working mama: reduced hours and a new position

since returning from maternity leave for the second time, i've been thinking about making some changes in my professional life. while i've been grateful for my wednesdays off the last 3 years, i've been feeling like i am missing out on so much with my kids when i am at work and longing for more time with them during the week. adding ashford to our family has made me realize even more how fast they are growing up and how i will never get this time back. reducing my hours at work was not an option in the past. i was already working the minimum number of hours at my job to keep my health insurance - something that was essential because adding the kid(s) and me to thatcher's health insurance at his old job was insanely expensive. but his new job allowed us to revisit the conversation again. 

i had lunch with my boss last week to discuss things and he was 100% supportive of my wishes. so starting next week i will be going down to 20 hrs/wk. that would be a big change in itself, but there's more! after being in marketing for almost 8 years, i'm switching roles within the company. i am going to become the business manager, which means i will be taking care of things like payroll, benefits, client billing, etc. our current business manager is going to focus on client care, so she will still be around to help me learn everything. 

this new schedule means a couple changes on the home front. i will now be home with the kids 2.5 days/wk, which left us with some decisions to make about childcare for the other 2.5 days. we talked it over with our parents and with their willingness to take care of the kids while i work, we've decided to part ways with our home daycare provider. we will miss her as she has taken care of azalea since she was 3 months old. we are hoping to enroll azalea in a preschool program this fall, a couple days a week. 

i've said it before and i'll say it again, i am so grateful to work for such a family-friendly company. they put so much emphasis their employees' happiness, which is so refreshing and i do not take it for granted! i'm looking forward to lots of trips to the park, wading pool, etc. with my babies this summer!