To say the last couple of weeks have been an emotional roller coaster is the understatement of the CENTURY. Add into that post partum hormones and money stresses and well, you have the recipe for a disaster!
We knew Henry's contract at Merck would be coming to an end by the end of August/beginning of September. We knew this, we talked about what we would do if it came to an end and his contract wasn't renewed, etc. But talking and having it actually happen are two WWAAAAYYY different things.
On Thursday I get a call from Henry. He sounded so down and dejected. He told me that because of the merger and all the lay offs that Jef, his boss, told him that he wasn't able to get Henry's contract renewed and that his last day would be at the end of August. I was shocked! Henry worked so hard and really proved himself to be a true and valued asset to the team with all his experience and education. I didn't expect him to get a full time offer necessarily, but I thought for sure that his contract would at the very least get extended for a certain amount of time. When I tell you that this was a rough time for our family, it was really rough.
We now had to put in place all the contingencies that we "hypothetically" talked about...pulling Alex out of school, me cutting my maternity leave short because we needed the pay check, etc. To be completely honest, I was VERY upset...not about the fact that Henry didn't get extended, but about the fact that I would have to cut my maternity leave short. I have accepted the fact that I will most likely always be a working mother and can actually see the benefit in it (most days), but to know that I would not get the last six weeks of cuddle time, and bonding time with my new son, well, that just about broke me.
I don't know how...God was definitely looking down on us and realized just how important this was to me and how hard Henry had worked to obtain one of his goals, because somehow...it all worked out.
Henry and I talked about it and we agreed that it would be more beneficial (maybe beneficial isn't the right word, important maybe?) for us to take the financial hit and stay home for the remainder of my maternity leave. Love him.... We talked about doing some family day trips, finishing some projects in the house that we haven't had time to do, etc. Henry knew how important it was for me to have this time with Wesley and he said that we would make it work no matter what. That worry behind me, we were able to focus on our financial plan moving forward. We figured with Henry's unemployment and the money we would save by taking the boys out of daycare that we would be at the same point (or even a little a head) of where we thought we would be having two jobs and paying for two in daycare.
I will never forget this moment for the rest of my life. It was a few days before Henry's contract was slated to come to an end. His team was planning his going away party and I was at the park with my friend Michelle getting ready to take our daily morning walk with the boys. Henry calls me. The first words out of his mouth are "You will never believe this..." He goes on to tell me that somehow his boss was able to finally secure a ONE YEAR contract extension for him! ONE YEAR! I started screaming....a good screaming, but I just literally lost control. Michelle was looking at me like I was crazy, fellow walkers were wondering what all the commotion was about and I just couldn't stop.
Goes to show you that positive thinking and never being completely set in your plans work wonders! And God too of course! It will be a struggle....two in daycare, two long and tough commutes...but the positives outweigh the negatives and we will make it work somehow. And hopefully as things calm down at Merck a full time job offer will not be far behind. Have to keep the positive thinking going!!!!!
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