One thing I never thought about prior to having children was, what do you do when you are sick? I used to lay in bed or on the couch all day, watch crappy television, and maybe eat a little chicken noodle soup. As common place as that may sound to all of my "kid-less" friends, if I had to choose between hitting the lottery or spending a sick day in bed, I'd have a lot of questions to ask before making my decision. How much money would I win? When would I get the money? Would I get it soon enough to spend on a nanny while I'm still sick or would I still have to spend my sick day up and about? A day spent in bed is worth its weight in gold at this point in my life.
For example, this past Tuesday I woke up with a scratchy throat. I had that stay in bed all day feeling and I had started coughing a little. But it didn't matter. I still had to get up and go to work and do everything else a working mom has to do. Just to give you an idea, here's a high level summary of my day:
5:40am - Kailee is fussing. I get up and go into her room and smell a needed diaper change. Luckily she goes right back to sleep afterwards, but since I am usually up by 6:00 am every morning so there's really no point in going back to bed at this point, as much as every ounce of my being is longing to crawl back under my flannel sheets.
7:00am - Now that I am ready I have to get Kailee up and ready as well. This used to be a lot easier than it is now. For some reason putting clothes and a clean diaper on Kailee every morning has become a battle.
7:30am - Leave for work. I drop Kailee off at daycare in the mornings. I don't like the thought of it being a "drop-off" so I always take her into her room, put her bottles in the fridge and her food on the counter. Put any diaper and wipes she may need on the changing table. Chat a minute with the daycare workers and get Kailee started playing with some toys. I give her a kiss and wave good-bye at the door. She just recently started waving bye back. Some days she has a "yeah, whatever Mom" expression and goes straight for her toys. This morning she had a sad look on her face and didn't seem interested in her toys. I hate these mornings.
8:00am - Arrive at work. I'm technically early since work doesn't start until 8:30 but it's a busy day! I'm a little behind in things that need done so I have been working through lunch and eating at my desk. I won't bore you with the details of what a day in Internal Audit consists of, but it's busy none the less.
5:30pm - Fortunate enough to actually leave work on time. However, I could still probably work an additional three hours and still not feel "caught up". I had to leave though because it's off to Krogers I go to pick up some things we need.
6:10pm - Finished at Kroger in record time for me. I still managed to come out with more than the unsweetened frozen berries and plain yogurt I went in for. And undoubtedly, David will also point this out when I bring the bags into the house.
6:35pm - Finally home. How great would it be to relax on the couch and watch some TV? No time to relax though. Little miss Kailee needs some love and attention. I have to cherish the time we do get together because it's not much.
6:50pm - After only 15 minutes, it's time to start Kailee's bedtime routine complete with bath, lotions and creams, bottle, and story.
7:30pm - All tucked in! I close the door to Kailee's room. I'm super lucky to have a baby that sleeps as well as she does. I doubt it will last forever though. At this time David starts tonight's dinner while I start making the chicken vegetable soup for tomorrow's lunch. I am thankful that he is able to help out with dinner a lot. I think he just doesn't like my cooking. Actually, I KNOW he doesn't like my cooking.
8:15pm - Dinner is ready right as I put the soup on to simmer.
8:40pm - Finished with dinner. I clean up the dishes and start putting together tomorrow's breakfast and snacks. This includes brewing some green tea, finishing the soup, and a bunch of other crap such as cleaning up. Somehow that always seems to take much longer than it should.
10:15pm - Finally finished with it all. The first time I truly sit down is 15 minutes later as I get into bed.
Such a long day for not feeling well. I also wish I could squeeze in some time to work out, but it just doesn't seem possible with my schedule. Although where I work they did just open a fitness center. I may consider staying after work, even if it's just for a half hour so I can squeeze in some cardio.
I know before I've thought back to my childhood and couldn't ever really remember a time when my mom was sick. However, now that I'm a mom, I realize there were probably plenty of times when she was sick, it's just that motherhood doesn't offer sick days.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Friday, December 31, 2010
Resolution
It's almost time to ring in the new year. With it comes the opportunity to start anew, to wipe the slate clean. Hence the New Years Resolution. We'll talk about that in a minute.
