I Quit!

Since mid-February I've known that this is not the job for me. The people I work with are great, the kids are generally great, but it just isn't a well-designed position and I hate all of the insurance work. The question became, then, how to quit.

At this point I already knew I was pregnant (we found out on Superbowl Sunday, for those who are counting). I've never had a real post-licensure job before, and I've never quit a job in my life. I initially wanted to give only 3 months notice* and to blame my quitting on my pregnancy. Fortunately, I have wise friends, and I am wise enough myself to listen to them.

I waited until my 3 month review earlier this month to break the news. Per my wise friends, I started out by effusively thanking my boss for taking a chance on a newly licensed psychologist with no prior experience with eating disorders. I talked about all the things I love about the job (which are many), then launched into a reasoned critique of the things with the position that I believe are real problems. To my boss's immense credit (she is really awesome) she was very on-board with all of my criticisms and asked my permission to pass the feedback on up the food chain.

All of that took about 50 minutes. Then I told her I was pregnant. It was very hard, and I did tell one lie: I let her think it was an accidental pregnancy. Well, I didn't know we'd get pregnant in 5 minutes, did I? So that part was... unexpected, at the very least. She was very excited for me, and we agreed that this isn't a job that can be broken down to part-time; as that is the case, she was sad but supportive of my decision to leave. I'll be staying through the end of July, which works nicely for me as it gives me 2 months (more than I need) to prepare for the baby, while also allowing me not to be unemployed all summer. So that's the plan!

*3 months may sound like a long time, but to fill a very specific professional position like this it is really a necessary amount of time. Legally I could ditch them in 2 weeks, but I really want a good reference and to leave on a good note, so I would never do that.

Stretch Pants

The reason for my prolonged silence is this: I got pregnant, and wanted to blog about being pregnant, but wanted to wait, and couldn't think of anything else to talk about. So, fyi, I am 10 weeks pregnant. Hooray!

This means, of course, that I needed new clothes. I'm not a frequent shopper, and mostly I enjoy sales, the internet, and outlet malls. My friend Dr. C and I made a maternity shopping date together in Union Square, thinking that surely in the heart of San Francisco's shopping district there would be choices galore for the expectant-yet-fashionable woman.

I might add, the day before our planned excursion I had a little free time, so I went to the Stanford Shopping Center. Do you know that no women in Palo Alto or the surrounding area of the Peninsula ever get pregnant? True story! Because there is not a single store in that mall, boutique or department store alike, that has any maternity clothing. And, if you are uncouth enough to ask a saleswoman at Macy's if they have maternity clothes, you will be rewarded with a sneer and condescending put down that will make you slink from the store feeling guilty for having had the audacity to get knocked up after four years of lawful marriage.

So: San Francisco. San Francisco Shopping Center. Concierge Desk. Nice man, who kindly told Dr. C and I that, interestingly, it is rare for San Francisco residents to procreate either, as the only stores in all of Union Square that cater to my kind are Old Navy (cheap, basic) and A Pea in the Pod (designer, very expensive), neither of which are in the SF Shopping Center. And no, none of the stores in the shopping center offer maternity clothing. In case you wondered.

We set off. Did you know, my friends, that unless you want to buy $200 designer maternity jeans (which come in actual sizes), maternity jeans only come in Small, Medium, and Large? Did you further know that I am somewhere in between a small and a medium, if I am to allow myself room to grow the extra 4lbs on my ass that the average woman gains during pregnancy? True story!

Also: Do you know that trying on maternity tops is one of the more depressing adventures in shopping a woman can have? Stuff your giant-er boobs into a printed mumu! Fun! - this is if you are at Old Navy. Or: This top is amazing! I could wear this t-shirt now, it is awesome! Oh, it is also $85. - also true-- I tried on this great black shirt at A Pea in the Pod that Dr. C totally wanted for herself, despite being totally un-pregnant. I did not buy it, although I dream about it sometimes, minus the price tag.

The final insult is that, naturally, as I am a wee person, I had to get everything hemmed. This put the final tab up another $100. The tailor's grandson was there in the store when I got the price quote for trimming my bounty to wearable length, and his reaction was priceless.