Reflections of a WoMOM

Callie is napping (sort of...she's making peeps so we'll see how this goes) and my head is spinning. I need to just...get stuff out of my head and into the universe because that has a history of making me feel better. More centered. Not crazy. :)

So I created a new term for myself and other women like me. WoMOM = Working Mom. If you follow my blog you know that I have been struggling lately with going back to work, spending less time with my baby, and every emotion that goes along with that.

(Right now in the baby monitor I hear "Wa-wa-ni-ni-ayayayayay-AAAAAAHHHHH!" so I'll be right back.)

OK I'm back with a baby on my lap. This past week has made me such a sucker...haha.

Anyway...today at work we were asked the question "Why are you here?" and all 40-some staff members sat in a circle and shared their stories. This gave me the opportunity to listen to some amazing and inspiring people (I work with some of the BEST folks on the planet!) but it also forced me to really confront my issues and figure out what the heck is going on in my brain. And it comes down to this:

Callie is an unbelievably blessed baby, and Chris and I are unbelievably blessed to be her parents. We have the opportunity to provide her with so many things and experiences. Our friends and families do and will continue to contribute immensely to her growth and upbringing. Her future is full of endless opportunities.

Many of the students at my school are, unfortunately, in the complete opposite circumstances. Many have grown up in poverty with so many things about their life working against their success and with people who don't believe in them.

So while part of me will always feel a little guilty about not staying home with Callie, I know without a doubt that she will not suffer because of this. She has the great opportunity to get to know her grandparents on a special level. And to spend a whole day with her Daddy each week. She has so many important positive influences in her life...so many people who love her.

So I guess what I'm saying is that I'm grateful to have the opportunity to be that person for Callie, and for my students at school as well.

I learned today that just because something isn't easy, doesn't mean it is necessarily hard. It isn't easy to leave my baby every morning, but knowing that I get to see and teach other people's precious children makes leaving in the morning not exactly hard either.

Especially when I can look forward to seeing this when I get home:


So I am at peace with my WoMom-ness and am just thankful to everyone who makes it easier for me to be a WoMom!

OK enough of my ramblings...and typing one-handed! Thanks for listening and thanks for caring.

Cottage Cheese

Well I've been reading up on the kinds of foods Callie can eat and cottage cheese is on the list. So we tried it.
She is not a fan...yet. But it sure was funny to watch her try and figure out what the heck was going on in her mouth!

Cottage Cheese from Baby Goose on Vimeo.

Oh well...we'll try again!

B-U-S-Y-BUSY!

I'm not sure how it happens but we have had and will continue to have a packed schedule these days! It is fun and exhausting at the same time...especially since I'm back to work full time. I'm TIRED. SUPER TIRED.

But anyway, Callie has had a wonderful week so far with her MorMor, Auntie Mari, Grandma and Auntie Cathleen. And she's gotten to see Bops the past two evenings. Today she gets to hang out with Grandpa and tomorrow she gets to hang out with Daddy. What a lucky baby! Here are a couple of pictures from the past few days:

Drive-in movie date with Charlie:


Such a talented 8-month-old:


Playing with Charlie and new friend Harper (yes, another baby BOY buddy!):


Such a good stander:


Our friend Nate was in town! He's a lieutenant in the Navy and has been in Afghanistan for the past year. I remember when we saw him before he left last August I said that the next time he sees us there will be a little 8-month-old running around! And here we are!


Auntie Mari leaves today to go back for her senior year at Luther. We'll miss her being home!


And finally, a jump-a-roo video:

Jump-a-Roo!! from Baby Goose on Vimeo.

We're back in the swing of things in terms of our early morning routine. Callie usually wakes up between 6 and 6:30am (after going to bed between 8pm and 9pm and sleeping all night!) so I feed her a bottle and then she goes right back to sleep so I can get ready and Daddy can continue sleeping. Daddy is in charge of getting her up and dressed in the morning. I MAY need to start laying her outfits out since she's been wearing onesies the past three days- no shorts or skirts or anything else- just onesies. It is a good thing she's still a little baby and looks cute in anything! heehee. Just kidding. Daddy does a great job. I'm looking forward to the days when she has more hair and he gets to attempt to style it. :)

I Survived

I survived the day (and we got out early which was a TOTAL bonus!).

What helped was getting this picture sent to my phone this morning:



Thanks Mom and Mari! I think I looked at it about 100 times today. :)

So my life as a working Mom is beginning again and I'll be okay...but I call dibs on her for all evenings and weekends! Though I probably need to share with her daddy... ;)

8 Months Old!!!!

I saw on another blog a progression of baby pictures by month, so I thought I'd do that on Callie's 8-month birthday to show how much she has grown in 8 months.

1 Day Old:


1 Week Old:


1 Month Old:


2 Months Old:


3 Months Old:


4 Months Old:


5 Months Old:


6 Months Old:


7 Months Old:


8 Months Old:


Every time I look at her I can't believe I'm the one lucky enough to be her Mommy!!!

Drama Queen

Me, not Callie. I'm the drama queen. She's fantastic.

So putting it out there in the universe (see previous post) did make me feel better and a little sheepish. Sorry for the drama.

We had a fun day today! This morning we went downtown to the condo and met up with my sister Mari and two of our good family friends, Laura and Jill. We had a lovely brunch and went to the farmer's market.

Laura and Callie


Jill, Laura, Mari and Callie


This afternoon we met Chris' cousin Hannah and her daughter Ayla at the Mall of America and went to Underwater Adventures. Callie loved it. She kept making all kinds of noises and staring at everything. So cute!



Haha, these two pictures don't exactly convey her excitement, but oh well.

She was pooped out and serenely went down for a nap a half hour ago. Gotta love that!

We passed the 7,000 site visit mark today! Though I'm sure half of them are me, it is pretty cool anyways. :)

Meltdown Mode

Me, not Callie. I'm in meltdown mode. She's fantastic.

I can't really describe how I feel besides saying that my stomach feels sick, my heart feels heavy and I'm just kind of a walking disaster.

But I see her looking like this:




and I can't FATHOM the thought of not spending all day every day with her. I know how lucky I am to have gotten another 8 weeks at home with her after already having a maternity leave. So Rational Me is telling Irrational Me to suck it up and count my blessings. But Irrational Me is telling Rational Me to zip it and feel sorry for myself, thus spurring on multiple meltdowns.

Sorry for the depressing post, but I figured maybe if I put how I'm feeling out there in the universe, Irrational Me might start to fade and I can just be thankful for my baby, my family, my friends, my job, and my sweet life. And become meltdown free.

I'll keep you posted.