On Going Back to Work...Again!

So as some of you know, but many may not, I went back to work after 12 weeks of maternity leave in January and was laid off exactly 2 weeks later!  You can read all about that here and here...ironically the only 2 posts I did in the month of January. Ha!  Knowing that we were moving in May and February was just getting started at the time, Dennis and I crunched some numbers and decided we should be able to pull off having my stay home with Duke until the move.  We've done okay, but let's just say it will be very good for us all when we have steady income coming in again for both of us. 

I wanted to touch on my thoughts about returning to work this time around because they are oh so different than they were 5 short months ago!

To start, Duke is now 7.5 months old vs. 3 months.  He is so much more curious, active, and enthralled with other people and if anything, I feel like the more stimulation we can give him, the better.  At 3 months, there were still so many days filled with snuggles on the couch, a slower curiosity about things, zero mobility, and an overall desire for me to still ease my sweet nugget baby into the world.  I know that Duke would've been ABSOLUTELY fine without a doubt had I continued to be working back then, but these bonus months with him have been more than I ever could have imagined.  Getting laid off was truly the best thing that could have happened at the time and I truly soaked up each and every day with my mini man.
Then:

Now:

Another key difference now vs. then is how excited I am for this job.  My previous job was very familiar, not incredibly challenging, and I was pretty burnt out on it.  I knew exactly what I was going back to and it wasn't a positive and encouraging place for me anymore.  That is no way to spend 40+ hours a week!  This new job is exciting, challenging, and people have worked there for 20+ years and STILL love it!  Knowing that it is possible to have a life long career with an organization like this that supports the University of South Dakota and helps countless students in the process, makes me incredibly excited and humbled for this opportunity.  

I have a side business as well now that I didn't have before and it is something I truly love doing.  I can do as much or as little as I want and the extra income is so helpful for our family.  My new job pays once a month at the end of the month and my side gig pays once a month in the middle of the month so it's a pretty perfect setup for us!  We now have the opportunity to pay down debt and really start some serious saving that we've been itching to do for awhile now.  I know we are on the right path and helping ensure our families financial future is a stable one!

Do I miss Duke during the 8-5 workday grind?  Absolutely.  Do I know he's in the wonderfully capable hands of his daddy and soon will be at a fantastic daycare?  Indeed, I do.  Someday my hope is to have the option to CHOOSE if I want to work outside of the home and I know that we will get there eventually, but honestly, I may still choose this job if I can do what I think I can with it.  Anyway, that's all a conversation for another day.  Today, I celebrate having not just one, but two jobs I really love and enjoy.  I can't wait to see where these adventures take us!

Cheers my friends...Happy Monday!  I hope you're off to work at a place you love OR working hard at home with your babies by your side.  Tomorrow I'll be stopping in to share all about the LOVE of my life as we celebrate our 2 YEAR wedding anniversary!

-T-