Change

This is my little family. Precious.

Jared started nursing school on Wednesday and I wrapped up my last full week at my job. I will take a weekend of call and will complete a day of in-the-office wrap up. Otherwise, I'm a full time stay-at-home mother. 

I'm frequently asked how I feel about all of this. Let's just say that I've been complaining of physical ailments lately and I'm not one for sickness or pain. But, I've felt under the weather for almost a week with fatigue, stomachaches, neck pain, and general yuckiness. It safe to say that I feel many, many emotions including joy over the coming time with Hunter, sadness over leaving my job and my sweet, safe office with Sharron, confusion over this role change, fearful that I won't make new friends, hopeful that this time will be beyond sweet and memorable, hopeful that Jared will enjoy school and excell in his classes, excited that Jared will get to leave the house and interact with the larger world again, thankful that Jared has keep Hunter full-time for 13 months, nervous that I won't be a good parent when I'm the one doing most of the disciplining and creating the laughter (Jared and Hunter dance all the time and I mean, all the time.), and sad that I'm leaving behind a full-time career for the present time. 

I think it's difficult for any parent, but especially women to study and work hard for a chosen career path and then feel torn between that and time with a child. 

Change is good, change is bad, change is scary. Change is everything with a side of stomachache. 

Jared and I enjoy some parts of Nashville, but often long for Birmingham. My job was a new opportunity and one I was very proud of. It was one of the reasons I could count in the pros column about Nashville. The job also brought Sharron into my life and I will miss the easiness of spending five days a week with her. That is one of my biggest senses of loss at this moment. We both had a right to be in the office, so there were no invitations needed. We had half and full conversations tucked into busy days at work. We told the truth. Now, I start that often tedious task of making friends as an adult including setting up meeting times, trying to figure out if the person wants to be friends too, figuring out if our husbands get along. 

Jared and I have lived in Nashville for almost three years. We've spent about half of our married life in Birmingham and half in Nashville. They have been very different halves. And so it is.