So here we are…

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The last few months have been a blur. Mr. M and I joked at the beginning of this year, that it would be the year of us. While it has in some retrospect, there were times that we were focused on us and others that we were simply trying to survive. Here’s the good, bad and things to work on in 2014…

The Good

1.      I did find another job. Ironically it is the same job with the firm that won the account. The blessing side of this job is that I can still work from home which I hope will help with daycare expenses. Also, I know what the job entails which should help with maternity leave. The only downside is the pay cut (around 7K) that I took to keep this job but compared to the other job offer I received, it was the best on the table.

2.      Baby is doing well! We’re about 7 ½ months along as I type this and so far so good. The IVF drugs that I worried about affecting our child hasn’t so far and my fingers are crossed that everything will be okay when we meet the little one in person. We’ve decided not find out the gender which ironically enough is harder on family and friends than us. Many people don’t understand that we’re just really happy that we’re pregnant and want a healthy baby.

3.      My family seems like it’s getting back to normal. Things are not perfect between my father and me but it is getting better. My sister had a baby this past summer and my niece has helped a great deal in bringing us together. Our relationship is a work in progress but it is moving in the right direction.

The Bad

1.      Mr. M’s job. We thought in December that he was going to be hired for a new job and would be moving to a new state this month. It didn’t work out and we’re back to square one which I can tell is emotionally draining on him. Even though I have hinted, begged and maybe even nagged for the last four years about looking for a new job, it wasn’t until he cleaned out some paperwork that he realized that he hasn’t received a raise of any kind since 2008. Now, we’re bringing a little one home and I can tell that he’s stressed over the fact that we’re financially stuck for the time being. It would be easy to tell him to get a second job but with his schedule…no week is the same as the next.

2.      My car. The yellow engine light of death began appearing this month and now won’t go away. So much of our savings went to IVF that we don’t have enough in our car fund to get a new one in cash. This is a stress point for us because I argue that we’re playing with fire by keeping this car and need to get a new one. To fix any more issues on this car would be throwing good money at a bad problem. Don’t get me wrong – I don’t want a brand new car but a used car that could keep us safe for the next year or so before we trade it in for a better car. This would mean that we would have a car payment (which I HATE) but we would be safe.

Looking forward in 2014

1.      Preparing for Baby M. Our lives are going to change for the better and I’m trying to knock out all that I can do in the next 10 weeks.

2.      Finding contentment. Since we’ve been on this debt free journey for four years and counting, it’s hard to maintain the energy to keep this lifestyle up. It isn’t for the weak and I know that we’re building a foundation for a stronger, wealthier future. These financial bumps in the road (car issues, loss of income) could make me bitter and I’m trying to find more peace when these issues arise rather than stress.

 

I hope that your 2013 ends on a great note. 2014 is open for possibilities!