Becoming a Stay at Home Mom

Before I was a stay at home mom, I worked in Pediatric Cardiology at Texas Children's Hospital...

…my dream job...until it wasn't.

There used to be a coffee cart with snacks that would come to each of the units. Sometimes they had shaved ice. Most times, I had one. I didn’t have any children, yet. I had no idea what my life would become. Jacque Jackson, BSN, RN, CPN. Texas Children’s Hospital. 2011.

When my daughter was around 4.5 months old, I left.

I packed up my locker:

:: One fancy cardiology stethoscope.

:: The work badge held in place by a 3-D elephant face with a retractable nose.

:: Thank you notes and drawings from patients.

:: A nurse-sized stash of pens.

:: Oral hygiene to keep up with my Invisalign treatment.

:: Snacks .

I loaded it all into a red bag that held extra scrubs.

It was June 2, 2014.

One of the most awkward days of my life.

I had never NOT worked. I was NEVER dependent. I LOVED my job and my patients.

But now I was a MOM.

There was a quiet turmoil inside of me that I wasn't sure what to do with.

I had given my notice some time before but it didn't hit me until I dropped the red bag and water bottle on the floor just inside the small hallway from the garage.

I was not going back again.

I was not going back AGAIN.

I was not going BACK AGAIN?

I was NOT GOING BACK AGAIN?!

It felt very crazy to think let alone say.

But this is where I was.

Officially a stay at home mom....

...with no idea what I was walking into.