I Found a HR Job!

When I had been a stay at home mom for about 2 years, I became very restless. I wanted my career, somehow, some way. I had eliminated the work from home opportunities, as it seemed daunting to sell things. I was used to teaching people things, and helping people with things, but selling was not my cup of tea! In my mind, I worked up a plan that I could still get my corporate Human Resources career back. I just needed to find something that didn't involve a lot of travel and didn't involve a long commute to work. By this time, there were a few companies located in The Woodlands that would be perfect for me, and I for them... we just needed to connect and they would surely die to have my expertise! I actually started posting for jobs. I had a phone interview with a HR consulting company, and was scheduled for a 2nd interview. The timing seemed perfect that Alexander would be about 2 years old, and I would not feel too guilty leaving him with someone, and the twins would be in school full time (half day kindergarten, but it seemed full time at that time).... then... I learned that I was pregnant with #4. It was not planned, but not really unplanned. We had just been in such chaos that we had not considered our plans yet. Someone else decided for us. The twins were 5, Alexander was 1, and now a baby in the mix? I just laughed uncontrollably constantly (that is what I do under stress).

The recruiter for my job interview called me about 2 minutes after I learned I was pregnant, and told me that the job had suddenly changed. It would now require travel 4 days per week to the client's place of business -- this would last for at least 9 months, and then the travel may slow down. It was a sign! I didn't even have to think about it for a second. I told her that I could not possibly do the travel (and left out the part about my plans for the next 9 months). What was I thinking? This could not work. Suddenly, memories of the stress I had in my former career... the calls to hubby... negotiating which one of us had the more important justification to stay at work, and which one needed to get their hiney home (that was usually me getting my hiney home). The nanny hated me because I was frequently 10 minutes late coming home because I had to take that last phone call at work. I felt guilty for neglecting my sweet twins. I once got shingles from the stress of it all, yet those memories had faded. I just wanted to be "important" again, and somehow I told myself that my career would make me "important". Was I not doing the most important thing in the world? Then why did I miss my job so much? The hormones made me teary eyed about the thought that I had almost abandoned these little things for a job. I pulled myself together and settled into the thought of being a mom of FOUR children under the age of FIVE. How would I get myself ready for this challenge?

I was okay with this decision, because with or without a baby, the travel would be next to impossible with my husband's demanding work schedule. "Move on", I told myself... "next chapter". I put the thought of my career on the back burner, and started to plan for baby #4... a boy...our unexpected blessing...