Life Lately: Prepping For Work, Daycare And Yoga Teaching
Hiiii!
It’s hard to believe I’ve been home for 3 months now. Sometimes it feels like it has really flown by, and other times the days feel sooooo long (I know other new moms canprobably relate to that.)
This has been such a period of growth for me personally. There have been ups and downs, and moments of joy and stress. But as my leave nears an end (mid-November… so I guess I still have some time), we’ve had to start figuring out daycare plans for Henry and what our new schedule will look like as a family of three.
When I started my maternity leave on July 4, I knew there would be some tough decisions I’d have to make toward the end… mainly, how Henry would be cared for when I headed back to work.
Still, today, this decision puts a pit in my stomach.
Here’s why.
My mom stayed at home when I was young. It was the best. I always will remember her being there every day and all the fun we had with our friends and in our neighborhood. (Okay, I was pretty young to recall all that but I do have lots of photographs!) I’m forever grateful that she was able to stay at home during those young years of my life. Not every mom can or wants to, and the fact that she could and did means the world.
Anyway… when I became a mom myself, this reality really sunk in. Did I want to be a stay-at-home mom myself? (I really always have considered it… at least for the first couple years) Did I have to work to help support our family? Could we live off of one income? Would going back to work make me happy? Would my social life ever be the same if I didn’t? Was I willing to trade in my 9-5 to be home all day with an infant?
These questions floated in my mind daily. It was, and still is, stressful to think about.
After months of talking/thinking things over, I knew going back would be the best plan for our family. We did our homework (reference calls, interviews, pros and cons lists…) and figured out a plan for the little guy: he’ll go to a nearby, cozy in-home daycare part of the week and be watched by our Aunt the other part. It was the best combo for our family when it came to quality care, location, budget and comfortability.
We really adore the daycare we chose and the woman who would care for Henry. She has an east-coast vibe with her voice and demeanor, so we immediately took to that. Her house is clean and well decorated, she has TONS of toys and fun games, and a beautiful backyard for playing.
I know it’ll be hard for me to be away from Henry when I go back to work, but as all new moms say, I’ll just take it day by day. That’ll mean breast pumping at work (ugh… I really am attached to a machine guys), shifting my hours slightly to help with drop-offs and pick-ups, and making the most of my nights and weekends with my son to make up for the lost time during the week. Yep. It’s gonna be hard…
Sam and I are going to sit down and plan out our family’s new schedule because between Henry’s needs and ours, the weeks are bound to feel jam-packed. Plus, we’d both love to work out here and there if we can, so fitting time in for that will be a priority (though not #1 obviously). Regardless, self-care IS important and when we break a sweat, we feel better and think more clearly. Win, win for the whole fam.
There isn’t a whole lot for me to prep for going back to work, other than just mentally getting into that professional headspace again and catching up on emails/projects that are in the works. Part of me looks forward to having that routine again and contributing to my team, but another part of me will so dearly miss these moments at home. What can ya do, right….? I know I’m just one of MANY working moms out there who can relate to this balance.
The other big thing I’ve been prepping for is teaching my first EVER yoga class. That’s right. NERVOUS! I’ve been keeping it a secret because, well, I didn’t really want people to know about it in case I bombed it. Lol!
Back in June, I completed my yoga teacher training and I finally feel (kinda) ready to teach. I mean, I’ll never fully be ready but I’m jumping in and teaching a “practice class” to see how it goes. Basically, practice classes are taught by teachers in training, so students go into it knowing that. Kinda takes the pressure off… a little. My sequence is written and practiced, so I guess I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. It’ll be a vinyasa class. Wish me luck! 💕
Update: It happened! And, I survived. Lol. Only 3 people took the class, but that’s okay and honestly, it was probably for the best. It was a decent class, I think!
Thanks for the support, fellow YTT Dimes, Neka and Joycie! ^
I have my second class coming up, so the next few weeks will be all about tweaking my sequence and working on more clear cues for students. 🙂 Practice makes… improvements. 😉
I guess that’s about it here. Big changes on the horizon for us all. Change is hard but good, I feel. It forces us to grow and reflect. All I know is, Henry is #1 and so everything else in life falls behind him as a priority. Life is going to have to adjust to that. Send positive vibes as we navigate the changes ahead!
❤
Ari
