Priorities - What Have I Done?!

I've accepted a new job, but I'm not excited about it. Since becoming a mom I've thought a lot about my priorities. And one thing I've come to realize is that my best intentions don't always translate into my life. My number one priority is my daughter. She is without a doubt on the top of my mind every hour of the day. Yet, I agreed to take a job, well, really a 4 month rotation, that will require me to give up my work from home time, which essentially will take me away from my daughter for more hours of the week. I've been trying to figure out why I did this and the best I can come up with is that I'm used to the idea of climbing the career ladder, and I haven't adjusted my work attitude to fit my internal beliefs and priorities.

I'm sure tons of working moms are constantly trying to walk the tightrope between their personal and professional priorities. I wonder what kinds of things influence people's decisions. Do they make a decision about what their priorities are and work towards that goal? Do they drift along and let whatever happens happen? How many working moms are working in flexible schedules, part time, etc? Hmmm. I should have been a sociologist. Preferably one that works from home.