Crazy Month

I knew that March was going to be a crazy month. I have said so on numerous occasions, especially in February. I had no idea what was in store for myself and my family.

First.... I don't know where to begin. The fact that there has been a change of management at work, the fact that rent is going up at the end of the month, or just the whole fun of Erini spitting up on us.

Erini should come first, because contrary to some belief, we were not having the most perfect start to our family. Rini was getting thin, she had lost 9oz, and was down to 5lbs 8oz. At that point we had to supplement. We could not afford to have our child lose much of the little weight that she already has. We didn't want to, Caitlin had the idea of getting Rini to breastfeed from the start. Even before we were pregnant, that was the plan that Caitlin had. Plans go astray, but she's eating pretty much whatever we put in that bottle, whether it be formula, or breast milk.

Caitlin has been able to express on average 6oz of breast milk a day. Sometimes more, sometimes not. But the formula is a supplement to her breast milk diet. At first I thought that we were going to path of least resistance, and this was going to go from bad to worse. Now, I can see that it was a smart decision, and pretty much the only thing we could do at the time. Rini is back up to 6lbs 1oz, as of 13 March 2007, the last time we went to the doctor.

I feel bad that I haven't done any updates for sometime. Between work, The Mikado, and being a daddy, I haven't taken much time to record my thoughts on the whole ordeal. I know that some people consider this to be a main source of information in regards to my little family's status, especially since I haven't put minutes on my cell phone yet.

There is reason behind that. This is because of the new cell phone that I obtained, and with which I've been able to post pictures of my little girl. I was planning to transfer the number on March 14, but when the day came, I had another idea.

Caitlin and I have been discussing ways that I can contribute more to our family income. One way, of course, is to attain employment with an engineering firm. Preferably downtown. Barring that, the best place would be Nisku or Leduc. Even when I went in for an interview with Finning, they mentioned that they were planning on moving their operation to Nisku in 2008. Other than consultation positions, which are for Professional Engineers, not EITs, working downtown is not the biggest option. I had some high hopes for a position with Intuit, but those hopes were dashed when I received an email on Thursday telling me that the positions where filled. I did get a phone interview, so that was more than most people get! I just need to keep sending out applications, and hope for the best.

However, with the job market, it's more of who you know rather than what you know. Getting networked is the key to it all. People need to know your name, know who you are, and what you can do for them. At the moment, I've been sending out applications online, and keeping a close watch on job websites. However, there are still jobs out there, and I keep reading in the paper there is going to be a staffing shortage in the near future.

In order to free things up, Caitlin and I have decided we need to make some drastic changes. Very drastic. First, I need a different job. Source is nice, but on a good paycheck, I make $10.50/hr. I could make twice that as a supermarket meat cutter! Heck, I know one of my friends, after his start-up business went into the ground, he worked at a shoe factory until he found his current engineering job.

Also, we need to cut expenses. Rent is going up at the end of the month, and it's probably going to increase again in six months. Our apartment is alright, and it was great while I was going to school. Nevertheless, I don't want to raise our child in a downtown apartment. When I put in the rent check for April, I'm also going to submit a notice of departure. As of 1 May 2007, Caitlin and I are going to be residing in Beaumont.

I know that this will lengthen my commute to work, hence I'm going to be leaving Source on 14 April 2007. This will allow for time to move, and also search for a new job.

Is this drastic? Oh yeah. Is it necessary? We think so. Is this the best option? Under the circumstances, I would say so, and Caitlin agrees. Ideally, I'd like to get a job downtown, and commute by bike all year long! The odds of that seem pretty slim though. But anything is possible, and I haven't given notice to anyone save Source, and to make it official, I need to put it in writing.