young and are completely dependent on me for their every need.  I will take every single ordinary day with my children any day.  You may call it boring, I call it experiencing my children's every firsts with my own eyes.  I'm off to have a boring day with the little guy, but let's be real with smiles like this its far from ordinary.

An Announcement

In Canada women are extremely lucky to be able to take a full year's maternity leave, since that first year is critical for your child's development, and for a woman to attain a good balance on motherhood and her sanity.  I have been enjoying and relishing every single moment being at home with my little man, and I am so glad that I have been here by his side as he reached so many of his milestones.

So, this may not come as a surprise to many, but as of Lucas' birthday I am officially a STAY AT HOME MOM, and I could not be happier.  This was something that the hubby and I had discussed prior to getting pregnant, and we had both expressed the intention of me staying home to raise our children until they reached school entering ages.  We figured that we would see how the year panned out, and make the final decision closer to when my maternity leave would be ending.  Either way, I would be procuring a new job if that was the decision since I was very unhappy at the office I was employed prior to maternity leave. 

After Lucas was born, and as the months seemed to just fly by, we both knew that staying home with Lucas was inevitable.  It was something we both strongly felt about...I wanted to be home to raise my son, and future children.  This in no way diminishes what I feel about working mothers, both my own mom, and sister work and I commend them for their decision, I just personally cannot see myself leaving him to the care of someone else, since I feel that I am the most adequate for that position, and why I had him in the first place. 

I feel like since becoming a mother a big void in my life has been fulfilled, a purpose that I knew deep down was missing.  I know this sounds like I'm putting a lot of expectations on Lucas, but I don't see it that way.  The way I see it is that I am privileged enough to stay home and raise my child, and that I finally found a job that means everything to me.

Eventually I would love to be able to do something that allows me to work from home and opening my own business is a dream that I plan to fulfill down the road.  For now I am doing what I love, a job that pays in moments spent with my little man, bonuses given with unprompted kisses and hugs, and performance reviews given by the seeing every single milestone and accomplishment with my own eyes.  As far as I am concerned I'm living the dream right now.

And just cause I found this from a fellow stay at home mom....