Transitions

Everyone has been asking me how the transition to the working world has been going for me and I'm happy to report it's been going well.  Just a few months ago I never imagined I'd be back in the working world, and particularly not in the housing finance field, where my co-workers all have mortgage lending, real estate or investment banking backgrounds.  I was nervous not just about getting up to speed in a new job, but also about how I'd handle the logistics of the work/life balance.  There'd be getting two kids and myself ready in the morning and being somewhere on time, relegation chores and errands to evenings and weekends, less time for friends, hectic evenings, and the biggest adjustment of all, reduced time with my kids. 

I can thank a smooth transition on two things: a short commute and our nanny.  I work three miles from home.  At my last job, I commuted 32 miles of highway across three counties in no less than 40 minutes.  With kids and daycare hours and drop-off and pick-up and getting stuck in traffic, well, it would have been miserable.  Instead, my commute is a ten-minute relaxing drive on city streets and I'm close enough I can run home if I forget something or reach my kids easily if need be. 

Then we hired a nanny.  We thought we'd put the kids in daycare because we liked the reliability of a center with its limited closings.  I'd even dismissed a friend's suggestion of a nanny when she heard how much we were going to spend on daycare.  But when we found out at a family gathering on Christmas Eve that Chris's cousin's new wife, Ashley, was looking for a new job after her other position concluded at the end of December, we e-mailed her as soon as we got home that night and a few days later we had a new nanny.  As my start date approached, if feelings of sadness overwhelmed my feelings of excitement, remembering that Ashley would be taking care of our children in their own home comforted me.

It wasn't until the whirlwind of my first morning when I realized the other stress relief a nanny provided besides peace of mind.  No matter where my kids are in the process of their morning routine, Ashley picks up where I leave off.  One or both kids may or may not have eaten, had their diapers changed or gotten out of their pajamas when she arrives, but she takes over and I can head out the door and straight to work without adding an extra 20 minutes (at least) and all that energy to drop the kids off at daycare.  It's awesome.  I realized this is what every morning had been like for Chris when I was a stay-at-home mom, except he probably didn't appreciate just being able to walk out the door and know everything with his kids was under control.  But I sure do, and again, it's awesome. 

So I'm not getting up at some crazy hour to get everyone ready, packing lunches and diaper bags, trudging to the car with kids and gear, and fighting traffic.  I actually show up at work reasonably relaxed.  I'm even enjoying cubicle life where I have a space to call my own and keep clean and organized. 

Working life has not been completely without its stresses.  For the first two weeks, Oliver cried when I left in the morning and it took a lot of patience and creativity on Ashley's part to keep him distracted, and reminders on my part to take it easy on myself for feeling guilty.  And I've had to change work clothes at the last second on more than one occassion because Soren spit up on me.  And there'll be the day when Ashley gets sick and Chris and I have to make a last-minute decision on what we want to do for alternative childcare.  But overall, the stresses have been minor and nothing worse, even if they're different, than the stresses I dealt with as a SAHM.