Raising a Child while trying to raise your business.

It has been a while since I have written about my adventures.  My daughter Grace is now 22 months old and an amazing little girl. She is smart, well rounded - she loves the outdoors as well as reading, well looking at the pictures. She is not overly spoiled and is just now being introduced to the TV. I believe in the studies that state the TV watching in the early stages can be a contributing factor for ADHD or even obesity.
Raising a child alone is a very difficult thing. Over the next few blogs I am going to go through some challenges I have faced as a single parent working at home.
The biggest challenge so far is the ability to sit and laugh and relax and enjoy the new things Grace is doing now.  As the mother you are focused on making sure they are eating right, playing safe, learning and of course having fun. As the home owner / parent you are also focused on the cleanliness of the house, prep of the food, laundry and making sure the house is safe for the child to play in.  As the business owner, you are also always focused on the building aspect, pleasing a client, marketing etc.
How do I manage? She is in daycare m-f at TLC. I focus MOST of my work  during those hours and when I pick her up she becomes my focus ( mostly - having an Iphone helps LOL). I try to keep a regular routine after I pick her up. Wegmans (she loves it and Wegmans loves her) when needed, home to do dinner, bath, reading and then bed. We all know there are going to be diversions through out that schedule, but if kept to the general schedule we do fine and I have more time to focus on her during the reading or even between dinner and bath.  Having this schedule  / routine seems to help out a lot. But it is not everything.
I will see you back here in the eve for my next biggest challenge and how I manage.
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The Adventures of a SIngle WAHM (working at home mom)

Good day to all! To say "let me start at the beginning" is a old time line that sometimes gets the reaction... oh no not the beginning! But in this case... it is a necessary evil that needs to be done.

Here I am - dating what i thought was a great guy - had lots in common and I waited to sleep with him for a few months. I am not one to jump into bed with someone just to get satisfied. IT seems, and i have heard this from others, that the first time you sleep with someone - he changes and not always for the better. This time this was true and it was not for the better. Any way - a few weeks after I broke up with him I found out I was pregnant. Here I am 37 a single busy gal who also was working on her fixer-upper house. This was not the ideal time for this but, I realize that this had to have happened for a reason. Lets look at the facts - 37, on birth control, and this is the first time in 2 years and the only time with this guy. I kept convincing myself that yes this is something that is meant to be.Because of his negative changes and things he was saying / doing I felt uncomfortable in telling him. So this adventure is completely solo. I am woman hear me roar! I can accomplish anything.

Nine months later my daughter Grace Catherine was born into this world. She is named after my grandmother Grace and my cousin Catherine (also a family name). Thank goodness for wonderful friends, coworkers and family to help me through all of this. As I am at the hospital and looking at Gracie - I realize that my life has definitely changed. But is it for the better or worst? I could not tell you at this point. All I can say is it had changed and I did not realize how much it was about to.

I have been babysitting for many years - but that does not get you prepared for taking care of an infant all by your self. THe thing about babysitting is that you leave and give the child back to the parents. Now you are the parent and the babysitter gives her back to you.

Don't get me wrong - I love my daughter and she is adorable - but you don't always fall in love with them the minute you see them. Some times it takes a bit of growing into that stage of being head over heals in love. And for me it did take a bit- but I am head over heals hooked now.