CHANGES

If you have arrived here via Mckmama’s Not Me Monday link, consider this post to be part two of that original post. Be sure to scroll down to that post to find out how you can be one of the two lucky winners for my first ever giveaway! I'll even stop with all the drama and suspense and tell you what the fabulously awesome prizes are going to be… gift certificates to my two favorite places… STARBUCKS & TARGET! What could be better than that?! Be sure that you are entered to win…

Now, to explain what would have just been too confusing to try to put into a "not me" style post...

You may remember this post from a looooong time ago. (Wait a minute... I only had 7 readers back then... you probably don't remember it!) In case you don't want to click on the link, (you know you really want to... go ahead and click it to read the whole thing!) I'll just tell you that it was a post all about being a full-time stay-at-home mom. Well, the time has come for some change to occur in that department!

You may also remember this post from just a few weeks ago that talks about the itch I suddenly have to have another baby. The more I think about it, the more I can't stop thinking about it. Does that even make any sense? But that is just who I am... the ultimate planner! So, in all of my thinking and planning, I have decided to go back to work. Why, you ask? Let me explain it to you!

Canada has an amazing maternity leave that provides ONE YEAR of paid benefits at 55% of the employee's current wage. And the only requirement is that the mother has worked a minimum of 600 hours in the 52 weeks prior to the birth of the baby. The drawback is that my current salary is from being self-employed. And being self-employed means that I am not eligible for those wonderful paid benefits that I had when Reagan was born three years ago.

Ryan and I talked about it endlessly, and in every conversation we agreed that the best decision financially for our family was for me to go back to work, even if it was for just long enough to collect the benefits so that we would have some extra money. Who doesn't want extra money? But every conversation also ended with us agreeing that there was no way that I could go back to work because I can't leave Reagan. And we refuse to put her in day care. Yes, she starts pre-school in less than a month, but that is only for 2.5 hours 2 days a week. There was just no way that we could figure out how to make it work....

That is, until Ryan reminded me that we had an offer from my sister to be Reagan's nanny. Anna mentioned several times while we were in NC for vacation last month that she wanted to move up to live with us and to be Reagan's nanny. I just thought that she was kidding around. And she may have just been kidding around. But we decided to put the offer out there for her to take if she wanted it. After a few long days of thinking and soul searching and decision making, SHE SAID YES!

So, in just over three weeks, Anna will be crossing the border into Canada to come help with spoiling Reagan rotten even more than she already is! I still don't know 100% for sure what type of job I will have, but I've sent my resume to over a dozen different employers in the past week. My first choice would be to work at a hotel covering the night audit and desk receptionist position. I would prefer the graveyard shift (that no one else in their right mind would specifically ask for!) that goes from 11PM to 7AM. With those hours, I can still do my bridal work on the weekends, and I can still be available to enjoy Reagan's activities during the week like gymnastics, ballet, and taking her to pre-school. And during the rest of the time, I can sleep while Auntie Anna takes care of Reagan. That way, unless I am sleeping, the only parts of my family's life that I will miss will be when they are sleeping. In my head, it all sounds perfect... we'll see how it all pans out in real life!

I have an interview with one of the local hotels later this week, and I have been told from a second hotel that I will be receiving a phone call by the end of the week to schedule an interview with them as well. Keep your fingers crossed everyone!

So there you have it! Our big and exciting news... all compliments of my wonderful little sister! We love you Auntie Anna, and we can't wait for you to get here!