It's Wednesday, but really Friday

One of the things that has greatly changed in my life since I last blogged, is that I am no longer work focused all the time.  BK or before kiddo, I was pretty much defined by my work.  It seems sick now.  I knew I had this problem, but I didn't do much about it.  I did and still do enjoy work. However, now it is much less an "all the time" concern of mine.
The change really happened when I started working where I work now.  I was honest with my qualifications (as you always should be), desires for schedule, etc.  I pretty much have been very up front and brutally honest from the get-go on what I wanted and what I would give.  This has actually paid off for me.
Before I went on maternity leave, I had everything squared away with directions, etc to make my absence easier on everyone.  Then I told my employer that I didn't want to come back to work as a salaried employee.  I told him that I wanted to to the majority of my work from home.  I also explained the benefits of this to him.  Ten months later and it is working pretty well.
To get to this point in my life, I think I had to be really honest with myself, my skills/abilities and also be ok with losing my job and having to start over. For some reason, when I put it all out there it worked.
I now work in the office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and work from home the rest of the time.  My hours at home are not set.  I work as needed to get my job done. Some days at home are harrier than others.  Some days work needs me more and other days kiddo needs me more.  I feel like I have a good balance, most of the time. 
Working just two days of the week in the office has its advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages:

•  it is just 2 days
• I get to spend most of my work week with my kiddo! 
• kiddo in daycare for just two days-gets her socialization
• interaction with adults without everything being about kiddo 
• little bit of money
• out of the house (some days this is just what I need)
• use of equipment I just don't have at home

Disadvantages

• the biggest is is the pumping!!! I am still nursing and I HATE pumping
• being away from my girl, I do miss her
• the in office days tend to cause me stress
• some of my work from home days end up being a little overwhelming when there is a "crisis" at work, or if my girl is especially needy and I am needed at work
• no benefits, so if I want to take time off I don't just don't get paid

I could keep listing and listing, but I will stop. I love this change to my life and really my being.  There are more important things in life than your work, and this is for people with or without kids. I wish I had been less conservative with work since I started after college.  I wish that I was naturally more laid back about work.  I know that being so intense about it may have gotten me something at the time, but I feel so much more relaxed about it that I don't know how I operated before.