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mom life
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life lately.

2.28.2019

It's been a minute!



Life has been pretty nuts since the holidays and I think we're finally coming out on the other side. Craig had a ton of back to back work travel which was both good but exhausting. A week of this travel coincided with our nanny's vacation so it's fair to say that I'm spent.

We've been working hard to find out groove post holidays and post travel. We scrambled to get the kids into daycare which was no small feat. We managed squeeze into a great place and finally secured a MWF schedule - hooray! The downside is that we have to drive there but the upside is I have 8-9 solid uninterrupted hours 3x week to get. shit. done. I'm mostly working during that time but it's great to have the leeway to do laundry, make dinner, clean up, workout, etc. The kids had their first day last week and it was SO strange to be home all day without them there. But also really nice.

Speaking of work: my job is great! I'm so glad we made it work for me to go back to work part-time. I'm obsessed with my team at 33Vincent and the role is such a good fit. I like having the flexibility to get work done when I can and also have an outlet to interact with adults.

Craig's job is busy but good. He's really starting to find his groove. Though his travel has slowed down a bit, he does have a trip to Israel coming up in May.

We're still trying to figure out our plans for staying in SF for another 1-2 years or heading back to Charlottesville next summer/winter. There's pros and cons of each. We love living out here but it's certainly city life and things are expensive. Almost full-time preschool for the kids in Charlottesville costs 1/3 of what part-time preschool costs in SF. INSANE.

We booked a somewhat last minute and spontaneous trip to Maui in April and we can't wait. We so grateful that the grandparents are willing to travel to SF and spend time with the kiddos. Did I mention? It's a KID-FREE vacay! Woooo!

The twins are doing great. We just switched to one nap which is...interesting. On one hand, it's great to be able to go out and do stuff in the morning but it also means entertaining them for 5+ hours in the AM. That is a long time with little kids! Rowan is walking a bunch but still doesn't like to walk in public. Reese is getting so close to confidently walking. I'm excited for them to really be walking so we can take more advantage of all the playgrounds in SF. It's hard having crawlers especially with all this rain!

They are learning more words every day and they've gotten really good at signing which is pretty awesome. It's a lot easier to help them out when I know they are signing that they want something to eat.

That's all for now from #teamthomas!


my decision to work part-time

7.02.2018

Before the twins were born, I was working full-time remotely for 33Vincent. I seriously loved the work and my clients. It was a blessing to be able to keep my job when we moved from Charlottesville to San Francisco last summer and not have to add another transition (especially while pregnant).



As I prepared for my maternity leave, it was unclear what work would look like once the twins arrived. I initially assumed I would resume work in a few months and just fit it in around naps and downtime. I honestly didn't have a clear picture of how it would all work. I was also totally clueless about childcare. But I just assumed it would all work itself out.

Luckily when the twins arrived quite ahead of schedule, I had already done all the transition prep for my leave. My clients were in good hands and my team was mostly ready for my sudden departure.

To be honest, work was the furthest thing from my mind after delivering. It was all quite traumatic and I couldn't even fathom going back to work. I was barely sleeping. I was both mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted.

As we started to find our groove (and get more sleep!), I felt quite attached to the babies and didn't feel like I wanted to leave them in someone else's care. Also the financials just didn't really make sense. Childcare in SF is incredibly expensive and we have to pay up since there are two babies. Even share-care or daycare didn't lower the cost.

Throughout this time, my team at 33V was patient, supportive, and gracious. We had conversations that were open-ended and encouraging. There wasn't a timeline, no pressure.

Sometime in late February/early March, the days started to feel really, really long. It was tough being isolated at home all day and I missed getting to have adult conversations. (To those of you who spent many hours FaceTiming with me, THANK YOU!) 

I decided to explore getting a part-time nanny - just 12 hours a week so that I could do a little work. I knew that I would be a better, more present, more engaged mom if I had a little time to fill up my own bucket.

So here we are. Three days a week, I escape to my little co-working space to do a little work. Some days I also sneak in a pilates class. Other days I have to go to the dentist (boo!) or buy baby food at Target. But I've come to really cherish this time. When I get home, I feel more present and productive.

It's so hard to know what will feel right once you have a baby when it comes to work. I was so convinced that there was NO way I could go back. But that phase passed and I know that for us, right now, working part-time is the right fit. I love that I don't have to rush off to an office and be chained to a desk all day. I love that I have flexibility to get things done and that my kiddos are in good hands. I love that they get to play with someone new!

I would encourage everyone to think creatively about work and what you value in work. If I hadn't done some of that exploration early on (thanks Callan!), I'm positive I would have not made good decisions about work post babies.
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