Being a working mom is hard

That is the understatement of the century. I have always thought of myself as an intelligent person, but when it comes to this, I really had no idea how hard it was until I became a working mother. This post is not meant to be a "poor me" post, but rather I would like to bring some issues to light, especially for new mom-to-bes out there. I have for my whole life assumed I would be a working mother. I never thought I would want to stay home with children. I assumed I would have babies, go to work every day, and just live my life. So our financial decisions were made assuming we would have two incomes. I knew that I would love my baby, but I seriously had no idea of the magnitude of that love. I am really crazy about that boy!! I love being with him. I never want to be separated from him. I never feel like I need a break, even when I really do need a break. 24 hours a day is not enough time for me to spend with my son. So working is very difficult. Pumping breastmilk at work just serves to remind me twice a day that I am away from my child. It's very difficult to have a single person care for a child. It's wonderful for the child, but it takes more coordination on all parts. Of course I love SIL and wouldn't change things, but I'm just bringing to light that it is difficult. If anybody is late or sick or has car trouble, I'm late for work. If a working mom has a strict schedule, that would be very difficult. I am fortunate to have a flexible schedule. Otherwise, I would probably be fired. Basically, I wish that I had thought all of this out a long time ago so that we could be in a position for me to stay at home. I just never understood why a college educated, career woman would want to stay home with children. Ha!! None of that matters when you see your baby's face.