The Stay at Home Seawife

Being a Seawife I already feel like I "stay at home". I mean compared to what most of my peers from the maritime academy are doing, shipping out in one form or another, I do "stay at home". While at home (or ashore) I also work 40 hours a week for a company which makes nautical charts and cruising guides. I love my job, I love the people I work with and I especially love that I am using my maritime education though it has been a struggle at times to grapple with the fact that I haven't set foot on a commercial vessel for over two years. But now, expecting a Seababy I am grappling with the NEW meaning of "stay at home".

On Friday I told my boss that I would not be returning to work full time after the baby is born but that I would very much hope to be kept on part time and from home. Is some ways this sounds like a totally unreasonable request - I should just be lucky to have a job especially after my company was recently downsized by about 90 percent. But I know in my heart and in my head, that I could not work full time and send my child to daycare, and keep an orderly house and a happy husband. Doing some research on the Internet I keep coming across articles which say things like "if you are fortunate enough...", "if your budget allows...", "if you can afford the luxury of..." being a stay-at-home-mom. When did staying at home with your kids become a luxury? Don't get me wrong. I am so very grateful for all the women of history who have broken down doors and have so far allowed me into a school, and a career where previously only males existed, but now it seems our society has swung the opposite direction. You are an inadequate woman if you CANT handle a career and a family at the same time! (The emergence of Sarah Palin has brought many of these issues to the forefront of discussions and I am glad for that - though I'm not a huge fan of her possibly being our Vice President.) Anyhow, I was very relieved to have the support of my parents, family and husband and also my co-workers as I made the decision to Stay At Home, at least partially, while I watch the little one grow.

SeaSister

By the way, my dear little sister is spending 9 months in Germany as a nanny. Here is her blog. Thus far she follows in my footsteps of not updating on a regular basis, not posting photos and including questionable punctuation and spelling. But she's cool and I love her so maybe you will enjoy it too. PS -She is a SeaSister, because she went to sea for four months in high school with Ocean Classroom. She also has taught sailing for 4 years to the kiddies in our hometown. If only I could get her to attend a Maritime Academy, I'd have the perfect clone!

Seahouse and Seababy

We bought a house. Seawife and Seafaring Husband are now homeowners. He has been home for the move and settling in parts – which is good because I’ve been busy, creating a placenta and feeding a being who has decided a good place to grow, is my womb. That makes me tired and weak.
The recent hurricanes in the Gulf Of Mexico have affected this time home a little – though firstly I am relieved he has not been IN the storms! Now, it is time to throw a lovely housewarming party to celebrate our piece of the American Dream Debt Pie and to schedule it when he will be home. He MAY be leaving tomorrow or later this week, though the scheduling office in Texas was evacuated and is still without power. So if he were to leave this week it’s most likely that we would hear at the last minute and he would be gone within 24 hours. If we don’t hear by Thursday – it could be safe to assume he’ll not be called to duty for another two weeks with the next crew change. Being the social coordinator for a husband who goes to sea is a difficult task.