Today is the one year anniversary of the day I started my 'new' job. I've been commuting to Tigard for an entire year. This also means that Charlie has been working at his job- the awesome job of hanging out with Scarlett, which I understand is not awesome 100% of the time but is usually pretty great- for a whole year too.
Mostly I like our situation. This job was a grow-into position for me, and I know it's going to be good for my career. Being on a single income has been tough at times, but we're mostly getting along just fine. And Charlie's had the added bonus of getting to bond with Ramona and earn a little extra money that way too. So, we feel very fortunate.
For me, the hardest part is when I see other moms out with their kids during the day. During a work lunch recently, we were at a restaurant and I couldn't stop watching this mom with her two kids, one a little younger than Scar. I sortof wanted to cry, because I feel like I'm missing this really important time in her life. I wish I had the opportunity to take Scar to a restaurant during the day, and to the park and the zoo, and all the other things that moms are supposed to do with their kids. Then again, I feel fortunate that she's equally comfortable with both her parents, and that Charlie spends his days doing something he likes, and that Scar gets lots of attention from both of us.
The first week that I started working away from home, I cried every day. I missed my little baby. I also had to deal with pumping milk and transporting it back & forth, and figuring out how to make myself presentable for an office full of people I was just getting to know. The transition from working on my couch in my PJs, unshowered, to working in a professional environment- all the while struggling with sleeping and fitting into my fancypants clothes- was a hard one. But here we are, one year later and things are mostly smooth sailing. It's been a good year and at times, a hard year too.
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| Scarlett and Mama in Walla Walla, playing in the creek. |
