I'm pregnant. Finally, I'm saying out loud what's really on my mind and what has been on my mind for six weeks now. Technically, we should wait even longer to spill the beans, but since this situation colors my thoughts on most other situations lately, it's been very hard to keep quiet. Also, often things do not feel real to me until I put them in writing (possibly the result of a liberal arts education?), and while my body gives me significant clues that this is real, it still seems murky and far-fetched.
It has been a season of surprises, pretty big ones. We shouldn't have been completely surprised by the pregnancy, since we are people who paid attention in health class back in the day, but still. I just never thought that I would be one of those people who would basically think about pregnancy and then become pregnant five seconds later. So that was our first surprise, just before Christmas.
The second surprise was not so positive, but we also should have been more realistically prepared for it. My husband's consulting contract was cut short sooner than planned, due to a drop in business volume for his projects. While we always knew about this aspect of consulting, it was disconcerting to have it happen just now, with only a few mortgage payments made and a baby now brewing. We will be fine, but it definitely feels like a slap on the wrist for getting too comfortable. This bit of news has raised again the possibility of my husband working an overseas rotation, which is something we originally considered when he took up consulting. So that definitely adds a new flavor both to life in Houston, to married life in general, and to parenthood. Nonetheless, the shock of all of this is wearing off and we are noticed that we are fine and still standing. We have re-organized life and made some plans B and C, as humans do. Who knows, maybe things will become even better than before. That's the cool part about curve balls.
The surprise trifecta was completed for me this week, with a more positive curve ball. I was unexpectedly contacted, subsequently interviewed and then even hired, in rapid succession, for a position to which I applied to last spring. At the time, there were no openings, but now it seems there are. The position is called relocation consultant. I will be a person who helps people and their families get settled once they are transferred here for work. The hours will vary, from quiet to busy, and not always be predictable. I think that aspect will be hard, but it also suits me. I find my adult life a bit unpredictable, particularly since my marriage, which is something that I fought for a long time, but also is something which I am working to embrace now. So maybe this will help me continue to build that capacity.
I still want to leave space for the exploration of a sewing and design future, but have been hoping to find a way to earn money by using my other skills in the meantime. I love sewing and craft, but I am unsure if it represents my professional future. I have been worried about being out of the work force, both on a personal, skill-building level and on a life-security level (see surprise two, above). All in all, this seems like something I should try, and I'm ready for it. The main downside, trivial but real, is that I suddenly need a business-casual maternity wardrobe, exactly when my regular clothes are becoming impossible to wear. My brief exploration of what is available has already indicated a huge discrepancy between sustainable clothing creation and the maternity clothing market. But more on that later.
So, just like that, in the span of a few packed months, my universe is again rearranged.
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