Life Limbo

Right now we're smack dab in the middle of life limbo. And it is all coinciding with the timing of this pregnancy. Kinda funny. So about 9 months ago, in June, we moved into a new apartment - an exciting upgrade from a one-bedroom to a two bed/two bath! Really. So so exciting. We signed a 9 month lease (which is keeping us through the end of February) because that was the shortest amount of time that we were allowed, and we weren't sure we'd be staying in Tucson once Boyd's 2 year contract was up (also in January/February ish). So it seemed to work out just fine. I'm pretty sure I got pregnant within the week we moved in. And once I found out that I was expecting, and estimated that my due date was at the end of February, I started stressing a bit about how it was all going to work out. We were thinking that we wanted to move when Boyd's contract was up and our lease was up, but that would be all at the exact same time that the baby came! How in the world was I going to handle that?


**I should include that Boyd has been putting himself out there for the past 3 years at HealthSouth, expressing interest in growing within the company, making relationships with the higher-ups, and letting them know that he was pursuing a graduate degree in healthcare administration. He has been hoping for over a year that he would have an opportunity to try for the director job over the home health department. His boss, Diane, has told him for a long time that she doesn't want the job anymore, and she wants him to have it. Obviously hearing that over and over had fostered feelings of hope for us, that this would be his chance to get his foot in the door. But after almost two years of hearing that and nothing happening, we had all but given up and turned our focus toward getting out of Tucson and trying someplace new. Okay. Moving on...**

Soon after moving in, we both began having thoughts and feelings about moving to Ohio. We were sure that these were feelings of the Spirit, that we were being prompted to consider this. And it made sense to us, since we were wanting to leave Arizona anyway. We got to the point where we would spend most evenings looking online for Ohio jobs and Ohio houses. We had planned a trip to Findlay for August. The week before leaving, a Physical Therapist/part owner in a therapy clinic who Boyd had observed in school, called him and said that there was a management position open in Sandusky that he wanted to consider Boyd for. The timing was impeccable! It felt so sure. This had to be a sign. We arrived in Findlay and it felt like home. Comfortable, happy, peaceful. We both agreed, this was really going to happen! Boyd went to interview for the job. But suddenly, everything changed. He felt unsettled, and uncomfortable about working for this company. It did not suit what he had in mind for himself, and there were even a few ethical things he was concerned about. They wanted him and made an offer. It was a pay cut from what we're currently used to. But as I said, that wasn't the only down-side. Boyd didn't even want the job at this point. But he made a counter offer in which he requested several of the benefits that he gets currently with HealthSouth. They were unable to comply, and when they told him that they were going with a different candidate for the job, it was a relief more than anything else.

I say it was a relief, but as we returned home to Arizona we were pretty darn confused. It all had felt SO sure! We really felt like we absolutely were moving to Ohio. Then when we returned to Tucson and Boyd started work again, he instantly felt so peaceful and happy and thankful for his job. But at the same time, he was nearing the end of his schooling and we really wanted to pursue a management position for him. And staying in Tucson didn't seem like it was going to work out very well as far as that went.

About three weeks after returning home from Ohio, I went back for 10 days by myself to support my MIL Brenda while my father in law Boyd (for the sake of avoiding confusion, I will henceforth refer to him as Papa Boyd) recovered from lung surgery and had to be intubated. So many tender mercies from God happened on that trip. I learned a lot, felt a lot of love, and was so grateful for the chance to support Brenda and grow closer to my Davis fam.

When I returned home, Boyd and I thought that perhaps all of those feelings about Ohio were really to prepare ME for that experience. And we've kind of left it at that for now.

A couple more months go by, and then out of the blue, Diane pulls Boyd into her office, tells him that she is submitting her resignation the next day, and will pull for him to get her job if he still wants it. Exciting news, but at this point, it felt almost anti-climactic after having held out hope for that job and then nothing happening for so long. We had moved past it in our minds and were looking forward to new adventures somewhere else. But, we still thought it would be a great chance to get his foot in the door, especially while being surrounded by a team he was familiar with and would feel supported by as he learned all of these new things. Things happened quickly from there. Within 2 days, Boyd was on the phone with people at corporate headquarters in Birmingham, doing the final interview for the job. By the end of the week we knew that he had it. It was so sudden, that we almost couldn't believe it! We were back to being excited again. We shifted our perspective to visualize being in Tucson for a few more years. We started thinking of buying a house here. But they had to find a replacement therapist for him first, so in the meantime he kept on with home health therapy as usual.

A few more weeks go by, and suddenly we hear that HealthSouth has bought out a home health company called Encompass. As part of the deal, Encompass will come in and run all of the home health units, keep their name, their look, their protocols, everything. HealthSouth owns them, but they will manage themselves. We think that "Wow, this will be such a huge job for Boyd since he's going to be brand new into management!" As the days go by and we find out more about the new company, we find out that they actually don't hire therapists for the director of home health position. Only nurses. But Boyd kept being told that everything would probably work out since they had already hired him, and not to worry about it. They continued to interview therapists to replace him so that he could start phasing over to the management job, but no one worked out.

Just last week I started to consider how comfortable I had become, assuming that things would work out with Boyd's job and that we would stay in Tucson. We even started planning and budgeting to save for a house that our friends are selling in a few months. I thought how much time has passed and nothing has really progressed toward Boyd having this job for real. He has the title, but he hasn't started working as the director because they still need him as a therapist. And how interesting that none of the therapists they've interviewed have fit the bill. A couple of days ago, Boyd finally received a call from the woman in HR, asking him to meet with her and the CEO first thing the next morning. He went to the meeting, and they apologetically told him that they had finally discussed his situation with the people from Encompass, and they could not actually give him the job.

Wow. And back to square one we go! Good thing they didn't hire another therapist so that he still has a job. But we don't want to hang around and do another 2 year therapy contract, when he should be working right now to pursue management and work his way up.

But THEN later that same day, as he is out seeing patients, HR calls him again and says that Encompass knows his situation and feels badly that they yanked out this position from under him, and they'd like to try to find a management position for him. But the positions they have would be at the regional level, which is such a big deal! So maybe we lose this job in order to get something bigger and better?

We are back to the waiting game for the next couple of months, until Encompass gives him some positions to apply for.

Meanwhile, I'm 37 weeks pregnant tomorrow and the mystery of baby's arrival time begins! Definitely not counting on anything for at least a couple more weeks, since Bubba didn't come until 41 weeks and 1 day. But every babe is different. So I suppose it's nice to have a lull in all the job stuff for the next little bit so we can focus on welcoming this special little boy. :)

Sigh! LIFE!