Balancing Business and Burp Cloths

Don’t forget that we have an awesome GIVEAWAY this week! 6 classes to Baby Boot Camp- read the details here.

Have you ever walked into a meeting with C-Level executives, reached into your purse for a business card and pulled out a pacifier?  Sippy cup?  Moldy Bottle?  Well…I have.  I’m Vanessa and I’m a full time mom, full time employee at a large company and a full time wife to Matt.  It gets overwhelming from time to time, but there are a few things I’ve learned in the last 10 months that I’ve been Mrs. Full Time Everything.

10.)  You cannot be everything to everyone. Be up front with everyone in your life about your responsibilities—not in a whiny way, in an honest way–, they will understand when you walk into a meeting with only one eye of make up on.

9.) It’s okay if someone else witnesses your babies “firsts”. Yes, you want to scream and cry that you weren’t the first one who saw your sweet baby roll over but guess what…he or she is going to roll over 150 times and it never gets old. I promise.

8.) Show off your kid at work.  Some believe that having personal things at the office make you “less corporate” but I’ve learned that couldn’t be farther from the truth.  Having a picture of your sweet kiddo with spaghetti covering their face makes you human and will make others appreciate your A+ product because they understand that you have a lot going on.

7.) Everyone has cellulite. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.  Besides…it’s genetic and the only person who will  ever see your butt that close is your significant other and you can always whip out the “I housed your child in my womb for 9 months and then projected him/her from my loins…so hush!” argument.

6.) Take Out=Credit Card Miles=Exotic Vacation Points. Trust me, I’ve tried to cook (I’ll blog about that later) but working 8 hours a day, rushing to get a kiddo from daycare by 6, rushing home to feed said kiddo and “preparing” dinner for a hungry family before American Idol starts at 7 would take three of me.  Take out it is.

5.) Date Nights are a Must. Being a working mom sometimes makes our daily routine seem more like an assembly line than a partnership, and besides, it’s good for your significant other to see you in something other than Gerber smeared sweat pants.

4.) Eco what? It’s okay that you don’t make your kid’s baby food and use cloth diapers.  Mother Earth will be fine…for at least as long as your kiddos will be on it…

3.) Wine is Key. Pop the cork and have a glass, it will make mommyhood easier, funnier and help you sleep better.

2.) Daycare will NOT harm your child. You’re right, no one likes their kid to have a runny nose, but the odds are that if they go through daycare they’re going to get one sooner and start building their immune system so get over it and know that in five years, your kid won’t be the sickly one.

1.) Family Time is a Must. With all of the hustle and bustle of life, it’s good and healthy to take 30 minutes a day and sit down as a family, pray together, play together or enjoy a meal together.  Start a family tradition like “Hi/Low*” at the dinner table and see how it grows. Hi/Low is a discussion game where you ask the dinner attendees what the hi of their day was and what the low was.  It is a great opportunity to break the ice and always have something to talk about.

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Vanessa lives and works in Irving with her husband Matt and daughter Caroline.  She spends her days as a Corporate Communications Manager and her nights as a full time mommy and story-teller.  Motherhood was a big surprise but she is loving every minute of it!