Monday, May 3, 2010

Part Time

I'm living in luxury. I talked to my boss about cutting down my hours until I go on maternity leave, and voila! I'm a part-timer! Nine to three. This is going to make a world of difference.

a) I get to stay up and/or sleep in an hour later.
b) I get to leave work around the time each day that my body starts to get really uncomfortable and I don't know how I'm going to make it to the end of the day.
c) My body won't feel as bad, so it won't take as much toll on my mental and emotional state.
d) I can take a nap and it won't throw off my bedtime.
e) I can run errands and make phone calls that need to be done during business hours.
f) I still have time to clean/cook/do projects in the evening!
g) I am still bringing in some money while I can.

Downsides:

1) The cute ankles that I got back during my week off disappeared by noon. I cannot believe how fast my feet swell when I am sedentary. Even when I put my feet up (which I do), it just doesn't make a difference because of the way I have to sit at work.
2) It's still work.

I have been willing to tough it out because really, I could have done it. I know a lot of women do. But after seeing the difference in my body, mind, and emotions last week when I was off, I realized how important it was. Sure, I could tough it out, but I don't think it is the greatest idea, for Malachi or me, to be worn down in every way right up until I give birth. I realized it's not just about whether I can tough it out or not. It's about doing what's best for us.

I am so thankful we have the option financially to make this choice, and that my husband is understanding and willing for me to begin winding things down a few weeks early. He is a stickler for being tough and riding things out till the end, so I really appreciate when he able to go against those instincts for the sake of his family. I've got a good one.

By the way, a lot of people are curious if am going back to work or not. At this point, we are planning on me working part time to supplement our income until Joshua has full time employment. In the meantime, I am pretty happy that Joshua's part time work will allow him to have more time with Malachi than most dads get. I am so willing to share work outside the home for a time so that he can have that!

2 comments:

  1. Love this post! I was able to cut back on hours before I went on maternity leave and I absolutely loved it!! I had a very easy pregnancy all the way through but I still needed that time. :-)

    And it is great that Joshua will be able to spend quite a bit of time with Malachi, especially in the beginning. I think a lot of dads miss out on that specialness of the infant time.

    God is taking care of you all! No worries!! I can't wait to see pics of your little guy!!!! :-)

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  2. Those last few weeks are the hardest. I'm glad you're able to cut back some! My doctor made me quit at 36 weeks when I had my first, because my swelling was so bad and my blood pressure was borderline. The time off work probably kept me from needing to have Elijah early.

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