back to reality – post baby

I haven’t been totally out of reality since having Baby B but there has been a lapse. It is funny. There have been other times in life when I have checked out, taken a respite from the world. Sometimes it has been planned retreat-like from phones, the computer, etc. Other times it has been from a funk like when me and my ex-boyfriend broke up and I was depressed for months.

The break from reality due to a new a baby is different. Baby B is my first. Since him it is like I have been cognizant of the world going on around me, just not participating. Imagine a television screen where you see everything going on but it is action somewhere you can’t touch. People have been amazing and gracious towards me, but I have not interacted with them the way I would have before Baby B. Possibly even since just before him. We still have not given hostess gifts to the two women who held our large baby party (shame on us!)

I owe much gratitude to people that have brought us meals, helped out around the house, gifted us with useful items, said kind words, etc. I need them to know how much I appreciate their actions.

I need to make his birth announcement and have them printed then sent to people. They are deserved at least that much.

I have a few commitments to others to engage in again. I shot a birthday party this past weekend and need to finish photo-editing and then send the images to the client. I am part of a start-up with a team of men I have not interacted with in a month… I need to see what the team is up to and get back on the participation horse. I have an amazing girlfriend whose birthday is this week and I barely made the cut-off time to order her a fabulous gift to give to her… I at least had my stuff together enough to ask her what kind of birthday dessert I could make her. I have a lot of mail and packages to get out to people. I have a small speaking engagement later this month and I need to prep my slides. I also have two entities that have approached me about business matters that I need to develop a formalized business plan with so there is no confusion if I do work on their behalf.

As for myself there is definitely a list of things to do:

• Formalize the intention of this blog, clean up my other blog, and make my website efficient.
• Work on my 6-month, 1-year, 2-year, and 5-year plan. Life is different with baby and my husband and I want me to maximize as much time as we can with his development before he enters school… while still progressing in our endeavors.
• Re-enter the yoga teaching world… I am in a studio in front of students in less than two weeks, I also have a new curriculum for a program I need to develop. Then I need to figure out when I want to do my level II and if via Shambhava or Anusara.
• Get on that list of announcement design, package mailing, speaking engagement prep, etc. (the easy stuff to get off my desk).

I suppose the biggest thing after having Baby B is being more efficient with my non-mom duties so that I can maximize the time I can engage with my infant. So perhaps I need to organize to get back to reality for quick, efficient spurts so that I can disengage for long periods of “carefree” time with my family. Besides my new baby I also want to spend time with my husband and our life.