The past year was a life changer. First and foremost, we welcomed our beautiful baby girl in April of 2010. Wow, how things have changed. While we weren't your every weekend partiers pre-baby, we definitely made time to get out and do something every weekend, whether it was hanging out with friends at the bar, spending the day shopping, having some delicious sushi and wine, or catching the latest movie in the theater, we were always on the go. Bedtime was rarely before midnight and nothing beat sleeping in the next morning, all snuggled under the warm blankets watching crappy Sunday morning TV. Yes, things have changed greatly but the change has been a blessing. That rare moment in the evening when my daughter lays her head on my chest and plays with my necklace making soft noises just reaffirms that every change, every sacrifice, every sleepless night, was well worth it.
This past year has also brought about a change in my career. While the career path has remained the same for the most part, I finally found a nice fit in another company. I was previously employed for several years at a major international firm in my line of work when I realized late in 2009 that I needed to make a change. I had hit my ceiling at that firm and would need to grow elsewhere. My first switch was to a big name corporation. While it was a great resume builder, it offered very little job satisfaction. I wasn't actively looking to leave this new company right away but was presented another opportunity at a lesser known company, even though it ranked better on the Fortune 500 listing. I decided to pursue the new opportunity and long story short, I made another career move and I feel very happy and very satisfied with my new role. I have found that being happy with your job and your career can go a long way, even improving your overall mood while at home. This has improved my marriage and my ability to be a happy loving mother.
So back to the resolution we go. What is yours? If you had a baby this past year like I did, I'm willing to bet our resolutions are the same. I'm sure you've guessed it by now. LOSE WEIGHT!! If you've had a baby this past year and this is not your resolution, you probably fall into one of two categories. 1) You are happy with your body image. You realize "perfect" doesn't mean being a size 2 with a six pack. Perfect means being "you" the best way you know how. Whether you are a mother/wife or not, you realize that those worth loving will love you just the way you are. To those who fall in this category, more power to you!! I'm slightly envious of you and would love to look in the mirror and smile with complete satisfaction. I'm working on it, but taking baby steps. And then there's the second category: 2) You have no need to lose weight. You either had the time to work hard and get the baby weight off or your excess weight just fell right off without much effort at all. If you fall into this category then blah, I have nothing else to say to you.
So yes, losing weight is my New Year's resolution. I'd like to lose about 10 to 15 pounds. I've decided I'm going to try the 17 Day Diet. I've ordered the book and the video and it's supposed to take 7 to 14 days to arrive, so I have until then to enjoy my junk food. Let me tell you, I've been doing my fair share of fattening up for the new year. Just the other day I ordered two chilitos, a burrito, and a large Pepsi and enjoyed every last crumb. I may as well get my fill because when my book and video arrive, you're looking at a new Amber. As a mom on the go, fast food is often the easiest way out. I'm really looking to changing my life style. I want to set a good example for my daughter. I want her to see me enjoying healthy foods and I want her to grow up eating these same healthy foods, so I've recognized for her to do this I have to change myself first. Being a positive role model is more important than my desire for junk food, so I'm going to reflect that in the upcoming year.
Welcome 2011. Here's to a year filled with healthy eating and happy work days.
The past year was a life changer. First and foremost, we welcomed our beautiful baby girl in April of 2010. Wow, how things have changed. While we weren't your every weekend partiers pre-baby, we definitely made time to get out and do something every weekend, whether it was hanging out with friends at the bar, spending the day shopping, having some delicious sushi and wine, or catching the latest movie in the theater, we were always on the go. Bedtime was rarely before midnight and nothing beat sleeping in the next morning, all snuggled under the warm blankets watching crappy Sunday morning TV. Yes, things have changed greatly but the change has been a blessing. That rare moment in the evening when my daughter lays her head on my chest and plays with my necklace making soft noises just reaffirms that every change, every sacrifice, every sleepless night, was well worth it.
