I went back to work six weeks after Max was born. Of course, that was the week he decided he’d like to eat every hour, on the hour — and he’s still going strong at 15 weeks! (He starting to sleep 10-11 hours most nights though, so I get a good break.)

Learning to do things while seated, or with a baby strapped to my chest, or even one-handed — and in a few cases, not at all (goodbye, daily showers) — has been a challenge. I think this is what they leave out of the Mommy Manual. It’s not the sleepless nights, or the constant nursing, or the dirty diapers, or the mountains of laundry (how can something so tiny generate so much dirty clothing? I still don’t know.) that will do you in: it’s the immobility. If you’re a nursing mom, and especially if you believe in attachment parenting, then you’ll be tied to your baby during his every waking hour — and many sleeping ones, too.

Working from home, I find Max’s self-set routine particularly difficult to manage. I love being with him, and snuggling him, and taking care of him — sometimes to the exclusion of work. There were days that I didn’t start working until after Max was in bed for the night. There were nights that his 2 a.m. feeding signaled the beginning of my workday. There were days that I just couldn’t work at all. And there were plenty of tears and screams — and not just from the baby.

I’m happy to report that things are better everyday. Fabián, my husband, is a great father and father, and gives me time to myself everyday. Max loves his Ergo carrier, and I can get some cooking and other tasks done with him on my chest. He’s taking more consistent naps, and loves playing with Fabián while I finish work in the afternoons. And I can type 30 words per minute, one-handed. Boo-yah.

Just as soon as I’m ready to add another ball to my juggling act, I’ll get back on a blogging schedule. That’s a promise!

p.s. I know the photo above is not at all illustrative of this post’s theme, but I like it. It’s our view, and I appreciate it everyday.

Two and a half years have passed since my last blog post, and life has changed. I got engaged. I got married. I got pregnant. And I had a baby. Saying that life has changed is a bit of an understatement.

I still live in Costa Rica. I still write for a living. I still live in the cool mountains. (Although I did move to a new house.) I still think about my blog — my defunct blog. I miss this. I miss writing for myself. At work, I write for my boss. Everyday, I write emails, grocery lists, telephone messages. But I haven’t written for pleasure in a long time. I long to once again flex my writing muscles in sheer hedonistic indulgence.

I wonder if anyone’s still out there. Although if I’m writing just for me, does it matter? I guess a blog is exhibitionist, if only in the written sense. So drop me a hello, if you’re there. If not, I’ll write anyway.

Because I’m inspired again. I’m inspired by the world around me. By life. By the beauty of my new home. By my husband, whose love sustains and enriches my life. And especially by my son, who has spent almost seven weeks schooling his mommy on unconditional love.

So here’s to a new generation of Gringuitica. When I started this blog in 2006, I called it the Misadventures of a Gringa (Soon to Be) in Costa Rica. Well, here I am. Embarking on new adventures as a wife, as a mother, as an expat, as a traveler, and as a continued student of life. I have evolved, and so will my blog. Stay tuned for a little of the old and a dash of the new. Here’s to continued introspection, self discovery, and yes, mommy blogging.