Tommorow is the day

I start working tomorrow, so this weekend I just enjoyed the time with my daughter. She really is so funny. She is becoming more and more verbal each day. She learned another color (pink) and today she pointed out the letter "L" on our for sale sign in the front yard. I swear that I have not been a hypocrite. I am a mom who believes in playing for fun and I think that it is sad that so many parents make their children learn to count to 1 million, add, subtract, multiply, read and speak 3 languages before they go to preschool. OK, I am exaggerating a little, but I believe in reading to your children from birth (or before) and playing with them -- getting down and dirty. That is how they learn best. So Katelyn became interested in colors when we started playing with play-doh. She decided that her favorite one was the red one, but couldn't tell me at first, so I would say "do you want the blue one?" and she would say "no;" and then "do you want the purple one?" and she said "no;" finally I said "do you want the red one?" and she said "yes." So then we started pointing out all of the colors in everything. And we read tons of books every day, and sometimes it includes the pat the bunny alphabet book, so it is no surprise that she has started to recognize some of the letters. There are a few words that we really need to work on, though, b/c they sound like the "F" word (frog, fog, truck).

It has been so much fun playing with Katelyn over the last 8 weeks. She has changed so much. Her favorite things are baby dolls, doggies (which she finally started saying instead of "fff fff"), Pooh and Tigger, Mickey and Minnie Mouse and "choo choo frains." She first played with the Thomas train set at the bookstore, then she saw the trains at the Yankee Candle Factory Store in Williamsburg. They run on tracks up high through some of the different rooms. She LOVED them. She kept looking for one and saying "hi choo choo frain" and "bye bye choo choo frain." She was laughing and smiling. And one of the rooms is made to look like a winter scene in a town square complete with snow (every 5 minutes). Katelyn thought it was fabulous... she even got to meet Santa Clause who was there working on his Christmas list of good and bad boys and girls from the area. It was so wonderful to see things again for the first time through her eyes. I can't wait to decorate for Christmas. It is going to be so much fun with her, even if we spend it just the two of us.

Tomorrow ends my time as a SAHM. I have enjoyed it, but I definitely have a new appreciation for those women who do it every day. At work, you get a few moments to yourself when you go to the restroom or to lunch. But when you are a SAHM it is 24/7. I think that the best choice for me ultimately would be to work just part-time (2 1/2 - 3 days/week) and spend the other days with my daughter (and hopefully someday be joined by some other babies). I am excited to take care of my "babies" again, but I will miss my baby every day... especially for the next few months when the hours will be longer. I need prayers that I will get my DEA number, hospital privileges and be approved by the insurance companies ASAP so that I can begin working on my own in one office.