Adjusting

When my previous company was acquired a few months ago, I was forced to give up this perfect lifestyle and get a new job where I am commuting, at least initially, over an hour each way five days a week. (See this interview post on OneHotMama for more about juggling my current lifestyle and my mommy style.)

This is an awesome job in so many ways, and I love working in the city again for so many reasons:

• Lunch at the Ferry Building
• Walking along the Embarcadero
• Happy Hours
• Finding time to read again (some book reviews to come!)
• Feeling like I have my own personal identity again
• Knowing Grandma is taking great care of Ava (and cooking and cleaning--I know I'm spoiled)

But, as with most things, there are also things I don't love about working in the city:

• Time wasted on the commute
• Less than sanitary public transportation
• All the extra time it takes to get ready in the morning
• Loss of control in running my household (I don't want to sound ungrateful because trust me, I know how lucky I am and I'm sincerely appreciative, but there is something comforting about knowing exactly where everything is in your house because you put it there... and I'm a bit of a control freak)

The biggest challenge, of course, is spending so much time away from my precious little angel baby:

Flying

That is a placemat she is wearing. Don't ask.

Moving on to my sweater. At least it's clothing.

She can walk in these better than I can. And her pretty pearl bracelet from Kristen that she wouldn't take off for days.

(Why does she never have clothes on when I get home?)

Spending just an hour or so with this sweet little morsel in the evenings is not going to cut it for long.

But even beyond that, this new lifestyle has required some serious adjustment. This is what I've been feeling:

• Exhausted
• Bloated
• Nauseous from the urine and homeless funk on BART
• Swollen feet
• Rapid weight gain
• Anxious sleepless nights
• Getting up to pee several times a night

Which is what led me to finally bight the bullet, accept the odds (while slim at best), and do this (I was in denial about it for way too long even though I'm sure it was glaringly obvious to you after reading my list of symptoms above):

And just like that, the first trimester is almost literally over before I even know it.

Greener Pastures

Today I sat in my company's lobby waiting for my exit interview. An acquisition by a private equity firm has forced motivated me to move on to greener pastures. My desk (and even my floor) was apparently dismantled weeks ago (without notice to me!) and all my personal belongings were efficiently discarded. Thanks guys. I probably didn't really need the dozens of notebooks containing copious notes and task analyses. Those would never come in handy. And all that tchotchke's just clutter anyway. So there, moving on. Fresh start.

I arrived early to spend a few minutes clearing my passwords from my laptop and bidding my farewells, but since I had no place to go, I sat in the lobby and reflected on the last time I sat on that same lobby bench, four and a half years ago, waiting to meet the hiring manager who would shortly thereafter become my manager there for two and a half years before he left and I came to fill his role. (I was much more relaxed sitting on this bench this time around.)

I am so grateful for all the experiences I've had in my career. I have been able to work from home full-time since Ava was born (more about this here) and be there with her as she developed into this joyful, determined little person. I think about how much harder things would have been had I been putting in the overtime hours sometimes required in this job in an office (not to mention the daily commute hours). I have basically had the experience of a stay-at-home mom for the last few months while still bringing in income. (Basically what even this woman would consider "having it all.")

I could not have planned the transition into my new role at such an exciting company better if I tried. I'm actually excited to get back out there into the work world. I couldn't say that when it was time to go back to work when Ava was only a few months old. But I have been blessed with so much support. I couldn't have done it at all without my mom and mother-in-law watching Ava so I could focus on the job and I know she'll be in the best hands.

So here I go...

Dress to Impress

In case you've been wondering what's been consuming the majority of my focus for the last few weeks, it looks like this...



Since you never get a second chance to make a first impression, one of the tasks on my interview prep to-do list was to shop for a new suit. I hadn't had the need to wear a formal suit over the past four and a half years (since I interviewed for my current job).

I was a little surprised at the lack of options out there for something formal. Several sales clerks suggested I wear a white summer pantsuit or a bright colored dress because "that's what they're wearing to job interviews these days." Maybe I'm just ultra-traditional or conservative, but is the formal interview suit becoming passé?

Despite the well-intended suggestions, I finally found this Calvin Klein number at Macy's. I love the A-line skirt option, which really is much more flattering to a pear shape like my own than a pencil skirt.

I paired the ensemble with some fun Calvin Klein patent-leather pumps in light gray stripes. (I couldn't find them online but the color is the White option here.)

Of course, also high on the to-do list was lots of cuddles with my good luck charm.

How to Nail a Job Interview

This week has been entirely consumed with round four of six in the interview process for a very exciting position at an amazing company.

I made a comment about something to my husband last night and he responded with, "You have a lot of pent up blogging, don't you?"

I can be very self-disciplined when I want to be so I was on very strict orders from myself not to blog this week or get distracted by anything other than preparing for the interview.

"Just one teensy little post?" I pleaded with myself.

"No!" barked the drill-sargent-me.

"Not even to publish a post I already had drafted?"

"No! You know it's a slippery slope. Next thing you'll be wasting away hours on Pinterest."

So I guess I meant business.

But now that the hurdle is behind me and I have a few days before I'll likely hear regarding round five, I'm back and ready to indulge.

Want to hear a few interview tips I learned along the way (mostly from my husband -- my biggest critic)?

• Be genuine. Sometimes that will mean you have to write and re-write the perfect response to each potential interview question over and over until you sound natural when you deliver it, which seems like the opposite of being genuine, but that's just how these things work.
• Confidence -- not cockiness -- is king. You know you're amazing, and you want the hiring manager to know you are too, but reign it in just a bit and convey the message factually without sounding braggy and annoying.
• Make a list of all your major accomplishments (there has to be something you've done at work that you're proud of). You can pull from these as examples to use in your responses, because showing that you've done something well in the past is the best way for potential employers to see that you'll likely achieve the same successes for them.
• You're not supposed to answer interview questions literally! Each response is your chance to sell yourself and why you're the best person for the job. That's it. Trust me, they don't really want to know the details about that challenging situation, but the way you explain what you did to overcome the challenge should give them insight into what kind of an employee you will be.

Back to Work

Monday will be my first day back to work from maternity leave. I agreed to go back over a month ahead of schedule. I made this decision for a few reasons: 1) My (new) boss had already started contacting me frequently to help respond to some issues they apparently felt they waited long enough to resolve; 2) It was a strategic decision to negotiate working from home (otherwise I will need the additional time to arrange for childcare); and 3) Because Alex hasn't found a job yet, I am still the sole breadwinner of the family and the bread is running out.

Needless to say, I have mixed feelings about the situation. One the one hand, I'm excited to go back and hit the floor running in my new (management!) role. But I also know that I'm going to miss having so much time to spend with Ava. We've developed somewhat of a morning routine, our new little family, and it has become my favorite time of the day.

Ava's been so great about consistently sleeping through the night since before she was eight weeks old, and when she wakes up in the morning, she doesn't cry, but sometimes coos a little to let us know she's up and then as soon as she sees my face she gives me the happiest smile like I've just made her the luckiest girl in the world. (The feeling I get from this is indescribable; I think it's one of those things you just have to be a mother to experience.) Then after I feed her the three of us hang out, sing, dance, and play in bed until we're hungry enough to get out of bed and start the day.

I know we can still have these moments while I'm working, for a few minutes before I have to start my workday and on weekends, but I know it won't be with the same carefree, dedicated focus. My attention will be diverted. Life will move at a faster pace. So for these last few days, I'm going to savor every minute of bonding with my baby.