Hi, my name is Becky Branch & my blog is called The Branches.
I am a 30 year old first time mom to Connor, 16 months.
My husband Terence and I have been married for 10 years.
And I’m a “working Mom”
Whew! Now that that is out of the way! LOL!!! I feel like a member of the WMC “The Working Mom’s Club”. I am really enjoying everyone else’s point of view on what it’s like to be a working Momma! Big shout out to Melissa for hosting this series on her blog. She’s the bomb diggity & I hope we can meet someday so our boys can play together. I am so thankful for blogging and the community of friends and support I’ve found including so many ladies.
The first few months I was on maternity leave were exhausting. Looking back I wish I would have cherished that time more. I was so sleep deprived and going through some postpartum depression. I feel like I didn’t soak it in like I should have. Those are days I look back fondly on, even though at the time they were so hard. The first day I went back to work I cried so hard when I left Connor with someone else. I kept thinking “I’m his Mom it should be ME watching him!” As much as I wanted to stay home with him, I knew that financially the best decision for us as a family would be for me to go back to work. We are grateful we have my sister in law & mother in law who both watch Connor during the day. He gets to play with his cousin Arielle every day. She is a day older than he is and they have a great bond with each other.
My husband works from home and sometimes I get jealous that he gets to sit in his pajamas all day while I drop Connor off in the mornings and pick him up after work. I get home and see dishes in the sink and the house in a mess….and yes sometimes I flip my lid a bit. I am not gonna lie! Ha..ha.. My husband is extremely disciplined and I know he works hard. He’s on calls when we get home in the evenings, so his day doesn’t start or stop on a normal schedule. I am thankful to have him there in the mornings. He helps me feed Connor and get him ready for the day. The best thing ever is when we come home and I open the door and he goes running into his Dad’s arms and gives him a big hug! Melt.my.heart.
So I’ll just write out today’s events, this is just a typical day:
6:30 am – Wake up take a shower. I put wash my face and put on my makeup, making sure not to forget my concealer to cover the dark circles under my eyes. I’m cramping and bloated because Mother Nature reared her ugly head this past weekend after 2 years of no “weekly visits”. (Pregnant 9 months+14 months of breastfeeding that’s a WHOLE other story!) It’s baaaaack!!!!
7:30 am – Wake up Connor and make a bottle. I take him in to lie in the bed with Terence while I finish getting ready.
7:45 am– Pack Connor’s lunch & dress him and we are out the door!
7:45-9 am – Drop Connor off at daycare then get to work on time. “Oh shoot my tank is empty!” I stop for gas….running late!!! DFW traffic is a bear! I usually stop at Starbucks…it’s become a morning crack addiction as my blog buddies can tell you! Ha!
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9 am-4 pm –WORK aka peace and quiet time/adult interaction.
4:15 pm – Leave to go pick up Connor. Seeing his face light up when he sees me at the end of each day is the highlight.
5:30 – 8:30 – I make dinner (usually something quick), try to fit in some laundry/cleaning, Connor gets a bath, playtime, Terence and I watch a few TV shows, and then we give Connor another bottle and he goes to bed by 9 pm -9:30 pm.
9:30 – MY TIME – Read blogs, check emails, spend time with Terence….or get stuff done!!! My poor husband….I really need to work harder to make him/our marriage a priority. It’s hard when you have a baby ya’ll! My biggest issue is finding balance in all this.
10:30 pm – 11:30 pm – BEDTIME
These are the days of our lives……………
If there is one thing I cannot stress enough it’s to find balance in all this madness we call life. Don’t let one thing overshadow another. Make your family a priority – Your husband needs quality time, your child needs quality time, your home needs TLC. It’s extremely hard to fit all this into one 24 hour day! Don’t be afraid to say no or ask for help if you need it. Although that’s one of the things I struggle with the most. Whether you are a working mom or a stay at home mom the big thing is finding YOUR routine. Eventually everyone finds a routine and that becomes the norm. My routine just happens to include a job. Do I get jealous of other moms who get to stay at home: YES. I would be lying if I said no. I tell myself I am working to provide a better life for my child & I know there will be times I miss things. I thank God every day for my hubby and Connor; they are my loves of my life. My job does not define who I am; it’s just a part of my life and a way to provide a better future for us. At the end of the day he’s always going to call me Mommy & because of that my heart is full!
Thanks Becky for sharing your heart with us! You are a wonderful mommy and have such a fun personality! If you have any questions or want to stop by and say hi to Becky stop by her blog by clicking here!
