It's a good thing I take better care of my family than I do this blog. Truth is, it's been a weird couple of months, with a wonderfully happy ending(s). I hope to start writing semi-regularly again now that we are settled.
The Husband finished his first year of graduate school with flying colors and so much stress. However, things began to break down over the summer and it was ultimately decided that he would quit. That certainly took awhile for me to process, but I did my best to be supportive. I was, in some ways, quite disappointed, almost to the point of grieving - that PhD was the !thing! that was going to solve all of our problems. (Wait - looking at it from this side, I can see that we don't really have that many problems). So a job hunt began, and as the end of August, and the stipend, approached, I finally had a solution. I wanted to go home. Home being central Pennsylvania, mountains and all.
For a few days, I put it forth as our worst-case scenario. The cost of living in central PA is such that one of our incomes (TH actually started working remotely for the same place I do again; he worked there first and they are always glad to have his help) would be sufficient for rent, a car, everything (if necessary). Then TH had an interview for a job in Nevada, and I realized that Nevada sounded god-awful and that I was severely freaked out by the idea of going that far away from the East coast and all my family.
So, the decision was jointly made. The more we talked about it the more we liked it. We found a house and started packing (we had actually started earlier, because we knew one way or another we weren't staying in the cave). We arranged our move-in for September 25. On September 20, my grandmother died. She had been living with my parents. They tried to take their first non-camping vacation in years, and my mom's first real break from caretaking in at least 9 months. They had a nurse/friend stay with her, and while sitting in a comfy chair, she had a heart attack and died almost immediately thereafter. She was 93. The nightmarish practical side of it was that the Bee and I had to rent a car on the 22nd to drive up here for the funeral, leaving poor sainted husband to finish packing himself. My parents and I drove down to fetch him (and of course the moving truck!) on the 25th, then back to Williamsport the same day.
We've been in Williamsport for nearly a month. My immediate family (parents, brother and his family) and a good chunk of my extended family (aunts, uncles, my bazillion cousins) are within 30 minutes of my house. And it is wonderful. The city has its charms, it's so close to beautiful outdoorsy adventures, and having family makes having a two-year old so much better. I was so resistant to the idea of ever moving back to this state, and I feel like doing so and being able to successfully interact with my family on a regular basis was a real growing-up experience for me. The house, while modest, has 3 bedrooms and an enclosed porch for laundry and playing, which is a real improvement over a 600 square foot English basement (and at half the expense!) But best of all? TH found what is quite nearly his dream job working for the county. He starts next Monday.
Wait. Maybe that's not best of all... I found out on September 12th that I am pregnant. Not unexpected, and very welcome. I've already found and met with an experienced CPM in the area. She is wonderful and we're having this one at home! I am nearly 10 weeks and doing well, already a little pouchy, I kid you not. So, yay! I am so looking forward to having actual support during the postpartum phase.
