A new day

This is my first week home full-time with Haven. No maternity leave, no part-time - just pure unemployed, semi-retired, SAHM (stay at home mom). This is has been the best first-week-on-a-(new)-job that I've ever had, though our orientation has involved some activities I haven't encountered in other work: yesterday was spilling the dog's water dish all over ourselves (we HAVE GOT to baby proof the apartment) and today was refusing to cooperate with the diaper change and peeing all over ourselves while I gave in to the squirming and let her twist diaper-less while I got the new diaper ready. That's the third time this week, actually, that we've peed on ourselves during a diaper change. And it's not my diapering technique - it's little Miss Curiosity.

The decision to be home with Haven has been a long time coming and wasn't the easiest decision to make (remember this?). My job provided me with a wonderful community of coworkers and friends and that made it difficult to know whether or not it was time for me to stay or to move on. The very depressing news about the economy didn't really help me in my search for clarity, either (who leaves their job when there is double-digit unemployment in California?), but I also couldn't deny that if and when I stopped to listen, I knew the answer to my question.

And so. Here I am. Running interference between a 9-month-old and electrical sockets (we HAVE GOT to babyproof), running interference between said 9-month-old and our big hairy dog and their little makeout sessions (completely and totally MUTUAL makeout sessions), going for walks, doing dishes, trying to predict just how long this nap is going to be and will it afford me time to eat, switch the laundry, take the dog out to the bathroom, AND a nap, checking Facebook, running to the mall to shop for little dresses for little girls for big weddings, showering one out of every two days, pureeing squash and green beans (cauliflower and yams tomorrow), blogging, making to-do lists, and discovering Haven's tickle spots and listening to her giggle. The giggling is the best part.

It's a little different not having a paying job at an office with cubicles - I feel a little naked - and I have concerns that this new vocation pared with my tendency toward being a homebody will be a bit isolating. Nonetheless, she giggles and so far hasn't asked me about strategic planning, so I think we are good.