I’ve been at my current job for 8 years and I’ve been on maternity leave now for 2 weeks. I finally get to put my feet up and relax now, right? What I envisioned as hours of napping and chilling on the couch while I wait for baby number 2 to arrive has been anything but…..and I wouldn’t trade it in for the world.

As my sister has been our nanny for our first child since the day she was born, we have been so fortunate to have someone live with us and always be there when we needed her. Now she’s gone and it’s just me! I must say that I am getting the hang of it, but it doesn’t come with its challenges. As I sit here, 39 weeks pregnant…patiently waiting for my water to break, or for contractions to hit, I am scared yet excited for the double duty (mainly because I’m so uncomfortable, I would take handling a newborn over the big belly that has taken over the front of my body).

Here’s a typical 24 hours:

My nights pretty much consist of tossing back and forth, going pee 2-3 times and periods of being wide awake and surfing the net just to fall back asleep again. Then, Charli will wake up around 7am and she is ready to hit the ground running! It’s play time for about 3 hours straight with a breakfast and snack somewhere in the mix. Then, if I’m lucky, I can get her down for a morning nap (which can be anywhere from 1-2 hours!) Score for mommy! This is where I take a shower, blog, or catch up on reality television….I SHOULD be napping, but sometimes I just want to get things done.

As much as I love playing tea time and Little People Princess castle, it’s nice to have a break.

When she gets up, we have lunch and play again! I try to incorporate some sort of drawing or painting activity, so that we can work on her mechanical skills. I am so impressed by how much more she’s talking now in the last 2 months!

Usually by the 10th time she has asked me for a snack I start to get anxiety…..I mean, how much can a 2 year old actually eat in a day!? I try to get a variety of foods for her so that I’m not giving her the same snacks everyday. Luckily she loves fruits, so I offer those to her most of the time.

Again, we go down into the basement to play again. Luckily we just finished it a couple of months ago, so it makes a great playroom. Alas, me and another flight of stairs to have to go up and down all day while I’ve got an extra 30 pounds on me!

And then there is the occasional snuggle session…..when she should be put into her bed to take a nap, I take full advantage of her sleeping right next to me. After all, we only have a couple days left of her being my only child. As far as I’m concerned, this is the best part of the day when I do allow it.

Then by 6:30pm, daddy usually comes home! I’m so excited to have a REAL person to talk to (adult conversation that doesn’t involve Peppa the Pig, Caillou or Mickey Mouse talk!) We have small talk about how our day went, but I’m usually busy cooking dinner or cleaning up dishes from earlier on, or toys off the floor.

Her bathtime (which she ALWAYS asks for) is around 7:30-8:00pm. Mommy always gives her a bath, so its just part of my routine that I’ve gotten used to. Then we try to settle down by reading some books in her bedroom. If she can be asleep by 9:00pm, it’s a good night. That gives daddy and I about an hour to get chores done: laundry, cat food/litter, trash taken out, etc.

I usually have had a shower, but still have not done my hair or makeup (unless I ACTUALLY left the house that day!). I look like a frumpy housewife with a huge belly. I know that it will be so different in about a week. Will I be frumpier? LOL

My visions of being a SAHM are less glamorous than I envisioned, but very rewarding at the same time. I cherish the time I get to spend with my child and hope that my husband is proud of me at the end of the day. It’s easier to go to a physical job site and not have to worry about being creative, fun or entertaining to a small child. These last 2 weeks have proved that I can transition from corporate world to domestic goddess! I can do it! I can’t wait to see what next week brings!! I will post all about it!

What has been the biggest adjustment to your life when you became a SAHM or SAHD?

-Kim