How does it feel to stay at home/work from home? Thats the big question.

I dont have any regrets and feel thats the best decision I made. Though I must admit there have been times when I have felt very lonely as I like to be with people. Mainly because days pass by and I dont see anybody other than me, H and D1.

Few months after I quit my “office” job, I joined H to help out in his venture. When D1 was about 20 months old, decided to put her in day care. For 2 reasons, I would be mentally drained out by end of the day and part of the frustration started showing in my behaviour. Secondly, she was growing and she seemed to be a very social person, she would be very happy when she is in a crowd.
It was not easy taking the decision to put her in day care, I would think I failed in being a home-mom and the whole idea of quitting my job was to be with her. Ended up sending her for 4 – 5 hours a days. This is when I started helping H out with his ventures. Life seemed to be much better as I was still spending quality time with D1 and also getting my space.

Work-wise, I spend less time, but more productive and much more challenging stuff.
The other day a friend of mine commented – ‘I dont know how you live your life like this. I would go nuts if I dont have a schedule planned ahead of time’ . I dont know, I like this life style. It is tough and needs a lot of discipline. Because I need not get up at 7:30 and get ready for work. There are times, when I work till 2 Or 3 in the night, sleep for few hours, drop D1 in day care in the morning, sleep again for couple of hours. Most of the time, there is not much of a difference. I still wake up around 7:30, spend some time with D1, get her ready, drop her at day care. Come back home and start my work. Work until 3 in the afternoon, pick up D1 from day care. Feed her snack and then usually go to park OR hang out in library for couple of hours. Come back home, cook, talk to friends etc., Pretty much what I did when I went to work.
Difference is I dont see many people and again days pass by when I pretty much seeing H and D1.

Overall, after doing this for about 2 years now, I think its a very personal decision. It might work for some and might not. Personally, even though I have times when I am not sure, mostly I am very happy with the decision I took.

I have been working since I got out of college. Pretty much without a break. The 2 / 3 weeks vacation I accrued at work, I would spend on India trip to visit family.
Work.. work.. Babies..

I quit my job when D1 was about 10 months. Actually 2 weeks before my mom went back. This is something I had planned for a very long time. Colleagues and friends thought I was either hush hush about the “new” job I have got in hand OR I have lost it all together to quit such a high paying job.
The day I told my manager about quitting, he was very supportive. He has 3 kids and values them ahead of everything else in his life. His statement was – Knowing you, you have probably made up your mind and I am sure there is nothing I can do about it. If there is anything I can do to retain you, just give me a hint.
It was funny when my director held a toast saying – You were my most favorite employee of all. And there were couple of colleagues screaming – Hello, she is the one leaving you, and we are the ones loyally staying back

It’s almost 2 years since I quit my office job. I say “office” job as now I help H with his ventures whenever I can. I can call myself a working from home mom, though in reality I am more of a taking-care-of-my-kid mom. That’s my first priority. Being a helping hand to H always takes second priority. It has worked out so far, since we have split our primary responsiblities and that gives H more time to concentrate on what he does best. I can’t complain, inspite of his super busy schedule, he manages to help me out more than I can ask for.

The big question still remains?
How does it feel to be working from home mom/ stay at home mom?

I am pregnant with D2. It hasnt really sinked in yet, there are times I forget I am pregnant. The other day I was at a party when somebody said Congrats. I wondered why for a moment.

When I was pregnant with D1, at any moment of time I knew exactly how many days closer I was to the delivery date. Its not that I am not excited this time, I am very excited as both me and H love kids. Just that my older daughter(D1) keeps me on my toes and leaves me very little time for other thoughts.

D1 has brought so much happiness in our life, I dont have words to describe it. H and me went through a lot of pain and trauma trying to conceive a baby and once conceived, deliver the baby to full term. Yes, you guessed it right, I have a lost a baby before D1, need a whole new post to write about that.

No matter how depressed, angry me or H is, just looking at D1 makes everything right and easy again. I hope this continues through out
hmm. just realised I titled the post ‘Am I pregnant again?’ and D1 took over my thought again.

Expecting D2 in few months, we are extremely excited and hope D1 takes it well.