The Next Big Changes {And my career shift}

I listen to the faint hum of early morning traffic blended with the calls of chipper birds and the creeks of my new old house. With the windows open in the 5 am hour, cars on I-36 form part of the background that are my speeding thoughts. I don’t even know what to title this post much less how to convey the enormity that has been and will be the changes of this surprising season of our family’s life.

It’s Saturday morning. (Good morning, y’all.)

David’s first weekend after a 12-day shift as an oil operator – a shift that left little time for family or even sleep.

Abby’s first day of “recovery” and “decompression” after her first day at preschool.

Our third weekend in our new old charming rental home. (Pardon all of the descriptors and lack of punctuation. Commas just don’t do this home justice.)

And my last weekend before I return to work. 

My heart beats wildly as I reread that last line. Perhaps that’s the iced coffee I’m drinking. But, more likely, it’s the constant mixture of sheer excitement and the possibilities of what is ahead. MY. LAST. WEEKEND. BEFORE. I. RETURN. TO. WORK. As of Monday, I am a full-time career woman again. It’s my dream job. It’s the job that I wasn’t looking for until a post on an online birth professional forum in late June caught my attention. It’s the answer to so many prayers regarding finances and insurances and provision. But, it’s also sudden and surprising and turn-our-world-upside-down sort of position. And even that possibility thrills me. It’s a grand adventure. I’ve already bought a new day planner. And, to be perfectly honest, I expect to cry many nights in the coming weeks after long work hours and short family ones. But we will find a new rhythm. We must. We shall. We will.

On Monday, I will walk through the doors of the luxurious Baby+Co Birth Center as the new Center Manager in training. The job was originally described to me as comparable to the CEO (for those curious what is wrapped up in the title of Center Manager). I will be leading an amazing team of individuals and working with colleagues around the nation to continue to improve couples’ birth experiences. I will greet new families with the warmth that I’ve always craved in all of the doctor’s offices where I’ve been a patient, and I will support my clinical staff in such a way as to empower them to make a difference in every woman’s life at our birth center.

I will also work long hours that begin at 7:30 am.

I will drop Abby off at either her early learning center or at my amazing in-laws’ house at 7 am, and not arrive home until later evening hours on many days.

I will learn new skills, be challenged in new ways, and hopefully set an example for my children of servant leadership, humility, risk-taking, faith-leaping, and adventure-accepting.

I will continue to take care of this precious Little Lion Baby growing ever bigger inside of me, as we passed the 20-week-mark on Friday and now solidly march toward his wintry due date.

I will learn to say “Yes” to fewer and fewer extraneous commitments so that the precious hours of the evening and weekends can be spent treasuring the people I love. 

And our family will thrive. Both David and I have been overwhelmed with God’s peace about this job decision ever since it became a real possibility. And where God directs, He will also make a way. Provide the wisdom. The supernatural energy. The stamina. The rest.

I pray for your grace too, as we walk into a season of limiting our social engagements to prioritize our marriage and our children. We could not have made it to this place without the support and prayers of our community, and we continue to value and to crave to an even greater degree that support and those prayers. But, we will be stepping more into the shadows, so that we do not lose sight of each other. Both of us have long work days for the first time in years. And neither of us have ever had full-time careers while also being parents. We have a steep learning curve ahead. So thank you ahead of time for your understanding when we miss events and volunteer less. For a season, that will be the healthier decision for us. But it will not be forever. Once again, we will find a new rhythm. 

The sun paints highlights on the trees across the street from my living room window, and my time at the computer is limited by the goals of the day. My toasted waffle and coffee are nearly gone as well. So, I will leave you with a couple of bump pictures that I snapped over the last week or two. I’ve been horrible with keeping up with those this pregnancy, but not apologetic. There have been more pressing memories to make, and I’m confident that this baby boy won’t miss the weekly belly shots when he is older. 🙂 Please keep us in your prayers in the coming weeks and feel free to text for updates any time!