This past year has also brought about a change in my career. While the career path has remained the same for the most part, I finally found a nice fit in another company. I was previously employed for several years at a major international firm in my line of work when I realized late in 2009 that I needed to make a change. I had hit my ceiling at that firm and would need to grow elsewhere. My first switch was to a big name corporation. While it was a great resume builder, it offered very little job satisfaction. I wasn't actively looking to leave this new company right away but was presented another opportunity at a lesser known company, even though it ranked better on the Fortune 500 listing. I decided to pursue the new opportunity and long story short, I made another career move and I feel very happy and very satisfied with my new role. I have found that being happy with your job and your career can go a long way, even improving your overall mood while at home. This has improved my marriage and my ability to be a happy loving mother.
So back to the resolution we go. What is yours? If you had a baby this past year like I did, I'm willing to bet our resolutions are the same. I'm sure you've guessed it by now. LOSE WEIGHT!! If you've had a baby this past year and this is not your resolution, you probably fall into one of two categories. 1) You are happy with your body image. You realize "perfect" doesn't mean being a size 2 with a six pack. Perfect means being "you" the best way you know how. Whether you are a mother/wife or not, you realize that those worth loving will love you just the way you are. To those who fall in this category, more power to you!! I'm slightly envious of you and would love to look in the mirror and smile with complete satisfaction. I'm working on it, but taking baby steps. And then there's the second category: 2) You have no need to lose weight. You either had the time to work hard and get the baby weight off or your excess weight just fell right off without much effort at all. If you fall into this category then blah, I have nothing else to say to you.
So yes, losing weight is my New Year's resolution. I'd like to lose about 10 to 15 pounds. I've decided I'm going to try the 17 Day Diet. I've ordered the book and the video and it's supposed to take 7 to 14 days to arrive, so I have until then to enjoy my junk food. Let me tell you, I've been doing my fair share of fattening up for the new year. Just the other day I ordered two chilitos, a burrito, and a large Pepsi and enjoyed every last crumb. I may as well get my fill because when my book and video arrive, you're looking at a new Amber. As a mom on the go, fast food is often the easiest way out. I'm really looking to changing my life style. I want to set a good example for my daughter. I want her to see me enjoying healthy foods and I want her to grow up eating these same healthy foods, so I've recognized for her to do this I have to change myself first. Being a positive role model is more important than my desire for junk food, so I'm going to reflect that in the upcoming year.
Welcome 2011. Here's to a year filled with healthy eating and happy work days.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Introduction
Let me introduce myself. My name is Amber. I am in my 20s (for a few more months anyways), a little over two years into my marriage, and mother of a beautiful 8 month old baby girl and two furbabies. I somehow manage to balance this wonderfully chaotic life with the blood sucking Corporate America life that I secretly love. I work full time as a manager in a Fortune 500 corporation (company and line of work to remain undisclosed at this point - unless of course you know me in real life).
I decided today while in my thinking room (aka the shower) that I would start to document this crazy life I live. I've missed so much already... my crazy college days, entering the workforce after college, trying to adjust to "grown up" life, advancing in my career, getting married, becoming pregnant, and the birth of my little angel. And here I am today, representing the "modern" woman. My daughter is in bed, my husband is sharing the couch with me while watching football, and I am posting my first blog and enjoying a glass (or two) of Robert Mondavi Pinot Grigio.
Gone are the days of the housewife. We are now providers. And wives. And mothers. I mean really, what is there that we DON'T do these days? Welcome to the life of a modern woman!
I decided today while in my thinking room (aka the shower) that I would start to document this crazy life I live. I've missed so much already... my crazy college days, entering the workforce after college, trying to adjust to "grown up" life, advancing in my career, getting married, becoming pregnant, and the birth of my little angel. And here I am today, representing the "modern" woman. My daughter is in bed, my husband is sharing the couch with me while watching football, and I am posting my first blog and enjoying a glass (or two) of Robert Mondavi Pinot Grigio.
Gone are the days of the housewife. We are now providers. And wives. And mothers. I mean really, what is there that we DON'T do these days? Welcome to the life of a modern woman!
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