I got the job!!!

This news couldn't have come at better time yesterday! I had been sitting in an airport delayed from 12 noon until 7 pm. I had been traveling since 5 yesterday morning and wouldn't arrive into my destination until nearly midnight. I received the call from my new boss and gave my verbal notice to my current employer. Sadly, we will have to postpone further treatment cycles until March/April to qualify for their incredibly generous maternity leave package, but I think in the end it will be well worth the wait.

Nona Lisa

Emotions ran high this weekend. On Friday, Mr.A and I drove the 7 hours to our friends' wedding. Originally, the wedding was to take place in a church with the reception immediately following. The groom called as we were about an hour away to let us know that there had been a major change in plans. The bride's mother was very ill and doing very poorly. They changed the wedding location to the hospital chapel to ensure her mom would be able to be a part of their special day. The wedding was so bittersweet. It was such an incredible gesture for them; they had to cut the list from 200 to 25, but it goes to show how important their families are to them.

After the wedding, we picked up our nephew and drove another 3.5 hours to my mother-in-law's home. We adore our nephew and don't have many chances to see him. He is always such a good kid and is as genuinely excited to see us as we are him.

My MIL recently moved to a farm near her parents. Their barn cat just recently had kittens and all 6 were such sweeties. In addition, her mother does foster care for the local humane societies and had one puppy who's mother died shortly after birth and was being bottle fed, and 12 other puppies younger than 7 weeks.

I fell in love with a 9 month old lab named Nona (they call her Nona Lisa). She and her mother were hit by a car when she was 12weeks old. Sadly her mom died and Nona had to have major surgery to reconstruct her hips. She still limps, but she is a normal puppy. She is so sweet and affectionate. I want so badly for her to find a wonderful home, and that home may just be mine.

We brought her back to my mother-in-law's house just to see how our dog would do with her. Our dog was upset, jealous; furious really, she wouldn't even look at me. Eventually we decided that it probably would be best to leave Nona with her rescuers when we left for home.

Today, I cannot stop thinking about her. She needs a permanent home, and our dog could use a companion. I've just about decided that if I get the non-traveling job, I am going to adopt Nona too.

InterviewS

Yes, that "s" needs capitalized. My interview was moved from Friday to Monday since my flight wouldn't get me in in time on Friday morning. Yesterday, I went knowing I would be meeting with a few individuals but did not anticipate meeting with four Directors and two Senior VPs. I began my interviews at 10am, and finished around 5; it was a loooonnnnnggggg azz day. By the end, my mind just couldn't process the questions being asked and my cheeks hurt from smiling.

I feel like it went pretty well, but wish I would have prepared myself with different scenarios of achievements, hurdles etc. I ended up using a lot of the same instances with each interviewer.

Please say a prayer if you can. I need this job to get my life and family back on track.

Blackout

We got [the majority of] our new appliances delivered this weekend and they are beautiful!! We had a bit of work to do to install everything, but it was completely worth it. The microwave is on back-order, but should be here before my mom comes next weekend.

Mr.A is as handy as they come; he installed the dishwasher without a hiccup. As I attempted to help him move the new range into place, the top moved quickly and my middle finger was sliced quite deep by some metal piece below. Mr.A ran upstairs to get his hand-dandy first aid kit as I stood there letting the blood pool in my hand. Eventually, I moved over the sink so as to not make a mess. I could hear him coming down the stairs and everything went white. I grabbed onto the sink and yelled to him that I thought I was going to pass out and needed to sit down. He came to my side and grabbed me just as I began to go down. Yep. I blacked out. Cold.

As I began to come to, all I could hear is him saying, "Breathe hun, breathe" but it was muffled and sounded very far away. I was a bit frustrated, thinking, "I am breathing".

According to him, I was only out a few seconds, but it felt like much longer. It was embarrassing, honestly. I don't know why I blacked out; I've never been squeamish about blood before and did not lose much at all. Now he jokes that he is afraid to leave me home alone with so many sharp objects and places I can hit my head.

Becoming a Mother

I once read this on a blog, today I feel the need to share.

There are women who become mothers without effort, without thought, without patience or loss and though they are good mothers and love their children, I know that I will be better.

I will be better not because of genetics, or money or because I have read more books, but because I have struggled and toiled for this child.

I have longed and waited. I have cried and prayed.

I have endured and planned over and over again.

Like most things in life, the people who truly have appreciation are those who have struggled to attain their dreams.

I will notice everything about my child.

I will take time to watch my child sleep, explore and discover. I will marvel at this miracle every day for the rest of my life.

I will be happy when I wake in the middle of the night to the sound of my child, knowing that I can comfort, hold and feed him and that I am not waking to take another temperature, pop another pill, take another shot or cry tears of a broken dream. My dream will be crying for me.

I count myself lucky in this sense; that God has given me this insight, this special vision with which I will look upon my child that my friends will not see.

Whether I parent a child I actually give birth to or a child that God leads me to, I will not be careless with my love.

I will be a better mother for all that I have endured. I am a better wife, a better aunt, a better daughter, neighbor, friend and sister because I have known pain.

I know disillusionment as I have been betrayed by my own body, I have been tried by fire and hell many never face, yet given time, I stood tall.

I have prevailed.

I have succeeded.

I have won.

So now, when others hurt around me, I do not run from their pain in order to save myself discomfort. I see it, mourn it, and join them in theirs.

I listen.

And even though I cannot make it better, I can make it less lonely. I have learned the power of another hand holding tight to mine, of other eyes that moisten as they learn to accept the harsh truth and when life is beyond hard. I have learned a compassion that only comes with walking in those shoes.

I have learned to appreciate life.

Yes I will be a wonderful mother."

~Author Unknown

New Job??

I can only pray it will come to fruition.

I've been interviewing with the corporate headquarters of a nationwide company for the last couple of weeks. Originally, I had applied for a manager position but through my interviews they felt as though my strengths would be better suited doing the project management/change management that comes with new system implementation. I couldn't agree more. I have another interview with the VP in a week and cannot wait!

The perks of this job may even outweigh my commitment and loyalty to my current position. For instance, a 7 minute or 3 mile commute, very limited travel, 100% paid medical maternity leave, flexible schedules/telecommuting, a great work life balance, the ability to meet local people and create friendships near where I live and above everything else, this would give me the ability to CHOOSE whether or not I want to stay home with our children full time.

They have so many other wonderful benefits and the more I think about it, the more I am drawn to this company. I pray it works out.