Please welcome Yvonne to the blog today! She is a 29 year old wife, mother, healthcare professional, and lover of all things Sci-Fi. She and her husband live in Charlotte, North Carolina with their almost two-year old daughter Caley Brooke. (How precious is she in that picture above?) Yvonne is a Pathologist Assistant and explained her position by saying, “I am the happy recipient of all surgically removed organs. I take part in the diagnostic process by performing the initial macroscopic examination of all organs following surgery… Some say ‘gross’ but I say ‘fun!’ I truly have a job where I see something new each day and continue to be in awe of the human body.” Talk about interesting… Plus, she’s hilarious! Read on, you’ll see…
1. What is your typical day like?
My husband kisses me goodbye while I linger in bed for 15 more amazing minutes of sleep until the alarm clock rings at 6:15AM. I get myself ready, which is pretty easy considering I wear scrubs to work. I try to accessorize with cute stud earrings and most importantly a pop of color from my socks! Next, I wake up my daughter and get her dressed while I perform my best karaoke to get her fully awake. I grab a chocolate protein shake and fruit before we leave the house. Quick random fact about myself – I do not like coffee! Blasphemy right…Or so I’ve been told by my coworkers! Fortunately our daycare provider cooks breakfast for Caley and lives two doors down from our home. So convenient for us! I chat with her and learn what the kids will be doing that day. Fifteen minutes later, I check my phone for the time and realize I need to stop chatting immediately! Time to kiss Caley goodbye and battle the traffic to work. I am a sucker for morning radio shows and happily listen on my drive. I almost won a contest on-air one morning…missed one question about Jennifer Lopez. I am at work by 8AM and ready to focus on my day. During lunch, I relax by chatting with my husband and reading on my iPad (currently Game of Thrones series). After work, I head over to the YMCA to catch an afternoon class or run/walk on the treadmill. I have some serious fitness and health goals to achieve, so lately I have been keeping a gym bag ready in the car. After the gym, I pick up Caley from daycare and start contemplating dinner. Thankfully, the refrigerator is stocked from grocery shopping over the weekend. We are still working on the fine art of meal prepping, planning and Crockpot utilization. Here’s to hoping that one day “What’s for dinner?” won’t be a question I’m asking myself at 6PM while standing in front of the refrigerator with a toddler tugging on my shorts. Bath and bed time for Caley by 8PM. Just in time for my husband and I to watch a TV show, laugh at YouTube videos, talk and just enjoy each other’s company before exhaustion from the day finally kicks in.
2. Why do you work?
I work because I truly enjoy my career and want to support my family. I also work because I remember admiring my own hard-working mother as a child. She is a wonderful nurse who happens to be retiring in December after 30+ years of service at the same hospital. Such an achievement! (I love this… I feel the same way about my mom, and really do believe it is a beautiful legacy to leave our own children.)
3. What’s the best thing about being a working mom? What’s the worst or hardest thing?
Best – I can help support our family’s goals and be a role model for my daughter. I also take pride in my education and enjoy putting those 6 years of research papers, challenging exams, and clinical rotations to use on a daily basis.
Worst/Hardest – Being away from my daughter (and husband too!) for a demanding career that sometimes takes up a large chunk of my day and requires an on-call weekend each month. Even at Caley’s early age, I wonder if being away affects her. A quick call to my mother always alleviates that worry. She worked 12 hour shifts as a nurse with a husband and two young children. Later, she was even an administrator for a new department. I never recall feeling like she was not present in my life…and she always magically had dinner on the table. How did she do that??? (Moms, clearly, have super powers. I’m still waiting for mine to kick in too!)
4. What items or tips do you recommend to help “make it work”?
Communication is the key. In any household (especially with two working parents), you need to have a schedule and make plans clear for all involved. No one wants to make the mistake of picking up their child late, forgetting an appointment or missing out on a social activity. Unfortunately, these things happen at some point in life. Being able to talk to each other in a civil manner and eventually laugh about our mistakes truly makes all the difference. (Such good words here. We are big fans of Google Calendar – my husband – and an old fashioned printed schedule on the fridge – me.)
5. What encouragement, scripture, etc. has been important in your life and might be meaningful to another working mom?
Psalm 23:1 – The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
This is my go-to scripture. So simple and straight to the point while managing to cover everything that you could possibly face at some point in your life. Am I the only mother that has bad days (emphasis on the plural there) at work, issues with family or friends, feelings of anxiety, and still continue to play that silly game of constantly comparing yourself to others? I find peace in this verse by realizing that I was not made to be perfect and that I need to be grateful for all that I do have. (First of all, NO you are definitely not the only mother experiencing those things – I pretty much had that day yesterday!! But second, what a GREAT life verse. I’ve never really related it to my role as a working mom, but it is so so good.)
Thanks for sharing today Yvonne!
Maternity shirts coming up later this afternoon… Check back!
Until then,
E