Oops and Daisies

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Waiting on Baby and Transitioning to Working at Home Full Time

January 20, 2017 by Liz SanFilippo Hall

Baby boy’s due date was January 16. He’s officially late… so much for my instinct of thinking he’d be early! But, from what I’ve read, this is pretty normal. About 50% of all babies are born AFTER their due date.

Credit: Doula Support

Little Miss was a late one too; I developed pre-eclampsia late in my pregnancy, and my blood pressure skyrocketed when I hit 41 weeks. I was induced, and she appeared rather quickly thereafter; just a 13-hour labor. This time around, so I’m told, I should have a speedy delivery… whenever he’s ready.

In the meantime, there’s a lot of waiting going on. I’m trying to keep Little Miss and myself as busy as possible, but I’ll admit: every morning I wake up and I can’t help but think… well that was another night he didn’t arrive, and another day of waiting. Because most people go into labor at night, right? When they’re the most relaxed? (Feel free to share your story below!)

Transitioning to WAHM status

This past Thursday was my last day in the office at The International Kitchen, meaning I’ve officially been “home” for a week now. I’m still working (with my personality, it’s hard for me to NOT work honestly), but it’s definitely on my own schedule now. For me, this often means working during Little Miss’s naps and after she goes to bed.

Visiting the Chicago Kid's MuseumThat also means I’m just doing a couple hours of work a day. (Because let’s face it, I’ve been taking a cat nap nearly every day this month). Honestly, working gives my brain something else to do other than think about WHEN our new baby boy is going to arrive.

I’m also trying to focus on the positives of waiting…

More Time with Little Miss

For starters: more time with Little Miss. Even though I was only in The International Kitchen’s office twice a week, I can tell Little Miss is enjoying having me around (for the most part). We went over to my mom and dad’s the other day to go to the Children’s Museum, and when I told her I’d be staying — rather than dropping her off to go to work — she gave me the biggest smile and hug.

She’s definitely been soaking up all her mama and me time, and I’m glad I can give that to her before her brother arrive. As much we’ve tried to prepare her for life with baby brother, and as much as I know she’ll be excited, it’s going to be a big adjustment, especially once he starts sleeping in her room, whenever that may be (and if you have any tips on that, feel free to share them below too).

Nesting Time!

Cousins huggingI’m cleaning, purging, and organizing like I NEVER have before. Those who know me well know this is a BIG deal. I wasn’t even this extreme when I was pregnant with Little Miss (then again, I worked straight up until I was induced, essentially). I’ve donated and thrown out more bags of stuff than I can count… and something that has been on my to-do list since I was pregnant with Little Miss is happening too: my office is starting to feel more like an office instead of a dumping grounds for papers and a mish mash of stuff!

It feels soooo good making this room a haven of sorts. Not only have I “released” a whole ton of papers that I no longer needed, but I’ve packed away some books and my old writing — things I can’t dare part with but don’t need to be shoved in my bookshelves and drawers — making the small room feel welcoming rather than a stressful.

Plus, an organized office makes me happy because it means I’ve reached a goal of mine: I’ll be working from home full time for the foreseeable future. I have zero idea what my ‘schedule’ will be like of course — and you’re probably laughing now like I am too, because what kind of ‘schedule’ does one even have with a newborn other than ‘survival’? But at least now I have a place that feels truly dedicated to my work.

So that’s what my “waiting on baby” looks like. It’s hard to believe I’m “only” four days past my due date. It feels like an eternity waiting for him to be ready… but I hope he knows we’re ready for him, and we are so ready for the next chapter in our lives as a family.

***

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Filed Under: Family & Lifestyle, Parenting, Work From Home Tagged With: family, goals, life with kids, little miss, parenting, wahm, waiting on baby, work from home

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