Working hard for my money

It’s hard.  I think it must be practically impossible once you have a career AND a baby, not to feel perpetually torn between being with your baby, and being with your brain. Just kidding.  But you’re definitely torn between two worlds of work. On the job work, and on the home front work.  Which, lets be honest, is the way more important and harder job.

I knew I would feel this way. In many ways combined with my anxiousness,  I was super excited to get back to work. But I also knew I would almost immediately miss being at home with my little guy. And I do.  I desperately do.  I don’t yet know how to be ok with just seeing my child for an hour in the morning while we all run around getting breakfast and showers, and then a couple of hours at night while we all run around to get dinner, bath and books done.  I am sure we will figure it out.

So, we’re a few days into the week, and things are going well.  I think I am going to like my new job, I have a great space at work with a big window and I am working with what seems like a super smart and well staffed team. And they put me on beer in a strategic role. I couldn’t have asked for a better account to give me a soft landing back into the world of advertising.   I know beer. Beer = easy.  My new desk is surrounded by beer bottles, and beer swag, and our agency has multiple beers on tap in the kitchen.  It’s like coming home really.  And there is nothing like getting your head out of mat leave than going from diapers and sippy cups one day to brainstorms about a Bud Light Caribbean Cruise Party the next.

Maybe shocking my system back into the game was the real strategic decision here. 


Speaking of shocking my system.  My new office is right downtown. Like a one minute walk from Much Music.  It occurred to me last night leaving work that I have been on Queen Street only a handful of times since having Rory. It’s silly, but each day this week I have been a bit amazed that all this activity was going on when I was nursing on my couch.  It’s sometimes hard to remember there is a world outside when you have a baby.  And this week is all about rediscovery.

We have only had a few hiccups so far... All three of us had a sleepless night the night before I started and Rory has had a pretty high fever for the last two days. I would like to tell you that it’s because he misses me so much. But closer to the truth is probably that his teeth are giving him some MAJOR grief.  Other than that, I made a couple of wrong turns on the subway (I can not even try to express how much I hate the subway), I have sore feet from breaking my heels in again... But all in all, it actually sort of feels like I never left the business. Crazy eh?  Oh, and contrary to my earlier fears, I actually do remember most of the industry lingo.    With the exception of things like crowd sourcing, geo social media strategies, and location based apps like instagram, yelp, gowalla and foursquare.  A lot changes in the world of social media in a year (won’t it be funny for Rory when he is older to read about what was “cool” when he was 11 months old, when they are like beaming themselves into boardrooms).

Gramma is here this week (lifesaver – we love you Gramma), which is providing us with an extra set of hands to manage through the first transition of three that will be happening in the next 6 weeks. Daddy officially takes the reigns in 1 day, 8 hours and 23 minutes . And yes, he is watching the pat leave count down THAT closely. I am excited for him to be home with Rory. And totally jealous and slightly irritated by the count down at the same time.  But who could blame the guy. I mean, mat leave is basically like a holiday right?  It’s not hard AT ALL to have dinner on the table, a clean house, and child that is not only alive, but happy as well, by the end of the day. Is it?

So, there it is. I am utterly exhausted, but we’re surviving. Next week I am making a promise to make my lunch more and go to bed earlier.

Happy rainy Thursday.

(The slide between the 5th and 6th floors at the office. 

I haven't been brave enough to use it. Yet.)

The glimpse of the party thrown to officially open our office 3rd floor on Thursday.