No, typically work-out-of-the-home moms have daycare. And rightly so. But there's me, who thinks I can take Portia with me and work at the same time. Well, I have to admit, I did try to find someone to watch her, but it didn't work out, so I figured I could just take her along.
I had to go to this check-award ceremony where Dannon (you know its yogurt) gave a $30,000 grant to Utah Food Bank to help out low-income children in the community. A great cause, huh? I thought so too. This just so happened that it was on a work-day and since most of the other reporters work full-time jobs, they couldn't do it, but I could.
I decided I could just put Portia in the Snugli and pack her along with me. (I thought maybe if I'm not pushing a stroller or holding a carseat, then it's more like she's attached to me. Come on, I'm only five months removed from just being a pregnant lady.) Well, since I hadn't used the Snugli since I left St. Louis, Portia didn't like how close it was to me, and she kept struggling to get away from me. Too close. She was fussing and making quite a bit of noise. At first it wasn't a big deal, because it was just me and two cameramen--one from Fox 13 News and ABC. And we were sitting around stuffing our faces with muffins and fruit and--what else?--yogurt. But after the Senators and Mayors and other VIPs came in, I started to feel a little uncomfortable.
One woman from Dannon even commented to me, "Wow, you sure look calm." I responded that I'm glad it appeared that way. But that's when I knew everyone was probably wondering what this amateur person was doing, bringing her baby along. Maybe if it had just been a Utah thing it would have been fine; after all, all women in Utah have a baby all the time (or so it seems). But most of the suits from Dannon traveled here from New York.
After everyone took their seats, thank goodness, a woman from Dannon offered to hold my cute baby while I took some pictures. I tried not to notice Portia's white-knuckled grip on her perfectly done hair. Oops. Oh well, I had photos to focus on. I forgot to pull out my recorder and press play and it was right there, in my bag, but I was so flustered that I didn't even think. I took pictures. The lady passed Portia off to the man sitting next to her, disentangling Portia's fingers from her hair, and of course Portia smiled back at me where I was standing--ready with my camera--right before she stuffed the guy's tie in her mouth.
The ceremony part was finally over and all the suits shuffled out of the room, the cameramen were packing up their equipment, and I was met by Dannon's P.R. guy from NY. I commented, "I'm a working mom." To which he replied, "And I'm a working dad." We talked for a while about Utah Food Bank and Dannon's grant award, while I even thought about pulling out my recorder but at this time had no extra hands to do so.
I got to take a cooler stuffed full of Yogurt and yogurt drinks home.
As I was leaving, the ABC cameraman pulled me aside and said, "Don't worry about the baby thing. I think it was great to have her here. Hopefully it reminded everyone why they were all here--for the children." Thank goodness for kind people in stressful situations.
I'd never been so relieved to be in my car. I drove home, trying to get there before 11 when Fox 13's news came on. I ran downstairs and started the Tivo. For you see, without a recording and no hands to write down anything anyone said, I was missing an integral part of my article--quotes. Fortunately, I got one from Fox 13's broadcast. Unfortunately, that was all.
For the last two days, I've been trying to scrape together as much "official" stuff as possible. I pulled quotes from the press release, which I know I'm not normally supposed to do but I quoted it as such. I'm mainly worried about what the editor will think. What would he think if he had seen me in action on Wednesday?
Well, I have to have the article in by close of business today. It's my worst by far, I know it. I have learned a lesson here, though, and it's that I cannot take any more stories that require me to be there in the day when I don't have a sitter for Portia.
Even today, with the article nearly finished and being in the comfort of my home, I'm still cringing at the thought of what I looked like with my struggling baby, trying to be professional, trying to blend in.
This morning, as Eric was leaving for work, he grabbed one of the Dannon yogurt drinks to have on the drive. "Thanks to the fruits of my labor," I reminded him. After all, although I like free things, I actually don't like yogurt.
He gestured toward the house, "to the fruits of my labor," (which I hate when he does that).
I then held up Portia, "to the fruits of my labor."
And you know what? Despite my frustration over this article in the past week, I'd take Portia over dignity or any job in the world.
