Back at work

Last Monday was my first day back at work since having Zoe. I decided to go back 4 weeks early because the co-worker who filled-in for my role left the company. I didn't have to go back. In fact, I contacted my supervisor. I was offered a work from home all week option until the new year (then I would continue my 2 day/week work from home schedule), and we could use the money because I was not getting paid and we wanted to buy a new car.

I pulled the trigger by calling my supervisor the week before when I was half sure I even wanted to clog up my already busy and comfortable day. But I knew starting Thanksgiving week would be the most ideal. After all, I'd get a paid holiday and a pretty easy week.

The first day back wasn't bad. Except that I found out all the October things weren't done! I needed to produce a few reports and update lots of documentation. There was no real deadline, but I knew our client wouldn't be happy the longer it lapsed.

Working at home with a baby is tough. It's one big juggling act! Though I have some help, largely I am taking every precious minute of her 15 minute naps to make a quick call or update something. When I am feeding her, I am emailing using voice typing. Even that feature, though very convenient, gets annoying when Google doesn't understand you or you get cut off because you've reached the character limit!

And the crying is the worst. When you're rocking her in her carrier while trying to respond to an urgent email saying "Give mama just one more minute." Or during ill-timed conference calls when it's your turn to speak and you're running back and forth between two rooms because you don't want anyone to hear your baby crying. Ackkkk! It's during these times that I feel like the worst mother ever.

And then there are the successes. Of feeding her while on a call and her not making any noise. Or the success of finishing something just as she wakes from a nap or right before she melts down in her chair, mat, or carrier. Or seeing her smiley face as you work, and getting to smile and talk to her. It's these moments that make working from home worth it!

I experienced a lot of these moments over the last week. But many of these moments are also reminiscent of the work from home days when I took care of Elias before he started daycare at 13 months.