Oliver will be five months old next week, and for the past three months, I have been working from home. I don't plan to put him in daycare or find a nanny anytime soon, so juggling work and baby has become my new normal.

I can't say it's always easy, but, for me, it's absolutely worth it. I wanted to feel like I could use my brain a bit during the day and still contribute financially to our life. I know I want to be a mommy--I love being a mommy--but being a mommy doesn't fulfill every part of me. I need

juuuuuust

a little bit more.

So, for now, I'm lucky to have found this solution, especially given the PITIFUL state of U.S. parental leave. But that's another conversation for another day.

I've really buried the lead here, though. In order for me to stay sane--to give my baby the time and attention he deserves and work the time and attention it deserves--I (mostly) stay off email until Oliver takes his first morning nap. Raz has been able to spend more time with us in the mornings before he heads into the office, and I wouldn't trade our sweet mornings together as a family for anything. I'm able to be really present, to live in gratitude, and to soak in the small joys of experiencing our baby together.

Throwback to when the dude was 4 weeks old, but he looks like he's meditating and I can't get over it

That means that when I wake up, I do not grab for my phone. I heard a stat somewhere that 96% of employees check their email within FIVE SECONDS of getting to the office. That was insane to me. If you're like me, reading your emails stresses you out and gets your brain firing on all the things you have to do.

Starting my morning with a routine of slowness, family, and mindfulness has made me a better human. It's made me a better wife and a better mom. It's made me a more focused employee. Instead of reacting, I respond. Instead of feeling anxious, I feel lucky.

By starting my days with the things that matter most to me, I'm able to keep my priorities in better perspective. The work will be there and if I can't get to it until I can get to it, what's the point of stressing about it in advance and having all of that on my mind while I'm with my family? It feels like wasted energy. So I wait, and I spend quality time with my people, investing time in building memories, even if those memories are related to the sports news our TV somehow defaults to showing every morning. And for someone who has worked in a combo of PR, social media, and digital marketing her whole career, this is NO small feat.

As much as I enjoy much of what I do, I don't think that's what I'll remember when I'm old and grey. TBD on if I'll allow myself to go grey, but I hope to be old one day. And I hope to have a lot of stories to tell about Oliver's first year, when we sat together every morning having coffee and soaking each other in. I know that for sure.