The WAHM Lifestyle: Realities, Duties, and Fulfillment

“I’m participating in the WAHMEO Revolution Blog Carnival 2013, hosted by WAHMderfullife.com, MommyGinger.com and VA Support Pro! We’ll be sharing our thoughts and experiences on being a WAHMEO. We will also be sharing our reasons why we want to be WAHMEOs. Please scroll down to the end of the post to see the list of link-up entries.”

It was last week when I found myself walking along a familiar (but-not-so-familiar) road toward the office. This was the same office I worked for a long time until the very last week of my pregnancy. That was more than a year ago - a full 15 months ago. Bilis ng panahon!

Back then, I resigned mainly because I knew my potential to earn more.However, I didn't expect working from home to become my way of life. Actually, I was scared because I knew how volatile work-from-home opportunities are. Jobs are known to come and go. But I took a brave albeit blind step into the world of being a WAHM: a work-at-home mom.

Luckily, I was already working from home on a part-time basis before I even got pregnant. This means I was already connected to a Philippine-based company where the work was, safe-to-say, stable.

However, the first months were hard. I had to take care of the baby on my own because my boyfriend was based in another city. Those times, the newborn would cry incessantly while I struggle to make him fall asleep. Once he finally falls asleep, I would sneakily get out my laptop and try to get things done. Of course, I didn't get much done. The newborn would wake up almost every hour to breastfeed.

I virtually had no sleep in those first three months.

Looking back, I wonder how I even lived through those months.No offense, baby, but those months were parusa! :D

But fear not, future WAHMs. I believe those months are just the birthing pains that I believe we must all experience. At ano lang naman ang birthing pains, diba? Piece of cake! Hahaha! But seriously, believe me when I say this: everything gets better. After a few months, I finally got a trustworthy yaya, and I could finally work in peace. Of course, I always work where I can see them with my eagle-mommy-eyes.

However, this is not where my duty ends. Aside from working, I also am in-charge of these things:

1. Waking the baby up - Yes, this is a task, because since we're co-sleeping and since the baby is a light sleeper, I cannot leave the bed unless it's an emergency. This means holding off my pee (and sometimes, number 2!) until he wakes up.

2. Feeding the baby - This is my task alone. Aside from breastfeeding the baby, it is also me who feeds him breakfast, lunch, dinner and merienda in between. The yaya cannot and must not feed the baby. Also, it is only me who is in charge of cleaning the baby's feeding utensils. No one else can touch my baby's food and utensils! (Well, except for my own mother.)

Sometimes, we eat right in front of the TV. Coincidentally, that's Pokwang in the film,A Mother's Story,in the background.

3. Giving the baby a bath - Ah, this is one of the highlights of our day. The baby kicks like there's no tomorrow! He stands in the bathtub and splashes everyone with water! He plays with the bubbles and tries to eat them! Ay, there's no dull moment in our bath time talaga. :D

4. Sponge bath at night - This is one of the rituals we have established early. Did you know that when you want to help a baby sleep through the night, establishing a nightly ritual is recommended? What I do is after dinner, we play a bit. Then, I give him a sponge bath. When he gets sleepy, I carry him upstairs, lets him play until he gets tired or we read a story, then we breastfeed, then he sleeps.

5. Shopping for the baby- This is the most fun task for WAHM-CEOs like us, right? For me, it is! It does not only mean shopping for clothes and other baby stuff. I think I got past that stage already. What I mean is shopping for the right food, milk, diapers, etc. In other words, my love for grocery shopping just got worsewhen I became a WAHM!

6. Establishing our schedule - I once mentioned in this blog that I am very addicted to listing things even before. This intensified when I had my baby! I'm obsessed in creating my baby's schedule. Everything is listed on paper, which works well for all of us.

There's so much more that I didn't include in the list, such as overseeing the yaya, paying her every month, listing the expenses, setting our monthly budget, pestering the boyfriend regarding investments. Well, the last part is not correct; I don't actually pester him, just educate. Hahaha!

Yes, moms, being a WAHM means a lot of work. Like what I enumerated above, there's virtually no rest until the baby is finally asleep at night. Is the WAHM lifestyle tiring? You bet it is! Is it overwhelming? At first, it is! Is it boring? Sometimes!

But is it fulfilling? I promise you, it is. I get the best of both worlds. I am earning good money while hearing my baby's laughter. I grow in my career while being able to nourish my child with breast milk and homemade food. I am working, but I am present in my baby's life.I know the baby likes toys with wheels. I know how much he likes bread and biscuits. I know how much sleep he gets. I know him.

I would never trade another life for the one I have right now.

So let's go back to that road to the office. No, I wasn't going back to that office to work. I was just about to see my fellow mommy-friend, George. I had to deliver a dress to her (online selling is also my sideline, by the way). Of course, I also had to drop by a nearby baking supplies store for a bar of chocolate (to keep me sane).

Sometimes, I think of going back to the office and getting back into the rat-race. But I think of how blessed I am to be able to work and be with my baby at the same time. Not all women get to have the same opportunity to be a WAHM.

I get to have harutan moments with my baby early in the morning because I am not in a hurry to get to the office or anywhere else. :-)

I'm not saying working in the office is bad. It is not. It is also not the lesser option. It is not. Duh, even my own mother works from the office! All I'm saying is that working from home is a relatively new concept but you should not be afraid to try it out.

The WAHM lifestyle works for me. It is the best option for me. Who knows? It might be your best decision, too.

Please visit the entries of the other participants of the WAHM-eoBlog Carnival:

Vanessa Chua - SHED: Thoughts of An Aspiring WHAMeo
Dianne Salas Kaw - this mom's life: The Most Important CEO of All
Dorry Lyn Tan - Working MAMA: On Wanting to Be aWAHMEO
Mich Nicolas - City Girl, Country Home: Precious Gems for You Work-at-Home Mommas

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