Although I've always been working, I've never before combined working, commuting, nursing and motherhood! It's a challenge to (attempt to) balance, but all of them are important to me - even the commuting, because I love our neighborhood.Working: I'm really enjoying the projects and people. I have high expectations for my career here in Chicago.
Commuting: Being tied to the suburban (express) train schedule is a completely different experience than driving a car or taking the Metrorail. The clock is my friend and my enemy. However, I must say that once I am on the train, it's comfortable and productive - thanks to my smartphone.
Nursing: It's both a burden and joy to be your child's sole source of nutrition. Luckily we haven't had any "confusion" issues with Will's back-and-forth between bottles and me. He just likes to eat! Pumping is a big time constraint during the workday, but happily this office is well-equipped with nursing mom facilities and subsidizes the purchase of the best pump.
Motherhood: I got lucky and have an easy baby. He's happy and healthy (except for that persistent stuffy nose!) and sleeps well. And I've got a great husband who is also a great dad. No room for complaints here!
But, I'm always short on time and heavy on bags (the kind I carry - not the ones under my eyes)! A few helpful tricks that keep me going:
- Have two laptop power cords, cell phone chargers, pump accessories, snack supplies, etc, so you don't have to haul as many things back and forth each day (or worry if you forget something at home).
- Pack the night before. When we race out the door in the morning, I have two bags plus lunch and/or coffee, Will's "lunch bag," and Will. Today we also had an extra sack of daycare supplies to restock. Forgetting any of those things could be trouble.
- Know what you're going to wear before you go to bed. I have about 4 minutes of personal time in the mornings to put on my make-up and clothes before we walk out the door. There's no time for decisions then.
- Be flexible and keep a good attitude. Even though I pre-packed leftovers for lunch, they didn't get in the bag today. Even though I made it onto my train, I had to run for it. Even though I got to work in time, I twisted my ankle when I stepped in a pothole on the sidewalk. And that was all by 8 a.m.! Who knows what the rest of the day will bring! :-)
