Rebekah Porter faintly remembers the days when the clock radio awakened her.

Now a stay-at-home mom of three, she recalls the days when she got the recommended eight hours of sleep. Taking her daily shower was no big deal. Her biggest daily decision was which pair of heels to wear that day to work.

Today, her heel collection is outdated and under the pile of flip flops in her closet. And with three small children in the house, she jokes that her biggest concern now is whether she will even have time to take a shower.

Millions of women can relate and find humor with the life-shaking transition of leaving the workplace to become a stay-at-home mom.

Porter graduated from Abilene Christian University with a degree in exercise science, and finished her master's degree from Hardin-Simmons University while pregnant with her second daughter. She worked as the fitness director at the YMCA until her first born, Natalie, was 4 years old.

Porter's decision to stay at home evolved from a moment when she looked at her 4-year-old and realized she only had one year left until she started school.

"The years I had to build a foundation were slipping by, and I wasn't OK with that," Porter said.

According to an article on WebMD.com, the U.S. Census Bureau reports an estimated 5.6 million women were stay-at-home moms in 2005 -- up 22 percent from the year before.

Many of those women previously spent significant time in the work force, and getting or continuing their educations so they could climb the career ladders. As they transition to full-time parenting, families deal with the change in finances, changing roles and new daily routines. And women must deal with how they view themselves in their new roles.

Money

The fear of losing a second income prevents many women from becoming stay-at-home moms. Families should prepare to deal with that loss of money.

"One of the best strategies I've ever seen is for a couple to actually live on one salary before the pregnancy or birth," said Steve Hawkins, a certified financial planner.

He suggests placing the income of the mother into a savings account. This will give the couple an idea of what life will be like after changing to a single income.

Porter said money was an issue.

"I had student loans, and felt so guilty because I wasn't contributing to paying these off and here my husband was working so hard to pay my loans off."

But her husband, Kevin, supported his wife's desire to stay home.

"It was an act of faith on both of our parts that is what we knew we needed to do, so we did it," Rebekah said. She has taken little jobs here and there to help make ends meet, such as baby sitting and teaching individual fitness classes.

You don't have to be perfect

In addition to financial changes, the roles and daily routine of a stay-at-home mom change drastically.

"My heart has always been at home decorating and nesting is just me," Porter said. But she had to let go of the idea of maintaining a perfect house. Most parents know having three children under the age of 5 means there will never be a time when a home can match images in magazines of a freshly vacuumed carpet, spotless kitchen countertops and perfectly organized closets.

Rebekah said her frustration was the constant interruptions and not being able to finish a task. Whether it's a boo-boo in need of a kiss or a toy that needs to be fixed, there is always something to keep a mom from unloading the bottom half of the dishwasher.

"I am very task oriented, and this worked very well for me at work, but at home I can't always be that way," she said. In fact, carrying a "to-do" list around could make a mom feel defeated if all of the tasks aren't scratched off and moms know sooner or later, their performance evaluation from their kids will not be positive.

Rebekah explains how she came to terms with defining a successful day.

"I finally came to the point where I had to be OK with whatever the day looked like. I no longer had to justify a successful day based on what I did and didn't accomplish," she said. "My job description is immeasurable, and I won't see the fruit of my labor for a long time."

Social networks

A new life as a stay-at-home mom can be very lonely. It is easy for a woman to become isolated as one is more housebound than ever before.

"Being at work, there was always opportunity for an in-depth conversation. But now that I am home, I have to seek that at home with my husband, or with other moms in various places," Rebekah said.

Avoiding isolation is necessary, and finding a place to connect with others in the same stage of life is therapeutic. Rebekah realized that her children could not fill her relational needs and states she "had to seek this outside of home." So she joined weekly Bible studies, makes lunch dates, and schedules playgroups and a mom's night out.

A look in the mirror

It took Rebekah awhile to find her place as a stay-at-home mom, and discover who she was outside of her job. After all, she had spent most of her life preparing for college, and then preparing for her career.

"I had to understand that my job was not what defined me," and she said she had to stop believing that "others would not view me as intelligent if I was not in the workplace."

Although her wardrobe has changed from stylish professional garb to clothes she doesn't mind becoming covered with dirt or ketchup, she is growing more confident in her stay at home duties. And she wants to create memories for her children.

"I want them to remember our time baking together, playing LEGOS on the floor, or our special bedtime routine."