Let's get this new check in started! Anyone can join (SAH-FT/PT, WFH, work nights... whatever your scenario, if you feel like this check is beneficial to you in some way, please join!)
Also, anyone can start this on Mondays...it will give us some variety in the topics

Do you have any projects/plans for this week?
Any challenges or struggles from last week?
GTKY: what is your work/SAH situation? Are you happy with it or looking to change it?
Re: SAHM check in
Struggles: the ppd is still kicking my ass. I'm waiting for the meds to kick in, but so far I don't really notice a difference.
Lo's sleep schedule is all over the place. It's so hard to plan anything. She may or may not be napping at any given time during the day, and god forbid said nap gets interrupted.
My situation: I have a year long mat leave, so I will be returning to work part time at the beginning of September... Provided we ever figure out child care - apparently I really don't trust anyone with my kid.
We're doing a day trip with all the kids to Atlanta. (My LO and the three I nanny for.) Should be fun. But also stressful. Also, I've basically planned the twins' birthday party which is Saturday. It's big and I've put a lot of effort into it for their mom. Like, A LOT of effort.
We also tackled a little day project in our master bath yesterday.. Pinterest strikes again! Here's a picture for reading.
Ledge above the interior of the bathroom door for storage. I know you all wanted to see a picture of my toilet paper. You're welcome. lol.
@Rowcate YGPM.
Nah, no struggles.
GTKY: SAH is all I know. I wouldn't have it any other way. Been doing it 8 years now!
No real struggles from last week except me starting AF. My cramps have Been so bad since having lo that it has become difficult to pick her up which makes things challenging.
I don't think too many challenges this week. I am pretty sure lo is about to get her first tooth so her sleeping has been off so I guess a goal is to get that back to normal haha.
We don't have any plans this week. We do pretty much everything spur of the moment. There's also only one person here that I know well enough to call and hang out and she works so we don't ever have day time plans.
Challenges: getting lo to nap in her crib was difficult some days. She only napped in her crib at DC but at home it's always been the swing. I think I might have to bite the bullet, put the swing away & just go full crib cold turkey.
Gtky: just became FT SAH last week. I went back to my ft job after 12 weeks of maternity leave & just couldn't get happy.
I think down the road I may be happy with pt 2-3 days a week for a few hours but at the moment I'm soaking in this time with lo. I'm happy now, who knows what the future will bring.
Any challenges or struggles from last week? This weekend we really struggled with naps. I swear LO doesn't want to sleep because he knows he could be playing with Daddy.
GTKY: what is your work/SAH situation? Are you happy with it or looking to change it? We are lucky enough to be able to afford me staying home. DH and I are both very happy with it.
Bonus: lo rolled back to front for the first time this morning after practicing it all last week. I'm a proud momma right now.
Struggles - DH and I had a discussion about money, because since I stopped working, I have such a hard time with money. I keep seeing it as his money and I'm so nervous to spend any. He has never made me feel like it was his money, or that I couldn't spend as I need to, but I think I'm still getting used to the fact that I don't contribute any money to our income.
My current SAH situation is I'm FT. I haven't worked since July, because I was having a hard time working 50 hours a week on my feet when I was 8+ months pregnant, so I stopped working at the end of July. Most days I love it. There is definitely an adjustment period and I think that we are still going through it.
Also, I'm not a SAHM. I work FT... Wish I could join the SAHM club though!
DD2 8.22.13
MMC 1.4.17 at 16w
Expecting #3, EDD 1.29.18
Struggles: my biggest struggle is fitting everything in. I have significantly lowered expectations and focus on the tasks that keep the kids and hubby happy and healthy. Grocery shopping, homemade meals, laundry, and playing with the littles.
My situation: I took a year extended maternity leave from my full time position in a school. I am currently working 2 days/week and love it. I have to decide by April 15th if I am going back full time. To be honest, I cannot see myself going back. I worked full time when my other two were babies and had a tremendous amount of guilt.
Projects for the week? Well, how about for the next couple of months! It's literally a project of epic proportions! My grandmother has moved down to Florida and left suddenly to start a job. She left her house with most of her things in it. H and I are going to rent the house from her but first we have to move her things out. It's a decent sized home and she is a hoarder so our work is cut out for us. Thankfully we have until the end of May because that's when our current lease is up.
Challenges: Teething is a bitch and has made bedtime difficult. I have to hold LO for hours before he will go in crib on his own. He's still up a few times a night as well.
On the positive these are his first two teeth so that's exciting
GTKY: I'm Canadian so get the super mat leave. I go back to work mid August and no option for SAHM once I return so I'm enjoying it while I can
Plans: Today we have a play date with a moms group that I'm a part of and Friday we might do a beach trip. I'll fill in the other days with simple activities like the park, library story time, open gym at a gymnastics place etc. I usually try to get out once a day. DS is 3 and goes stir crazy if he's in the house all day.
Struggles: Lately I've been feeling sort of guilty when it comes to my role as a SAHM. Even though I've been doing it for a while now, I still struggle at times with feeling like I don't contribute financially. I need to work on viewing my role more so as the JOB that it is. Overall, I'm happy staying at home and I'm so glad I get the opportunity to do so.
