being present with my baby girl

I’ve been really bad about blogging lately but it hasn’t been for lack of subject matter because anyone who knows me, knows I can ALWAYS find something to talk about! I’ve been having a bit of a tough time trying to juggle everything lately – being a momma, working part time and holding down the fort while the hubby is away (which is a lot of the time).  Like all of you, life for me has been crazy the last couple of months but my biggest challenge, by far, has been being present in the time I spend with Lydia.  I decided when I went back to work last year that I would only do it part time, choosing to work during her naptimes and at night after she was in bed, instead of getting a sitter.  I hadn’t tried to have a baby for so long to miss out on so much by having someone else watch her.  It worked SO well for such a long time, with most of my clients being out of town, but then, all of a sudden, Lydia gave up her morning nap and with me working at night, I never got to spend any quality time with the hubby.  And, as any of you military wives can attest to, that is not something you give up easily. 

I want the time I spend with Lydia to be completely hands on, and not with my nose in my phone or laptop, which has proven to be easier said than done since, for many of us, our cell phones have become like a third arm.  While everyone thinks it’s funny to watch Lydia walking around the house talking on her play cell phone, it makes me cringe to watch her mimick me talking on the phone, hand motions and all.  My biggest fear is that her earliest memories of me will be on my phone.  Or clicking away at my keyboard. 

Being a momma is my top priority.  Nothing is more important to me than my baby girl and I am so lucky to spend day in and day out with her.  But maximizing that time together has not come without its own set of challenges.  Have any of you struggled with this?  Here are a few things I’ve learned along the way:

Turn off the phone.  I can’t give 100% of my attention to her with contractors calling or notifications going off constantly with every new email or text.  I’ve found that turning it off or, at the very least, turning the sound off, is like a weight off my shoulders. 

Give baby girl her space.  While I’d love to spend every waking moment playing with her or going to the park or swimming, it’s just as important for her to play and entertain herself sometimes.  This has given me the chance to throw a load of laundry in, pack the dishwasher or return a couple emails quickly. And then I don’t feel so overwhelmed with getting it all done later.

Go easy on the routine.  We like routine around here and it’s served us well; while I won’t ever change our nap or bedtime routine, I try to fly by the seat of my pants and not plan too much, otherwise.  It’s such a departure from how I’ve lived my life and in that regard, it’s exciting and I know baby girl loves it, too!

Find something for yourself.  This is a big one.  It’s so easy to get so completely and utterly caught up in taking care of everyone and everything else that you start to lose a part of yourself.  Whether it’s going to the gym, getting a pedicure or having lunch with friends, I feel like it’s so important to get a moment to myself every once in a while to recharge my batteries, make me feel better and help me to be a better momma.  For me, the blog is my outlet, my happy place and it’s made me sad not to have been as regular here, something I’m making a priority to change. 

When it comes to blogging, I look at it this way: if I’m going to take the time to read someone else’s blog post, it better be worthwhile and so, I try to make sure that I, in turn, only post things along the same interest level because your time is just as precious!  So, instead of loading a bunch of crap up here just to have blogged, posts have been sporadic. That’s all about to change, though, because I truly love blogging and interacting with all of you!  I have some exciting out of town client projects wrapping up soon and I’ve tackled a few projects around my own house, too, both of which I’m so excited to share with you! 

Thanks for listening….even if no one comments, it’s been so therapeutic just writing about this!  If any of you have ever struggled with being present with your littles, I’d love to know your thoughts on how you do it all!  Happy Thursday!