A Day…In MY life. || Working mom

Every once in a while, I’m gonna write about being a working mom. (But please don’t call me a mompreneur.) This is one of those once in a whiles.

This is a photo of me, finishing an insane work day yesterday with not a glass, but a can of rosé. I am currently very happy in my life, but also very, very tired. This post is for working moms who are happy and tired too.

//

There are these “sample schedules” on babycenter.com. They are actually really helpful. They show you real life examples of what schedules look like for other families with babies the same age as yours. At the top of the article, they list all the different options, 8 of them. Formula-fed babies with moms who work at home, breastfed babes with moms who work outside the home, moms who exclusively pump but stay at home. You get the idea.

The other day, I sat down at my desk for the 11th time and thought “Wait, what am I doing again?” and looked at the clock. It was only 10:00. I had been up and down what felt like a million times and completed so many tasks but also got very little done.

I decided that I would make notes all day of the things I did. Just in case a mom who breastfeeds, has childcare two days a week, runs her own business from home, but also handles lots of stay-at-home mom chores maybe needs to hear that her insane days are insanely normal. Enjoy a day in my life:

• Nurse baby.

• Find dirty leggings to wear, forget to wash off pimple cream.

• Take dog to dog park … chase dog to get her to leave park.

• Thaw milk I forgot to thaw yesterday for baby’s bottles.

• Pack baby lunch that I meal-prepped on Sunday. Grumble that since my body makes food, I shouldn’t have to ever actually make other food with my hands.

• Drink 1st cup of coffee that husband lovingly brewed.

• Feed baby breakfast.

• Post adorable video to Instagram of baby dancing, smiling and eating an apple.

• Play with baby while eating cereal.

• Chat with nanny for 30 minutes because I don’t know her that well yet and ya know what, who cares if I am paying her to talk to me. Peace of mind is priceless, yeah? But maybe limit the talking next time, Rach.

• Pour second cup of coffee.

• Nanny leaves.

• Sit down to work.

• I watch the video of the baby doing all the cute things from less than an hour ago.

• Feel unmotivated. FaceTime sister and kids.

• Prep client website audit phone call for this evening.

• Message fellow copywriter about ideas/needs for new biz tagline.

• Fill out assessment from previous boss who is giving me a life coaching session. Cry three times.

• Watch baby video to get me through.

• Finish coffee and eat several handfuls of jellybeans while scrolling through Instagram.

• I watch the video of the baby again. Twice.

• Have phone call with web designer about potential future partnerships.

• Organize all 6 notebooks with handwritten notes from the past 3 years. Recycle and reuse almost all of the paper. Google how efficient Philadelphia recycling is.

• Write down upcoming blog posts.

• Eat BBQ chips.

• Watch the video of the baby again.

• Print out paper calendar to keep track of everything that needs to be published.

• Schedule blogging and Pinterest mentor session with fellow creative.

• Chat with friend on the phone for 20 minutes.

• Pump for 20 minutes.

• Text with nanny about mysterious rash on baby’s face. Troubleshoot causes and treatment. Resists Googling.

• Watch video of the baby.

• Have phone call with former client about my new associate writing blog posts for them.

• Talk to dear friends on Marco Polo about trying to eat healthy after having children and our sex lives. You know, the light stuff.

• Read articles about what is better, an LLC or S-corp.

• Reach out to blog writing associate about scope of work and new client blog outlines.

• Make lunch at 2:30 PM.

• Cry with a friend on Marco Polo about her being such a good mom and advocate for her kids.

• Instantly turn around and send video messages to new copywriter friends who are also considering joining a fantastic and very pricey mastermind group.

• Consider going to get my nails done. Laugh at the thought.

• Watch the baby video just one more time.

• Message with an email strategist on FB about hiring a VA to help with my emails.

• Read article about a rally held in Harrisburg to support Muslim people after the attack in NZ.

• Google what recipes call for stale bread (I have a loaf of stale bread).

• Research keywords for blog posts in Pennsylvania.

• Waste 30 minutes trying to reverse-engineer why people rank so high for certain keywords. Ineffective at best.

• Write 1.5 blogs that are just fine. Not great, but fine.

• Get distracted by Medium article about someone whose business failed. Even though he was very, very smart. Uh-oh.

• Baby came home, nurse.

• Take dog to park, meet husband there.

• Come home, finish editing client’s web copy.

• Make dinner, call sister.

• Nurse baby. (Husband does 100% of her bedtime routine besides the nursing.)

• Do dishes, pour wine.

• Have call with client for over an hour.

• Drink wine, bickered with husband about grocery shopping.

• Do my 10-step skincare routine that feels only 50% effective.

• Make notes for future business ideas and brand re-launch in bed. (Wear blue-light blocking glasses because I have to #health in some way with the way I’m eating.)

• Scroll Instagram for 10 minutes until I can’t keep my eyes open. Ok fine I watch the baby video again.

• Lip treatment + hand cream and liiiiiiights out.

And honestly, this day wasn’t even that crazy. Every single day, my mind juggles thoughts like a circus performer. Between my actual work, ideas about the growth/trajectory of my business, continuing to invest in my personal and professional relationships, caring for my baby and running a household, I.am.spent.

Just to be clear, I have an INCREDIBLY kind and generous husband who handles a lot of the things I just can’t do. I am specifically using the word “handles” and not “helps”. He doesn’t help me because we both believe these are shared responsibilities. He often does laundry and cooks and cleans and easily shoulders 50% of the baby things. But I shoulder the thoughts and the appointments and the logistics and the worry. I carry the emotional load that is reserved for mothers.

If you, too, are a mental circus performer, take heart. I fully believe that my brain and memory are being exercised CrossFit-style right now. And one day, when it isn’t full of feeding schedules and business ideas and guilt and grocery lists, I will have CrossFit-sized brain muscles to apply to one task at a time instead of a thousand. You will too. And then I guess we just take over the world? Like what will even happen?!

Take heart, we are incredible.