Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Who would fire a pregnant lady?

My boss would! That is a reason I haven't been around to update. To make a long story short:

I've been forced to resign. The University moved my salary from the grad school to the dept, and the Director has been trying to get rid of me since (he's a penny-pincher), and since I'm probationary, he didn't even have to give me a reason. Now that I'm gone, he is merging my job into someone else's, and that person is going to quit soon b/c it's too much for one person without any payraise.

It's okay though. The Director is a bastard, I can accept that. Professors have been trying to get him fired for a while, and this added fuel to their fire. At least 4 of them told me they were writing to the new Dean to complain, and they gave me recommendation letters to take w/me. Since they are the ones I work with and not the Director, I know that I did a great job but just had another b for a boss.

We're moving the weekend of July 30/31st back to Baton Rouge. We had planned to do this anyway before all that fit hit the shan at my job. One thing I have to make clear though, is that this moving to VA thing is not something that 'didn't work out'. It DID work out, I think we definitely needed this opportunity to be on our own and far away from both families to grow together and depend only on each other to strengthen our marriage (not that we weren't strong before but it's always nice to bond even more). And well frankly, Virginia IS for Lovers as the motto says, we did make a baby here after all!

So there you go, I don't want to hear anymore "I'm sorry it didn't work out", everything has worked out, this miracle surprise of a baby is just changing our lives sooner than we had expected, but we welcome that change and our move to a cheaper area with family and support around is more of a priority than to live in the DC area where the price of a 1 bedroom apt costs more than a 4 bedroom house in Louisiana. We're happy with our decision and I think it is the right decision for right now. Plus the parents are getting a swimming pool put in, what could be better than that???

In other news, we're facing a big obstacle with DH's visa. We had applied for the original permanent green card three years ago. That is still being processed, and we're at the very last steps right now. However, it is clear that it won't arrive until one-2 months or more after his current temporary visa expires. Which means, once again we will be in the different countries, but hopefully not for too long. DH hasn't seen England in two years and misses his friends and family who haven't been able to visit (along w/the ones who have managed to visit), it will be good for him to have the chance to see everyone again, and to see his mum's new house in person. He has been so wonderful to me during this pregnancy, I can't imagine going through this without him... however this is just an obstacle and once it is over, our three+ year battle with immigration should be over (until we deal with registering a baby with the UK Embassy and try to move back over there one day).

My pregnancy has been a rollercoaster of ups and downs. I'm in week 20 right now, halfway through. Part of me is ecstatic, but the other part of me is getting scared. 20 more weeks until our life changes forever and I'll find out just how clueless I really am about being a mother. Not to mention all of my fears of the actual birth and the after-effects, but I'm ignoring that for now.
We should find out the gender in about 3 weeks when I have the big ultrasound, if the doctor can fit me in then, that is, and if the baby is cooperative. I'm having the usual symptoms, not so sick but tons of back and leg and tummy pains from the baby being on my sciatic nerve and ligament stretching to make more room for the baby. Sometimes I feel so bloated that I feel like there isn't any room for more growth, but somehow my tummy keeps growing. I now can no longer fit my normal clothes and am fully into maternity now. I'm hoping I'm starting to look pregnant instead of just extra fatty, but I just can't tell.

Nothing else really to say, I read the new Harry Potter in about three days, and it was hard to stretch it out that long. I'm upset with this book but I won't say anymore. DH is reading it now, and I can't wait for him to finish so I can discuss it with him. He's afraid to talk about it w/me because I might accidentally let something slip.

I need to pack something else, hopefully I can be online more to update more often. It beats watching soap operas and Family Feud all day.