Which is harder.....staying at home? Or going to work?

Ahhh, the age old question. Hotly disputed on numerous Babycenter and TheBump message boards. 

Of course, I am not going to be able to comment on the "stay at home" argument with any authority....cause....well....I work.  But I get a tiny glimpse into that world on Saturdays and every fourth Sunday....when Hubby works and I am home.  Alone.  With Precious Baby.

I will tell you this.  It's not easy.  Some people think that staying home with "the kids" is a piece of cake.  Waking up a little later, playing on the floor all day, napping when the baby naps.  And yes, these things happen.  And they're delightful.  But there's also being completely responsible for this little bundle of joy all day...even when he's not such a joy.  Let's be honest...babies are not all rainbows and glitter.  Babies are demanding, and hungry, and wet, and constipated, and bored, and tired, and teething, and....you get the idea.

Then there's also this idea that burns in the back of my mind.  I am also responsible for making sure this baby learns something today.  Maybe not algebra or all of the American presidents, but reminding him that he learned to roll over yesterday.  Or that he can hold 2 toys at once.  Or the one that occupies my house most........eating a meal of "solids".

So you see, I think staying home with the baby full-time would be hard.

With some authority, I can tell you, being a full-time working mom is hard.  It's really hard.  Not only are there all the totally natural feelings about leaving your baby with someone else who gets to cuddle them when they're upset, might get to see their "firsts", be the one your baby first calls "mama" (this has not happened to me, thank goodness!), but logistically, it's hard.

I don't mention this because I want your sympathy.  There are MILLIONS of mothers who work.  My story is not unlike any of theirs.  Except, well, it's mine.

I get up at 5am to nurse Precious Baby then its out of bed at 5:30.  Dress, makeup, pick out the baby's clothes (can't trust daddy for this one), then it's downstairs to make bottles, mix cereal, then pack my lunch.  Hubby wakes PB at 6:30 and gets him dressed.  Out the door by 6:45 (if we're lucky) and into traffic.  It takes about an hour for our 37 mile commute.  Drop the baby off at daycare, grab my tea at 7-11, to work by 8:15.  Work all day helping other people solve their problems.  Off at 4:45, to daycare by 5:00.  Offer dinner then nurse PB before hitting the road for our hour-plus commute home.  Breathe deeply and pray for patience as PB protests to this commute from his car seat in the back. 
Home abut 6:30, play while we wait for daddy, then straight to the bath.  We might have time for a quick story before nursing this little angel and putting him to  bed about 7:45.  Then....we start dinner.  Eat about 8:30, clean up, sanitize bottles and pump parts for tomorrow, an hour of tv.....then to bed.  Our glorious bed.

It's hard.  But every. single. night. when I lay my head down and begin my prayers, I am first thankful for this day.  That I had the chance to love this sweet boy and this amazing husband today.  That I have been given this amazing opportunity.  And just like women forget the pain of childbirth so that they can have another, I forget how hard today has been and I am eager to see what tomorrow brings.  Excited to see what PB will do and how he will grow.  And then.....I pray for the grace, and patience, and strength.

The moral of this story is this.............which is harder?  Being a stay-at-home or a working mom??  The answer is both.  They're both hard.  And you'll never find anything else so worth it.