Maternity Leave - Again!

So we are starting our house search again.  It was only a year ago that we were doing the same thing, except with a newborn (and seriously the whole month of May and June were really tough...what a life changing year we've had)!  This time we have two toddlers.  Our lease is up in June and we are DYING to get out of this cramped apartment.  I'm amazed we've lasted this long!

We started looking to buy, but in the area we want to live and for the amount of time we'll be here we 1) can't afford the house payment without Chris going back to work and 2) likely would not recoup our down payment in this market before we would sell.  So we've decided to rent.  We hope to find something comparable to our old place - 3 bed + den or 4 bedrooms, 2 car garage, laundry hook-ups, small yard, and in Huntington Beach.  This time we're not compromising. 

So far we've found several options in our price range, but we are waiting another week or two before contacting people since we don't want to move until June 10.  We plan to know where we're moving by the time we go to Denver (just like last year!) and this time we are hiring someone to move us.  It's too much work for us!

I am so excited!  Work approved my maternity leave in June and in September.  In CA I am allowed to take 12 weeks off after finalizing the adoption, six of which is paid.  I've decided to only take the 6 weeks paid and to split it up into two 3 week time periods.

I'll take the first 3 weeks off starting the second week of June.  Two reasons for this: 1) we are moving and this will help us get moved, settled and ease the transition for the kids and 2) Chris is going on a hiking trip in the middle of June!  He's meeting up with some old college friends (and we hope they will move the trip a few days so Mikael can join them) and he'll be gone for an entire week hiking the Continental Divide.  That means I'll be home alone with the kids!!

I'm a little nervous, but excited too.  I have lots of friends I can call to help if I need it, and I'm sure the kids will really miss Chris (as I'm sure he will also miss them), but I really think Chris needs this.

Then in August I have a training class in Denver so Chris and the kids are going to come with me.  We're hoping to come a couple days early and find a babysitter so we can go out for a real anniversary celebration on August 9th!!  It will be fun to see family and feel like we live back in CO for a week.

In September during my other 3 week maternity leave, we plan to take a trip to North Carolina to see Chris' dad and step-mom for a week of my leave.  They haven't met the kids yet, we haven't met our niece yet, and they haven't seen us since before we were engaged!!  It should be a ton of fun...although we are nervous to take the long flight with two toddlers.  I wonder if the doctor can prescribe something to make them sleep?!?!  (Just kidding...well sort of.)

It ought to be a busy summer!