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Just an update for those wondering whether my previously announced plan of moving across states into my parents home and becoming a SAHM came into fruition. The short answer is, yes, I have. The long answer is: what the heck have I gotten myself into, I’m so overwhelmed, everything is different, and is my Mom going to drive me crazy during this week or the next?

Breathe in. Breathe out.

This is an encouragement to those who wish to make a change in their family’s lives, who wish to shift everything so they can stay with their babies or children at home. It can be done. This is also a caution to those who face shifting their lives in major ways so they can do the same. It is HARD. From drastically reducing your income when you’re used to two, to down-shifting your lifestyle so you’re faced with living in cramped circumstances, there are major and minor changes that will stop you daily in your tracks and make you shake your head, or cringe, or both.

But you know what (yes, there is a you know what)? Today I got to feed my baby all her meals, and my mom was there with me for all of them, letting me see her as I’ve never seen her before: In the role of a doting grandmother. I got to see Mina’s smile all day. I got to see her shun her doting grandmother in preference to me. I got to see her cradled in her great-grandmother’s arms. I got to nurse her, no formula supplements, and best of all no pumping necessary (what bliss). No messy bottles to clean for me tonight. I will be with her, I will mold her, I will teach her, and attention for her caregiver will not be split between 10 kids (yes, her daycare had 10 kids per 2 caregivers when we left). These are enough you know whats to combat the unknown facing me.

Please wish our little family luck as we embark on this new journey!

Tags: one-on-one attention, SAHM, single income, starting over