Life lately....as a Mommy

          I love being a Mommy, but sometimes I can't help but wonder where my life has gone.  Taking care of our sweet little girl is basically a full time job.  I feel like I am finally at the point where I can take care of her and the household and not feel overwhelmed....most of the time.  I have even found the time to socialize with friends again, even if it is a totally different type of socializing since most of us have kiddos of our own now.

          When Alethea was first born, I felt like I hybernated for several months because I couldn't really do a whole lot of things beyond caring for her without getting stressed out, largely due to the fact that she didn't like the car.  As each month goes by I feel like I am finally getting out of that stage more and more.  I feel like I am gradually getting back in touch with more and more people that I had lost touch with for the first few months of her life.

          This past Tuesday was a fun step toward that end.  I had gotten a Living Social deal for Whole Foods so Alethea and I headed down to Mt. Pleasant to shop for some yummy food.  On my way I decided that since she did so well in the car we were going to make a day of it.  First we headed over to Trader Joes since we were already so close and I got to see my student teaching supervisor and friend Louise in her new working environment.  It was great to catch up a little bit.  Then, since we were so close, we headed over to College of Charleston to visit some old co-workers, professors, and friends.  It was so much fun being able to show off my little cutie and she had a blast hamming it up.  I am so glad she enjoys people so much because it makes for fun outings lately. :-)  I am hoping to incorporate more fun days like this and be able to have some fun running around days like I used to before Alethea arrived, even if they do wear me out a lot more than they used to.

          One struggle I have been having lately is figuring out how to manage my time right with Alethea.  She is getting so much more interactive and aware now, but she also can entertain herself very easily.  So many times it is very easy to let her entertain herself and get things done around the house (especially since she only sleeps about 1.5hrs all day long).  Lately I have been researching things that I can do with her that will be more stimulating and facilitating of learning.  So, maybe this is just the former childcare worker in me, but I am going to try and incorporate more of these activities and lessen the time that I spend on the house.  This might mean that I have a bit more of a messy house (not that it was super clean anyway), but I am hoping it is going to be for the best for her.

            Sometimes being a mommy seems like it can be a drag and stress me out, but thankfully I have such a sweet little girl that makes figuring out how to make things best for both of us all worth it. That was a bunch of ramblings, I know, but that's what has been on my mind lately so I had to write it down.