Something New

I got a job today! A temporary job, but a job nonetheless! I'm going to be working for the Census, starting at the end of April and going for 6-8 weeks. I'm very excited. There'll be four days of 9-5 paid training, which will be a bummer to find babysitting for, but after that, most of the work can be done evenings and weekends, when M is around to babysit. It'll be great! I've already started planning how I'm going to spend the money that comes in. Not in a counting-the-chickens way, but in a "I want to have this budgeted so I don't go crazy from sudden income" kind of way. We've decided that we need to get life insurance, so this job will pay for that, as well as the next six months of our car insurance so it doesn't have to come out of M's paycheck. I would also love to finish paying down the smaller of our credit card bills with this money. I have it budgeted to be paid down seven months from now, which would be good, but getting it done before summer would be awesome.

We ran up our credit cards two years ago when neither of us had a job for awhile, and didn't do so well again last summer, when M's stipend gets really low. This year, though, we're not going to do that. I have put away money in a savings account for summer, and worked out a budget that will take us through the summer, hopefully even if unplanned expenses crop up. Hey, no expense can possibly be more of a shock than the one we got last summer! =D Between that, the computer, and the hospital bill I finished paying off last year, we'll be going into summer with more money and fewer monthly payments to make, and I feel really good about that. I'd feel even better if I had a permanent job, but right now I will do what I can to keep us afloat and enjoy the gift of this time with Robert.

And it is a gift, I know, one that most of my colleagues from school wouldn't be able to enjoy. Robert changes so much every day, developing a personality and an understanding of the world that fascinates and amuses me. He also drives me crazy sometimes, especially when I'm tired and he's fussy, but those junctures are getting rarer as he sleeps through the night and becomes capable of being entertained. I love watching him play, even if it's mostly flailing right now. He's so pleased with himself when he manages to catch one of the crochet cats or give the balloon an especially hard pull. Honestly, I also like that he likes being by himself sometimes, to sit in his bouncer and look out the window, or enjoy his mobile for a few minutes. I love to play with him, but I only know so many songs and clapping games and funny faces. It's a challenge finding a balance between not overstimulating him and not giving him enough Mom-time. I'm just doing my best and figuring that most people grow up well-adjusted, so if I even do a pretty good job, he'll probably turn out okay. He's awfully cute, and that'll help him in life, too. ;-)