Working Mom....Again

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Today is the first day of my second week back to work. Well, back to work in the office full time. I was able to take almost 5 months off from work to stay home with baby. I still worked from the comfort of my own home, but I definitely didn't make as much money. Some may argue about my decision to go back to work, but I still do not regret it. I am, however, struggling to get used to it again.
I sent baby to daycare the week before to help her (really me) transition. She did so well. She is honestly the diva of the daycare. They all just love her and she loves it there too. My husband and I stop by there often to check on her and she is always happy. I'm glad we got into that daycare.
Last week I went back to work "full time". Who am I kidding, we all work full time if we are moms. Now I have the joy of working in an office for 40 hours and still do most of the cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc. My husband is a big help and so are the kids. My older kids are old enough to do chores and they actually enjoy them.
Last week was an adjustment for me because of my commute. I had to learn what time I need to leave in the morning to beat the morning traffic and the evening traffic. It gets pretty crazy in San Antonio and I work on the other side of town. I have finally decided to go into work at 7 and leave shortly after 3. This way I can leave early and the hubby will see all the kids off to school in the mornings. Then baby doesn't have to spend the entire day in daycare because I'm off at a reasonable hour. Same for the older kids. They don't get out of school until 3:15, so shortly after I'm picking them up. I get the entire evening to spend with the whole family. Today I made it home by 3:45, had the kids homework completed and checked in time to make fish tacos for dinner, worked out after dinner, folded 2 loads of laundry, and just prepared some ribs for the crockpot tomorrow. It is still only 7:40 and I can cuddle with the hubby now. I'll admit though, I am a little tired.

Work is a little hectic these days, but I've picked up new responsibilities and another new title. These days I'm the Quality and Continuous Improvement Manager. I still run the HR department, but hopefully that is just temporary. I have a lot of catching up to do. Starting Thursday I will dress down two days a week and actually work on the factory floor. I'm in charge of the manufacturing aspect of our business and I need to know the processes. I'm really excited about this. I love manufacturing and I love tinkering with all the cool equipment. I also love brainstorming and implementing new ideas. I plan on implementing Poka Yoke (fail proof system) to the entire factory and adding SPC (Statistical Process Control) to the factory as well. This will be a major step in the right direction for our fast growing company. This is what I love to do. I love my family more, of course, but I enjoy my job.
My oldest daughter came to me the other day and told me she wanted to be just like me when she grew up. I asked her why. She said she wanted to go to college and get a cool job that made her happy AND she wanted be a super cool mom like me. That made me feel good. See, I don't need approval from anyone else but my family. I know for a fact I'm a great mom. My kids are absolutely amazing and I know I played a part in that. My husband is so very proud of me, and that also makes me feel great. Granted, he would've supported me staying home, but he knows me and what makes me tick. If at all I feel like I am unhappy, missing too much from the baby, or anything else, I will quit. As of right now I still get to work from home when needed. I am lucky to have the flexibility to do so.
Breastfeeding is still going strong and I'm lucky that I can pump like an engorged cow. Seriously! I bet I could feed an army of babies. I only pump twice a day and get about 20-22oz. Baby girl will start food in a little over a month and I can't wait to experience that transition.
All and all the whole working experience has been great. Hubby leaves Sunday for Colorado, so let's see what type of mood I'm in then. I just wanted to share this all with you. As always, thanks for reading!