four hundred and sixteen

When I got pregnant with Renee I was naive enough to think that being a stay-at-home-mom was an option. I had apparently not looked closely at our spending habits and had not considered the expense that providing for another life would have on our pocketbook. I held onto that dream for nine months of pregnancy and for twelve weeks of maternity leave.

Just before I was scheduled to go back to work, Ski and I argued a lot about money. I wanted to stay at home and raise my daughter and he kept telling me that we couldn’t afford it. I didn’t want to hear it. He showed me the numbers. The debt-to-income ratio was not something I had looked at regularly because I hate paying bills and one of our agreements when we entered into wedded bliss was that I would never have to pay another bill again. Ever. I was shocked. Flabbergasted. I just couldn’t believe it.

So, I went back to work and we made a commitment to each other to change it. During the last two years we made a lot of progress. Even while preparing for our second baby we were extremely careful with money. We counted pennies. We clipped coupons. We got rid of the credit card debt. We started a college fund for each of the kids and got life insurance policies. We became parents, in practice and fiscally.

With the changes came more flexibility in our budget and lately at the end of the month there has been extra; money to set aside for a new house, for new toys, for retirement.

When I reported back to work a few weeks ago I had hope that maybe they would let me take a pay cut and reduce my work schedule a bit so that I could have more time with the kids.

I asked them and they said yes.

We might not be able to buy a bigger house just yet and we might have to drive that seven year old car just a bit longer. And I might have to be careful about how many dollars a month I spend on etsy.

But starting tomorrow, eight extra hours a week, four hundred and sixteen hours a year will be spent at home with my babies instead of writing code in my dingy cubicle. I will get to spend four hundred and sixteen extra hours being their mom during a time of the day that isn’t the evening hours when we are all tired and hungry and cranky or the weekend hours when we are running around visiting family and stocking up on diapers and toothpaste and groceries.

Don’t think I’m not counting the time. I will count the hours and my blessings and I’ll kiss their little cheeks at least four hundred and sixteen extra times for good measure.

Comments

[Gretchen]

Fridays off are FANTASTIC!

[The Mommy]

Sister, I bet you kiss their cheeks an extra four hundred and sixteen times on the first day! Congratulations. I know you worked hard for it.

[Nicole]

Gina! That is WONDERFUL! You are so right - the sacrifices are worth it! And way to go on working so hard to reduce your debt . . . I am on a serious mission to do the same (and to get hubby on board with it!)

[Leslie Collins]

Gina, That is so wonderful you are able to do this. In the end, cars and other stuff just don't matter as much as having those extra moments with your kids b/c they grow way too fast.

[anne]

Congratulations!! That's awesome! Friday's "off" from now on, huh?!

[Chenoa]

That's awesome Gina! Cherish the moments, they go by fast!

[Kellie]

Good for you!! That's fantastic :)

[Jill]

Yay! Know how much this means to you.

[mrs.chicken]

That is wonderful. Wonderful! I'm happy for you.

[Davina]

That is so exciting!!! I am very proud of you to accomplish that, no debt and time to see your little ones grow. Cherish every hour.

[AmandaH]

That is Grrrreat!

[Becks]

yeah!!!! I am so happy for you. As much as I hate owning my own business somedays, I know that I bought it so that I could be my own boss and do this very thing...raise my kids and enjoy days with them!
But thank God for work...I need to go to work and get away from the little devils...wait, did I just use God and devil in the same sentance??

[jenny]

how awesome. more time with your babies is just totally awesome. :)