Well, after more than 16 months, I’ve caved. This morning was the the nanny’s first day. And both The Buba and myself couldn’t be happier.
Before The Buba was born, Michael and I talked about our “best case scenario” option when it came time for day care. We both agreed that we would like to be at home as much as possible for both our child, and our sake. Therefore, when I found out I was pregnant, I went to my then-boss, and pleaded for a full time, 2-day a week at home, schedule. It took a bit of convincing, but he agreed and I couldn’t have been happier. In this day and age, employers are so much more willing to accomodate a flexible schedule than in years past. In our virtual world, you can be anywhere, and still be accessible. A blessing and a curse at the same time, but for that, I am eternally grateful for the Blackberry.
I am also extremely appreciative of Michael’s non-traditional firefighter’s schedule. Because full-time firefighters work 24-hours on and 48-hours off, my flexible work schedule meant that, everyday, one of us would always be home with Ryan.
When we first “bragged” about our fabulous day care situation with our friends, they were not as enthusiastic as we had hoped. Most were stunned at, what turned out to be, our ignorance at the difficulty of my working from home with a baby. I justified this negativity as jealousy and pronounced myself as superwoman. I mean, how hard could it be?
For the first 6 months, it was as easy as I had pictured in my head. I mean, The Buba slept often and was the epitome of the dream baby. He would lay under his play gym for hours (which has now resulted in a flat head), or sit in his bouncy seat on the couch next to me as I worked away. While others thought I was nuts, I thought they had to be incompetent.
Fast forward to June 2009, when, The Buba became active and I was laid off and devoted 8-hours per day job-hunting. Still, due to our decline in income, help was not an option. As my freelance business picked up, I just barely was able to manage my motherly duties alongside my professional ones. The Buba respected Mommy’s need to work, but my office was now a game of musical chairs. I could no longer sit in my office because he would want to sit on my lap; if I sat on the couch he would try to type on my computer. It was exhausting and a very ineffective way to get the job done. I refuse to be a quitter and felt as though asking for help would be a sign of failure.
Finally, last month, I surrendered. My business is more demanding then ever, and I just didn’t feel as though I could dedicate myself to my clients freely or be accessible enough to add the value I know I provide. Therefore, we began our hunt for daycare, and fortunately, it was a very short search. Due to our non-traditional schedules, a nanny was our best option. And, a good friend of ours’ sister-in-law not only provided these services, but hadn’t yet been swooped up for the summer. She’ll be graduating college this summer, is an education major and has a passion for children. It was love at first sight. She’s instinctual, capable and confident. What more could I ask for?
I’m thrilled The Buba will have a playmate for at least the summer (if she gets a teaching job in the fall, we’ll begin our hunt again) and we won’t have to burden our family as often. I know The Buba is having fun and I am thrilled to be able to get out of the house.
Today was the first day that the nanny started. And, of course, I didn’t charge my cell phone last night, which keeps informing me its battery is close to death. Thank goodness for the nanny, because apparently, I need more help than I even realize!
