The times they are a changin'

Change seems to be the running theme this year. It ruled Obama's campaign. The Internet was abuzz with tweets from Twitter. Leno passed the torch to Conan. More than a few celebrated pop culture icons left millions of fans mourning their deaths. And an Hispanic woman was nominated for a seat on the Supreme Court. Yes, ch-ch-ch-changes were afoot.

Even our humble household was not untouched by the season of change. My status as a stay at home mom (SAHM) changed, after much soul searching, when I took a position as an account executive with a directional marketing firm. I'm thrilled with my new job, but it was a tough decision to come to, after having spent a year caring for Baby A, who recently turned 18-months-old. So many thoughts ran through my mind--am I being selfish? Will my daughter get the care she needs from a stranger? Will I succeed after being away from the business world for so long? Can I really do this?

Honestly, my fears were unfounded. Little did I know when I decided to stay at home with my baby girl, that I was choosing THE toughest job in the world. For real. I thought it would be a piece of cake. We'd sleep in, play all day, take naps, and goof off. How fun is that?! Oh, how I deluded myself! Of course, we did do all of those things, but I didn't factor in managing a home, missing the daily interaction with my peers, as well as the affirmation you receive when you work on projects for the good of an organization. I am a social being. And although I did manage to schedule some playdates during my tenure as an SAHM, it wasn't enough to fulfill my needs, nor, I found, my daughter's, for she is a social being just like her mommy.

As I'm flourishing in my new vocation, so is our girl at daycare. We receive daily reports of her daily activities, and it is a joy to read about her day. She is thriving in her environment with other children and we can see the positive change in her behavior at home. It's fun to watch her dance more and to listen to her babble and rattle off the ABC's, things she would do sparingly while it was just she & I.

So now that our lives have taken a dramatic turn, I find that these changes we've experienced have brought great opportunity for each of us. I can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring.