Even though we think we talked about this in an earlier entry on this blog, we are still getting questions about our work and family situation vis-a-vis the arrival of Baby, so here is our plan as of today and how we think this all should work out!
For Sarah and her job: Sarah's work contract runs until the end of October. She would normally get four months of maternity leave, but since the baby isn't due until early August, she'll start maternity leave then and finish the remainder of her contract on maternity leave (taking less than what she's officially entitled to, but that's okay). She still gets a full salary during that time - and even still accumulates vacation days on maternity leave! She has given her employer notice that she will not renew her contract/continue beyond October. (And yes, for those who haven't heard, we will be leaving Geneva and Switzerland after this time as both of us will have ended the contracts for our jobs, which has been our main reason for being here.) So they've started the process of replacing her and have held interviews.
The medical/maternity system here is such that women are encouraged to stop working 4 to 6 weeks before the baby comes. At the last few visits to the doctor, she has asked Sarah when she wants to stop working. Sarah, being accustomed to the American system (and for other reasons at work), has just assumed that she will work right up until the baby pops out (at which point a woman's leave for maternity reasons begins). The doctor has suggested that she can first go down to 50% sometime in July and then, a couple weeks later, stop working all together. The doctor is very ready to write a letter to Sarah's employer asking for medical leave for her pregnancy - she's eager to do so, it seems. Sarah is trying to burn up some of her vacation days too and so will be taking some days off in July anyway.
For Stephen and his job: Since January, I have been a house husband. But this has involved a lot of lazy days too, so rather than continuing under that label, I've now decided that, with the arrival of a new season, I'm now on summer vacation (like I was still in school). And in order to sound like I'm even more productive and have a better purpose for not working, when the baby arrives, I will begin my period of paternity leave. Seriously, though, I've known for many months that the baby is coming and that I will be in a situation of not working, and really, I'm grateful for this opportunity to not have to work (to have time like Sarah will) for a while after Baby arrives. I will really take advantage of this. Sarah keeps thinking that when we have our next child, we will both be working and have one child already to care for, and I will probably not be in a no-work situation then. So this situation is really a gift for all of us - Sarah, Baby and me.
Our destination after Geneva: As of today, we still don't know where we're headed after Geneva. But because we have an income through the end of October (and Sarah even gets an additional month's salary as part of her contract - when you leave, they give you this) and our apartment lease runs through the end of that month, we figure we might as well stay put until then and use that time to get used to having a baby - one big change at a time, please. We're still looking at possibilities of going somewhere for a year or so outside the U.S. (southeast Asia or Africa, preferably), or else our default destination is probably Washington, D.C. I'm looking for openings now for overseas jobs, and if I find something, then Sarah will probably see what is available for her.
We know many of you like details and knowing exactly what we're up to and what we're planning. We hope this is enough information at this point. Sure, it's possible to go another layer deeper with information, but then I'd be writing to you on this blog what I'm doing day to day and hour by hour, and if I had to do that, then I would have less time to search for a job. But if you really need to know something or even more details about our search for our next home or jobs, let's talk on the phone - it's easier to share those sort of details that way.
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