Thoughts on being a working Mother: Part 1, Bedtime

I think I'm going to write a little mini-series on being a working Mom. There are so many things about this first year of motherhood that I don't want to forget - even the struggles. These posts are dedicated to my Mother, who despite working full-time, somehow managed to do it all. My three brothers and I are loved, well-adjusted, happy adults who have awesome childhood memories. Thanks to you Mom, for not only constantly told me that I could have whatever I wanted, but lead by example too. Love you!

Tonight I rocked Cassian to sleep. I haven't done that in quite some time. I have been subscribing to the "sleepy but not asleep" method since he was about 2 months old, and it rarely fails. Cass is a good sleeper, and has been sleeping through the night since about 7 weeks (I know, I know...we know how lucky we are!).

Bedtime is Mom's job in the Whitman house. The first few weeks of Cass's life, I fought having bedtime as my sole responsibility. But now that I'm back to work, I savor it. Life is crazy in those hours between getting home from work and putting the baby down. There is dinner to be cooked, the day's activities to be caught up on, a baby to feed and play with, a dog to give attention to, and any number of other "to-do's" that quickly scrape away any bits of serenity that might otherwise be enjoyed.

Bedtime, however, is different. Bedtime is "our" time. Most nights Cass gets a bath, and from there we launch into "jam-time" and settle into the glider for snuggles and stories. "Goodnight Moon" and the "Going to Bed Book" are repeat offenders. We have several other dozen that rotate through the stacks. Lately "Harold and the Purple Crayon" has been a favorite. I think Cass likes the bright, simple illustrations.

Back to tonight. This week at work has been a little crazy. With the 10th Anniversary of Chef Geoff's last Wednesday, and a huge buy-out extravaganza at the Tysons location tomorrow, private party land has been BUSY. Thus, I am missing two bedtimes this week, which makes me a little cranky.

There are so many lessons about motherhood that I have learned, am in the process of learning, and have yet to be learned, but the biggest one I've learned the last month is to never take a moment for granted. Seems simple, yes? Of course. But, when so much of your life is splintered between work, chores, errands and getting through the day, recognizing that you need to slow down and breathe is a struggle.

Which is precisely why I rocked my little goo to sleep tonight. I realized for the first time that I don't really care if rocking him to sleep could potentially set me back a few weeks in "sleep training" or that the last dozen or so emails I have to answer won't get written until midnight. I had a moment with my kid, and it was wonderful. Watching his little face relax into dreamland, and seeing his fists unfurl as he goes deeper into sleep are the little things that I always want to remember.

Tonight I got the best of both worlds. It's a constant game of give-and-take. When I'm being a really great Mom, my job suffers a little. When I'm being a really great professional, my family suffers a little. It's all balanced out so far, and hopefully it will. Tonight was a little reminder for me to take the time to notice. I think I'll go ahead and put that on my daily "to-do" list ;)