If you’re not punching a time clock, you must be a lazy schmuck

If I’ve seemingly fallen off the grid, both in the virtual sphere and in real life, it’s because I’ve been tending to the small human being that I created. The fact that I have been otherwise unproductive has taken some people by surprise.

Backseat feedings required

I’m sorry, this tiny life force is a blob of flesh who is unable to move without assistance, and who is awake and in need of something at any given moment of the day. Completing a load of laundry or a sink of dishes without him screaming is really a luxury no longer to be taken for granted. This is exactly why it has confused me that people from all walks of life, including other mothers, have asked me what I will be doing now that I am a stay-at-home-mom. Apparently, the title conjures an image of me as a Stepford Wife.

Though none of this should need an explanation, somehow society has wrongly determined that raising a child isn’t “enough.” I take no position on whether it is better to stay home or go back to work. It’s a parent’s unique choice. However, if you choose to stay home, remind yourself: You do not NEED to be doing ANYTHING else! (If you want to, and are a better multi-tasker than I am, more power to you!) For God’s sake, you are shaping a person for the rest of his/her life! If day in and day out, you “accomplish” nothing more than keeping that baby alive and thriving, congratulations!

Hours spent with this thing

As my son becomes more independent, yes, I will start working on other projects and possibilities…because I will have this little thing that I don’t have now: FREE TIME. But right now, he is my job. I chose that. I tried for months to conceive him, crying with each negative pregnancy test before the good news came. And today, I make the most of every moment, every awful diaper blow-out, every precious smile, every opportunity we have to communicate with each other in any way. I put thought into his life, which is not to say I am an over-paranoid, over-controlling, Tiger Mom. I am loving this time now, because I know I won’t always have it. He is my intention until he spreads his wings and flies away. And if this were my last day on Earth, yes, I would be happy with the way I am spending it.