Our Future

As you all know, last year I started babysitting and currently have 4 kids that come into our home; one daily, others a few days a week and one after school. To say the least, our house is very busy with both Rhonda & I working from home, our 6 critters and then the 4 kids.

When we decided babysitting would be my work choice, we hadn't even signed any legal papers with our donor, let alone started working on the baby making process. We had no idea how long it would take for one of us to get pregnant, mostly due to our age group, so it was hard to think too far into the future. I started babysitting the first 2 kids in August and by November we had a bun in the oven (teehee).

The reason we decided to have me bring in an income in the first place was to set ourselves up financially for the day we did have a baby. Shortly after our move back to Canada, we started a strict financial program for ourselves. We set aside both a grocery and spending allowance every 2 weeks and the rest of our money went straight to bills. The plan was to pay off all debt so we could live comfortably once a baby arrived. It has been hard at times but the results have been worth it!

Once we found out we were expecting, the parents asked what would happen with my babysitting and honestly at that time, we weren't exactly sure. But now that we're in month 5 of pregnancy, some decisions had to be made. After weighing the pros and cons, we made the decision that I would stop babysitting. Rhonda is not taking maternity leave (which is a year here in Canada) and therefore, I will be looking after baby while she works. We financially cannot have her not working for a year, nor do we even want to try to make it work. For those who have taken maternity leave, you know it isn't much money. What she'd get wouldn't even cover the mortgage. So just not an option we want to explore.

My last day is May 25 and while a part of me is very sad (I will miss the little ones), another part of me is excited for the future. Not working will give me some freedom before the baby comes. I have a long list of things I want to do before she arrives; some that include redoing an old rocking chair that used to belong to Rhonda's Grandma Fitzsimonds so we can use it in the baby room, painting and getting the nursery ready and if Rhonda is feeling well, we'd like to do some camping. Oh, and we can't forget sleeping in!!

I am really looking forward to baby & I being able to travel to Houston with Rhonda when she goes for work. We are hoping that our first trip will be in October. Baby will be about 3 months old by then. I miss Texas and all of our friends there. It'll be so fun to have them meet our little girl. ♥

After baby is with us for a while, we can then decide if it's necessary for me to work. I may do something part time for a bit of enjoyment and extra spending money or I may just enjoy being a stay-at-home mom and not want to give up time with our little girl.