The Plan

This past week has been full of surprises and events that have challenged Jason and I to re-think our "plan" that we have so cleverly established for our family from now until the new baby is born. You see, Jason's new job has made it possible for me to stay at home with the boys and it is something we've been praying would be possible and feel greatly blessed to have the opportunity to do so. However we also decided back this summer that it would best financially for our family if I kept working until he baby was born in February. That way we could pay off some student loans and build a nice little savings cushion.
Well, my friends - as the motto of my life still stands - God had a different plan. :)
Last Tuesday we received a call from Lincoln's sitter saying that she was in the middle of a family crisis and, basically, this upcoming week was the last week she would be able to keep Lincoln. I hung up the phone frantic because good in-home childcare with licensed people that actually take kids under age 2 is INCREDIBLY hard to find! Jason and I began scrambling remembering "the plan" and trying to make "the plan" continue to go, well, as planned, knowing in the back of our minds how hard this task was going to be. So the next day I searched, got references for, called, and scoured the area for someone that could take over on such short notice. All full...everywhere I called. We are blessed enough to have amazing friends who all had offered in some way or another their help, and last week came up with "a plan" to get us close to the original plan. But it involved someone different keeping him from week to week and trying to juggle the schedules and all. Stressful, but we were willing to try and make it work.
Personally, the thought of getting to stay home early for me sounded heavenly, but I was trying to stay out of the decision as much as possible and let Jason decide this for us since I knew I was a little biased in the decision. After both of us praying about it together, he had decided that financially we would be less stressed if we could make it work and I was 100% submissive with his decision and ready to make it work.
Then yesterday morning, he woke up and said "Babe, I've really been thinking about my decision and I just don't feel at peace with it anymore - I really think you should put in your month's notice and stay at home with Lincoln."
REALLY??!!!! I said with wide-eyed wonder, still not wanting to be influential...and I reminded him I was in full support of working a little while longer.
But he assured me this was the direction he felt God was leading us.
And I argued no more.
So surprise to me - I GET TO STAY HOME WITH MY BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My last day will be his birthday, believe it or not, and what a sweet day that will be. :)

Here are some pictures of the weekend...a highlight, Lincoln is now taking steps!! I don't classify it as walking yet, but he has consecutively taken three steps. Precious. We also went to the JBU alumni day Saturday for free food and hanging out w/ new people - including Silvy who until Saturday I had only known through blog world...funny.

Papa bought him his first fishing chair...

Lincoln with his grandparent's dog - pretty good friends.
These pictures don't do justice, but this was the biggest dog I have ever seen! It was a Newfoundland dog - HUGE! And of course Lincoln wasn't scared a bit :)