Struggles: I still struggle with scheduling things around LO. I am too afraid of taking him out for too many hours and ruining his schedule. He will nap in the car but it isn't a great nap and he won't nap in the stoller or carrier.
GTKY: I am in maternity leave until September when I go back to work full time teaching. We have a daycare spot for LO and he will be there with his cousin so that makes me feel better. I would love to stay home with LO until he goes to school. It is not in the cards for us because I would be giving up my job and it would be difficult to get rehired once LO went to school.
My struggle is still balancing mom and wide duties. I'm doing better but still have some adjusting to do to make it consistent.
Gtky: I do work as a behavioral therapist but I only have one session a day so gone no more than 2.5 hours. I love my job but miss LO so much when I'm working with other kids. I do feel my season at that job is ending and though I would love to be a full time SAHM I may have an opportunity opening up to become the director at our local refuge pregnancy center which would be amazing! It would still be part time but a little more hours than what i do know. So a lot of praying and figuring things out with DH. But either option I'd be sooo excited for
Challenges: I'm trying to transition LO from our bed to her crib. We have the crib in our room, I have success about 1/4 of the time. I try to put her in every night but I am too tired to keep trying so if the first or second try isn't successful she stays in my bed for the night.
My sitch: FT SAHM - I don't ever plan to go back to work, not even when we become empty nesters.
BFP #1 mm/c at 12w1d
BFP #1 mm/c at 12w1d
Oy, sorry to hear it's been difficult.
Any challenges or struggles from last week? Moving sucks
GTKY: what is your work/SAH situation? Are you happy with it or looking to change it?
I am happy but I know that in order to have #3 in the future in going to have to go to school & work. So, I'm not as happy about that which is why I am making the leap for nursing school.
LFAF Summer 2016 Awards:
@BlondeBia21 - don't feel bad that you don't LOVE being a SAHM right now. TBH, babies at this age are a lot of work without a lot of the "fun" parts yet. I'm not saying they aren't fun, but they don't a give a lot back yet. I've been at home since DS1 was born in November 2010 and the first year, I really wasn't sure if it was for me. Then I found some mommy friends, built up a network of playmates, and by the time he turned 2, I LOVED it. We could start doing activities that he enjoyed, and it was so much more fun. You may find you like it in time!
To do this week: Finish planning my H's 40th bday bash, show our house as much as possible and hopefully sell it. :-)
Challenges: Staying home with 2.. well it's HARD. My biggest challenge is getting DS1 to nap. He used to be so easy to get down - just read a few books, say goodnight, and done. Since turning 3, he's become much more defiant and won't lay in his bed unless you're in the room, laying with him. Which is pretty much impossible to do unless the baby is sleeping, which is about 50/50. If he's not, I can't exactly have baby in there as it's a complete distraction. That's the hardest part about staying home.
My situation: I used to do cake pops on the side but I haven't had any time to do them since baby came. I applied for a position as a styling assistant for an online personal styling company and I got the interview.. but I had to come to grips with the fact that I don't have time for doing the 15 hours per week they need from me and I just need to wait. I was bummed. :-(
I'm asking bc that's what I need. Really. I mumble to myself that I need $1,000, a stylist, and an entire day to get a wardrobe that I could wear. That fits.
You can also link it to your Pinterest fashion board (if you have one) so they get a better idea of what your style is. I've gotten 2 boxes so far and I freaking LOVE IT. I bought everything last time. OH and best part.. you get a $25 referral credit for every person you get to sign up. I told all of my girlfriends about it (easy sell, honestly, as what girl doesn't want a personal stylist!?) and I got 11 people to sign up. That's $275 worth of free clothes for me!!
If you want to sign up, please let me know and I'll give you a referral link. I will send you a pic of the clothes I got if you want it - it really is awesome and I'm not trying to sell you just for the referral. :-)
Projects this week are trying to get organized for our trip. We're going to Hawaii and Australia for a month and we have tons to do such as get travel insurance, pull out summer clothes, pack, etc... still have time, but prefer to not have to do it last minute. This weekend we're also attending 2 birthday parties; a 2nd and 80th.
Challenges: trying to get all that done!
@LokiLahve - great idea for creating this weekly check in. Happy for you that you were able to become a SAHM.
? For everyone - do all your friends and family constantly act surprised when you say you plan on staying home with LO? People close to me aren't surprised, but extended family and friends act shocked. Maybe because many people go back to work?
My family isn't shocked...many of them SAH themselves. Our friends are taken aback though. They're also shocked I still bf though...their norms are obviously different from mine. I try not to let it bother me, but I can already recognize the need to find some SAH friends to add to my life.
Struggles: not really any. I should clean more, I should meal plan more. Thankfully DH is very understanding about how much work both boys are. So I try, but sometimes it just doesn't work out.
Situation: I work a couple days a week. DH works 12 hour shifts and has quite a few days off in the week (comes out to working only 14 days a month, so I pick up a few days a week for extra $$. It's great because I get to spend a lot of time with my kids, still can stay "in the loop" in my career and don't have to pay for childcare. DH loves his days alone with both his boys. And because he knows what a full day alone with the two of them is like...he NEVER says a word if the shopping isn't done/house is a mess/etc.