Giddy Tigers

My maternity leave officially ended yesterday, the fourth of May.  This time round, the 60 days seemed to pass by faster.  Perhaps it is because I am juggling many more things now, including blogging.

But leave or no leave, it does not make a difference to me now.  True, I had intended to be on an extended leave of absence anyway, given that I am in the States now and have a baby to care for.  I had planned on only going back to work a month after our return to Penang.  But all that has changed now.

The company I worked for recently announced a major restructuring of its organization, and sometime in the middle of my maternity leave, I was informed that April 30th was my last working day.

Yes, it means that I am no longer employed, and no longer bringing in a steady source of income for my family.

It means that as of now, my husband is the sole breadwinner.

It means I will have to use this time to reflect on what I really want out of life.

And it also means I will be able to realize my dream of becoming a SAHM.

…well, for now, at least.

As a couple of my previous ambiguously blogged posts revealed, I will allow myself to be directed by God in a way He knows best.  What the future holds for me, I do not know, but wherever He leads, I will follow… with all my faith and hope, there is bound to be a promise of greatness up ahead.

A friend of mine pinged me yesterday to ask what I was doing.

My reply to her was this: watching tv, surfing, breastfeeding, cooking, washing 😛

And that’s my definition of multi-tasking nowadays.

But hey, it ain’t that bad… 🙂

It ain’t that bad if you have to wake up several times each night just to nurse or pacify a baby, especially since the baby is your beautiful little daughter and especially since it is an unconditional labor of love.

It ain’t that bad if you have to think hard about what to cook every day and put a nice hot meal on the table for dinner, because the look of satisfied faces due to the satisfied tummies just makes you feel so fulfilled.

It ain’t that bad if you can’t eat a lavish meal all the time, at least you get to snack any time of the day. Like an hour after lunch, you could opt for a nutritious snack of cheese on toast and yogurt.  Doesn’t look too bad, does it?

It ain’t that bad if you have to do housework and laundry, because at the end of the day, you know the dirty crevices and pile of dirty clothes will be gone, and you’re gonna see your loved ones, greeting you with huge hugs and kisses.

So you see, it’s not a bed of roses, but it ain’t that bad if you have LOVE on your side all the time.

And it ain’t that bad if the man you love tells you you still look surprisingly good 🙂

Man, it’s HOT out today!  Don’t know if this is beginning of even hotter days ahead, but it’s definitely one of the hottest since we got here.

Last night, when I took the trash out, I felt something amiss, because instead of the cool night air, there was no chill of the night wind and the air was surprisingly warm!  In fact, the temperature outdoors was much warmer than it was indoors, which was peculiar.  The late night news forecasted extremely high temperature today, ranging from 80-90°F (27-32.2°C), and when I checked the weather online this morning, a severe weather alert had been issued.  Last night also marked the first night ever since I got here that I wore a sleeveless top to bed…yup, it was THAT hot!

Have to remember to drink more water and keep cool at all times now…it’s definitely WAY to hot for sunbathing!

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By the way, I entered a Bento making contest for the fun of it, so please check out my entry and if you like it, do exercise your freedom of choice by voting for me!  I am contestant #5 bentonbento.

Thanks y’all!!!

Voting ends 5:00pm (Malaysian time GMT+8) on Wednesday April 22 2009.

The past two weeks or so has been a rollercoaster of emotions, at least for me.  In the span of a few days, I have been suddenly thrown into a situation where I do not yet know the outcome of.

I can’t say that I do not care, because I do, but yet a part of me tells me that the fate I have been dealt might be a blessing in disguise.

I went from anxiety and doubt, to anticipation, and then shock and uncertainty.  I felt slightly lost at times too, but that very soon became acceptance, as God spoke to me in His own special way.

What sort of *entertained* me was how people who knew me were reacting.  Some were supportive, of course, but some remained nonchalant about it, some were visibly concerned…and of course, MOST of them chose ignorance.

Me?  I am comforted by the thought that this is what God has planned for me, and I will leave it all in His hands.

Credits
Elegant word art (God opens a window) from Bethany
… and I know that window will soon be opened for me.