I want to clarify that when I said I never thought I'd be a SAHM, it wasn't because I didn't think I'd WANT to be, but because I never thought I'd be able to be. I just grew up thinking moms worked (unless they were totally wealthy or something) and that's how it would be. Of course, my own mother did not have that option and so I guess I didn't think of it. I would LOVE to not work. But it also scares me, for several reasons, including 1) whether it will be difficult to return to work if/when I want to and 2) depending on a man for income and having no money of my own FREAKS ME RIGHT OUT. But I would definitely like to consider finding something that is 1) less stressful and 2) allows for part-time. We shall see. Fella is of the opinion that if I work for a few more years I could quit work forever, which sounds AWESOME, but I might rather quit for a few years now and go back later when she's in school. Maybe? Maybe we'll find a happy part-time medium.
So. I heard on one of my pregnancy podcasts that you should sing your baby a song every day while you're pregnant, and they will not only know your voice, but the song itself and will recognize it after they are born and you should sing it to them again in the first hour after birth. So I'm singing "Songbird," every day. Usually while I'm in the shower (so the baby will probably only recognize it if the water is running, lol) and it just popped into my head when I tried to think of something to be The Song. I hope she likes it.
We bought a rocker/recliner for the rocking/feeding, and new couches (actually a sectional) because we
10 weeks to go...
2 comments:
First off - I've been meaning to comment here for, like, ever. But as you will soon find out, blog reading with one hand on the smartphone and another cuddling a baby is easy. Commenting, not so much.
Thanks to the generous EU maternity job protection laws, I'm in the middle of a full year off. I meant to go back part-time working from home after three months, and full time in the office after six. But the time came and went and I couldn't bear to do either when I had the opportunity to devote my time exclusively to her a while longer. On the other hand, it's easy for me to enjoy being a stay-home mum when I know I have my job waiting for me. I'm not sure yet if I could look into that bottomless void without flinching if I didn't.
A top tip I can offer about music for baby is this: pick a few tracks that you can stand listening to again and again and again and create a "night-night" playlist for putting baby to bed. I chose four tunes from a Norah Jones CD that run about 15 minutes total. I've played it to Baby Kat nearly every time I put her to bed since she was born. Two advantages here: 1) I swear sometimes I can see her eyes start to droop when I turn it on, even if she didn't seem sleepy at all and 2) soothing a fussy baby that's fighting sleep can put you into this void netherland where time has no meaning. Since I know that it usually takes no more than two tracks for her to settle (and rarely more than six with the playlist on repeat on a bad night), I can easily be philosophical if she is fussing.
Well, as a SAHM for the past 17 years, I have a few opinions on this (as I'm sure you knew I would. *wink*) Honestly, though, while the bonding in the first year of life is great, the most important time for you to be a SAHM is during the school years. Sounds counterintuitive, I know, but if you've really set the foundation for a strong relationship with your child/ren, then when they are in school is when you really need to be home. I have spent countless days in classrooms, on field trips, at football games, at martial arts classes, at basketball practices, in the car driving every which way, and being able to talk and share with my kids whenever it is convenient FOR THEM has been the best thing I could ever do for my kids. Now that the second one is going off to high school, and the older one is starting her last year in high school, I can honestly say that being home for them has been the most important thing I have ever done. And once I have an empty nest, I will know I did everything possible I could have done to have formed, educated, and nurture my children.
It's not an easy life, and it's not one for every mom, but if you can do it, it's very rewarding.
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