There was definitely a part of me that wished that I hadn't found such a good fit with my first librarian job so the decision would have been easier. Jeremy and I spent a lot of time weighing the pros and cons of staying at home versus going back to work. Columbia is an adorable little school and I absolutely loved it. I worked with a principal who was very hands off and let me do what I wanted as long as it worked. This gave me the freedom to create a library program exactly how I wanted to. I loved the kiddos and it was so fun to help them connect with literature. In addition to loving my job, we really did have the perfect setup for childcare. Rather than sending Eliza to daycare, we had planned on paying my mom to watch her. What better option than having someone we trust so implicitly watch our baby during the day?? I'm not going to lie, though - thinking of coming home after a long day at work and hearing about how much fun mom and Eliza had made me more than a little jealous.
Since I spent the last couple of years before we moved in graduate school, Jeremy and I learned how to live on just his salary, so financially it's not much of a stretch for us to have me at home. (I know it's shocking, but school librarians don't exactly rake in the dough :-p ) Now instead of making monthly grad school payments, we get to buy diapers and cute little outfits instead :-) I think the biggest decision maker for us (aside from me wanting to spend as much time as possible with Eliza), was that our lives will be much less hectic with me at home. Trying to imagine both of us working 40-50 hour weeks and then trying to spend quality time with the baby, as well as keep up with laundry, groceries, chores, etc. on the weekends and evenings just sounds like it would be really intense. Jeremy and I are both such laid-back people, we really liked the sound of me being able to take care of a lot of that stuff during the week so that we can have more relaxing weekends as a family. We are also looking forward to travel flexibility. Only traveling during the summer can be a drag. Plans to spend a couple of weeks in Austin this fall are already in the making!
The hardest part of all of this was going in to tell my bosses that I would not be returning. I could not have asked for a better reception, though. My principal said she respected my decision, even though she was very disappointed. She reminded me that my position at Columbia is one that tends to open up every few years because there are no library aides so it tends to be more stressful than most, and said to keep my eye out. My boss at district told me that whenever I want to come back all I have to do is walk in the door and I will have a job. This is such a relief as I was very concerned about leaving the district that I would want to work with in the future. In the meantime I am going to get certified to sub in libraries across the district and also start working on my murals more. I'd like to build up a portfolio - so if anyone knows someone in the Springs who would like a kids mural for cost, let me know :-)
I really appreciate everyone's support in our decision - I'm very excited to enjoy every moment while we can!
And now, just for fun . . .
The day I found out I was pregnant ------- 1 1/2 weeks before delivery
I got HUGE!!!
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