'Cause you're the hardest working woman I've ever seen
If we weren't sinkin' in a river of debt
I'd say, "Quit that job and let 'em do it theirself"
I know we're depending on every dime
But I'm tired of you working that overtime
I'm gonna tell somebody
There ought to be a law against working that way
Tell 'em you're taking off this Friday
For the National Working Woman's Holiday
Honey I can tell you're feeling the strain
You deserve a break from that ball and chain
If the union won't say it, then it's up to me
They're just taking advantage of your loyalty
Everybody likes a little time and a half
But we both know you're worth more than that
I'm gonna tell somebody
There ought to be a law against working that way
Tell 'em you're taking off this Friday
For the National Working Woman's Holiday
I'll call in sick
And I'll be telling the truth
'Cause I'm sick and tired
Of how they're treating you
I'm gonna tell somebody
There ought to be a law against working that way
Tell 'em you're taking off this Friday
For the National Working Woman's Holiday
I'm gonna tell somebody
There ought to be a law against working that way
Tell 'em you're taking off this Friday
For the National Working Woman's Holiday
I remember loving this Sammy Kershaw song when I was a little girl, now after my first 2 weeks back at work in a year, it has become my anthem. Don't get me wrong, I really love my new job, its so nice to work for an upstanding International company that is not completely utterly corrupt, but I tell you, this ain't easy by any means. I was up every day around 4 am, to pump milk for the little monster, dress, pack my cooler with more storage bottles and pump for later, trudge half awake a few blocks to the bus station to take a bus and then a train to Ben Gurion Airport, about a 2 hour commute. Once there I trained in Russian, Hebrew and English and tried to fit pumping into my schedule in between sales and flights. Needless to say it wasn't quite as successful as I had imagined, but I managed.
The only place I have to pump is the main office for the 6 stores that we have in the Airport. Unfortunately for me, it is a working office and though I can turn my back so I am boobies to the wall, there is a steady stream of traffic pretty much the entire time I am pumping. Not to mention the constant inquiries of "Ma ze??" when people hear the eehhhnnnggg-chi ehhhnnnnggg-chi ehhnnngggg-chi of my pump. Luckily everyone is very light and funny about it. I have had so many compliments, cul-ha-cavod's (good for you), and general warm wishes from everyone from the Male manager who sat down at the computer beside me not knowing what I was doing (the look on his face once he realized was priceless) to the cleaning lady and the mail-man.
The first day was awkward and nervous because though I have breastfed plenty of times in public with no worries, having my boobies in a slurping plastic vice for the world to see wasn't quite as Earth mother... Lucky for me it seems the entire company has developed this sort of endearing, quirky sense of humor about it, allowing me breaks to "pump ze Tzitzits" so I don't "Puftzets" (explode). People approach it with humorous curiosity, one coworker even went so far as to ask me to see how it worked (um... okay???) and its given me the chance to educate other women and breakdown alot of the incorrect information about breastfeeding/extended breastfeeding and attachment parenting that is unfortunately so much a part of the world today. Though it was hard at first to fit into my day and my supply dipped a bit, all in all it was not nearly as traumatic as I thought it would be and my little man made it through fat and happy.
I do think hubby is slightly traumatized however as he now has sole parenting duties for the mornings until he went work and passed the little one off to my MIL or her sister until I got home. I think he has a new found appreciation for me and all those mornings I took the baby out of the bedroom when he woke at 6 am so hubby could sleep a bit longer.
I like being back at work in general. I do feel terrible guilt for having to go back so soon but unfortunately we don't have Eserim Agerote (the Israeli equivalent to 2 cents) to rub together at the moment and I really didn't have a choice. I miss the little monster terribly and I swear he's changing so much every day. I only hope that he will wait until I am home for all the important firsts. I think I will die if I am not there to experience them. I am however enjoying being out among society again. Its been a year now that I have been pretty much stuck at home full time, first with the disastrous pregnancy, then healing up after surgery. Its actually nice to have a reason to take a shower and get dressed every day. Ok, correction, its nice to have a reason to take a shower. Having to wear black dress pants, a black shirt, heels and a black blazer in the middle of an Israeli summer could very well count as cruel and unusual.
Coming home to my little man and seeing his chubby face light up when he see's me (or my boobies??) is such an amazing feeling. I swear I spend half an hour just kissing him, and blowing raspberries, and "eating" his fat rolls, much to his delight. Its so nice to come home and rediscover every inch of this amazing wonderful little creature that has changed so much in the past 12 hours. I take him straight to bed to nurse and cuddle and have some Mommy time. I think it really is the highlight of my day, well that and the inevitable nap that comes shortly after.
Next week I will go to 3 nights a week instead of 5 days for the same money so I'm definitely looking forward to having more time with the little man. Being a working mom is amazingly bittersweet. I missed being a productive part of society, but being his Mommy is my whole world now, so every second I steal from him is hard. I am so glad (tfu tfu tfu) that he has not seemed to phased by my returning to work and that my milk supply has not been affected. I am so blessed that my hubby's schedule and my MIL/ her Sister's schedules all work so that the little one is always with family that thinks the sun rises and sets by him. I am also lucky to have a job that is pleased that I am breastfeeding my child (and when asking me how long I planned to do it, started out suggesting 2 years and not a shorter time frame) and coworkers that are able to find humor in the boobie suction farts that sometimes echo around the quiet office.
I have now joined the ranks of the most difficult job on the planet (next to being a stay at home mom, which could very well be THE hardest job), balancing work and Mommy-hood. Maybe one day we will have enough money that I can stay home full time but for now I pack my pump and make the trudge, trusting that my hubby and his family will be able to bounce my little man with just the right balance of surprise and comfort, fun and fright, not to hard, not to soft. That they will know when he wants to eat and when he just wants to cuddle. That they will learn that he likes his chest to be tickled but not under his arms or on his feet and that he would much rather stand up and jump than lie down. That he hates the heat and loves the fan. And most of all that they will play with him and love on him so much that he will hardly even notice that I am gone, though to be honest, a piece of me hopes he misses me too... Just a little bit.
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