I don't want to be a stay-at-home mom...

Now that I'm at the end of my eighth month of pregnancy, the question I'm getting most often now is, "Are you still working?"

And I want to answer, "Why wouldn't I still be working?" But I don't. I just say, "Yes."

Some people leave it at that, but some, mostly older people (although a few folks my age have asked as well), follow up with, "When are you going to quit working?" Then they act all appalled when I tell them that I plan on working up until I give birth. I just find it a waste to stop working before the baby is born. I only get so much leave time. I would rather spend that time with the baby, not just sitting around waiting for the event to happen.

Now here is where there is even more of a shift. When I explain this to the younger people, they seem to understand and leave it at that. The older people go on. They ask this more as an appalled statement than an actual question, "You're going back to work?!"

I handle it pretty well, explaining that I like work and my mother is helping us with day care. Plus, we really can't afford for me to be a stay-at-home mom. Not that I really want to be a stay-at-home mom. That's not my cuppa tea. Now, my husband, on the other hand, would love to be a stay-at-home dad. Imagine what the old people would say to that! But that's another blog entry for another day.

Anyhow, it's my choice. It's what most women do. That's just the way it is nowadays. They just need to get over it.