Stay at Home Mom? Nope, I'm a Work from Home mom!

2013 was the fastest year of my life. It was also the most amazing.

On the second day of 2013, I gave birth (albeit 3 weeks early!) to the most beautiful little baby girl. At the time, I didn't know what the future was other than that I was now a mom to this precious little person. I no longer had a job. How were we going to do this on one income? I had TDI through my state and an additional plan through Aflac but that would all end in 6 weeks. Then what?

Then came the best thing that could have happened at that point in time.

From day one when my daughter was born, I researched every single option I could to find a stay at home job. The job I had at the time made me completely miserable and there was no future (but that's for a whole other blog post - or not). My entire check would go straight to the daycare, so what would be the point of going back?

What I found in my research was every gimmick on the web. It was then that I gained a new respect for those Pampered Chef and Avon stickers that you see on the back of mini-vans. Just a mom doing what she can to support her children (and possibly have fun doing it!). I knew selling wasn't for me. Those pyramid and MLM marketing schemes aren't my cup of tea - though they must work because they're still around! Medical transcription? No thank you. A call center position setup from home? Good luck with trying to hear me with a screaming child in the background.

What was I going to do? I spent 6 weeks with this sweet little baby that I could imagine leaving with anyone else. I have waitressing experience, that's quick cash. I thought for sure that I'd be working night shifts eternally. Trading off the baby when he comes home from work in the afternoon. I had a couple of waitressing interviews lined up, my Dunkin Donuts application just ready to be dropped off.

I'd been going through a hiring process for a few weeks in the meantime with a company that was hiring for Virtual Assistants. I met a few other moms in a forum that worked for the company and swore it was the best job for our situation. So I had a lot of hope but not much faith in it panning out in my favor. At the time, it was "the dream" but I knew I had to be realistic and find a "real job".

It was then that I was hired. I now had the opportunity to work from home. No daycare
No working the nights away wondering if she started doing something new that I'd miss. It was an amazing opportunity to make more money than I was earning working 40 hours (I think most weeks I work around 15 hours total). From my couch, in my pajamas. With my daughter right here with me. We have the freedom to enjoy our days together. If we want to go out shopping for a couple of hours, we can. Hang at home today? Sure thing. A-mazing.

Here we are, nearly a year later since I started with this job. I'm a Virtual Assistant (google it) and I couldn't be happier! I'm still so smitten with the fact that we can earn two incomes and I can raise our daughter from home. It makes me so proud to live in a time where this is possible because I know that my parents both worked full-time (if not, more) to make ends meet and this wasn't an option then. What an incredible opportunity and I feel so blessed.

Time to change.

I don't even know the person in those photos anymore. How did I become this LARGE? Actually - Extra, extra large. And well on my way to adding another "extra" if I don't stop now. This is completely out of control. The weaker part of me says I don't know what to do but that's not true. I know what I need to do. I need to STOP letting the food control me. The hunger pangs that tell me I need to have whatever I want, when I want it need to stop. I can't give in anymore.

At this point in my life, I have an amazing man that loves me and a beautiful baby girl who needs me. She's almost walking (yes it's true, I've been away from this blog for far too long, again.) and I need to be able to catch up with her. I need to be able to play with her without getting winded. I need to be a role model to her. And most importantly, I need to be here in the physical world for a very long time for her. This all leads to the fact that I need to start a diet now. Not next week, but tomorrow. I wish I had someone to shop and cook for me. Someone to keep my ass out of those drive-thrus and my hands out of the potato chip bags.

Winter is well on it's way and so are the holidays. Many words come to mind; hibernation, baking, sweatpants, hoodies, etc. Every excuse in the book to be lazy. Nothing that's even remotely motivating. My beautiful little girl needs to be my motivation. Life should be my motivation. I need to do this for her. And selfishly, I do need to do this for myself.

I'm so disgusted with the way my body looks. I can't blame having a baby on it, I've been big for years. I'm going to figure out a budget worthy "ideal protein" type diet to stick to. Here's to a new body - I hope.