I really enjoy making cakes. I have even sold a few of them. I had a baby girl in June and she is wonderful. I love her so much. Then I had to go back to work. I am thankful to have a job. I know that not every one is able to find work right now. My husband is great and helps out with the baby a lot. He works 2nd shift and we do not get to see each other much. But we are making it work. The last cake I made was in March I think. I was not feeling up to making a cake at the end of the pregnacy. Now my baby is over 3 month old and I am having cake withdrawls. I can not seem to find the time or the energy to make cakes. My husband wants me to get rid of or at least pack up my cake stuff and move it to the basement. He says it is because I'm not using the stuff. I'm not ready to say that I'm done making cakes. However I have not been able to balance out the rest of my life, work, baby, husband, grown step-daughters that live with us, house work, etc... How and where do I make time for cakes? If I do find a few minuets when someone does not need some thing, all I want to do is take a nap. I'm not depressed about my life. I just miss the cakes and wonder if I will ever be able to add them back into my day to day operation.

Is this your first kid? I know you said you have some grown kids in the house, but is it your first baby?

If so, give it a few more months when the baby gets on a regular schedule and sleeps nights. Once life in general balances out...you'll find your time. Its there now, you just cant find it.

Yes this is my 1st baby. Thank you for your kind comments.

No problem!

I have 2 at the house (8 and 5) believe me, I know how it goes. Life never gets simple...just easier to manage.

The mom & gramma (a.k.a. "Banna") in me coming out ......

It's going to be a LONG time before you get a full nights sleep. Plus working full time, plus with the two of you working different shifts, you are losing part of your support system. YOu can't crash for a few minutes and let dad get the baby. He's at work. You HAVE to get up and take care of the baby.

You are going to wear yourself down until you're no good to anyone, especially yourself. Add the stress of making a cake PERFECT for a cake civilian who has no idea what's involved and could care less that you're running on 20 minutes sleep in the last 18 hours and you're going to explode internally.

Pack up your stuff for a few months. Enjoy these moving-too-fast-moments with your baby. Make a cake for the family holiday dinner, contribute one to the office pitch in. But take care of yourself first, darlin'. "Banna" said!!

I know exactly how you feel. When I had my first baby, my husband and I worked opposite shifts. I worked six days a week too. After she was born, I didn't make any cakes until her first birthday. Even after that, it was mostly just when I had to make one for family. I didn't really get back into it that much until a few years later, when I had my second baby and quit working (we just decided we could live on less money...not the best of plans but oh well). It was nice knowing that my cake stuff was all there waiting for me when I was ready to pick it up again...of course then I got into fondant and needed a whole different set of tools

Anyhow, my point is that cake will always be there when you've got the energy to start again, but your baby is only going to be a baby once, so make sure you get time to enjoy her.

Maybe you could ask your step-children to babysit once in a while.

Congratulations on your baby!

Just enjoy your little one while you can, without putting pressure on yourself. Pack up your stuff and put it out of sight just for a little while. Maybe do some cupcakes if you really need to do some cakin'.

Thank you all for your helpful advice. I feel better. Knowing that the cakes can come back into my life in time.

My baby is turning 3 in a month and I finally feel less stress over trying to balance everything. They are so needy as infants so there is no sense trying to convince them otherwise.

You don't have to quit caking for 3 years (lord knows I didn't) but allow it find its way back in naturally. I put way too much stress on myself when I had a 3 year old and a newborn that now 3 years later I am much wiser and know what I need to give up for mine and my families sanity!

Carson,

Thanks for the advice. It has been helpful.

you just gave me flashbacks!!! i have a little girl who will be 3 in december and i just started doing cakes again a few months ago. when she was little, i was exhausted (i work full time, too) and then when she got bigger, it was her wanting me to hold her ("i want to hold you" were her words...) and then she went through the getting into everything stage of it but finally we've settled in to the helper mode so she gets a pan and an icing bag and has a blast with me - hang in there, it will get better!