This is going to be a post of hypotheticals, but at the moment it is playing on my mind, so i I write it down I may be able to stop thinking about it.

I am a teacher and teach in the public system, I have yet to get my permanency in my job (that is a whole other thread) so at the end of each school year my job contract ends, and I may or may not be able to stay at the school I am teaching at that year, depending on there staffing requirements, and any permanent teachers trying to transfer in- also because I only work part time it depends if there are any teachers available to tandem teach with me. So basically each christmas I am left not knowing whether I will be employed for the next year or not, and whether I can stay at the same school or have to move on.

In June last year after I had been on Mat leave with my DS I started at a new school, I worked for the last 2 terms there last year tandeming with another teacher, and this year we have stayed on at the same school, continuing our tandem. Because the school is essentially a difficult to staff school in the Metro area, if I do 2 consequetive years of good service, I am eligable to get my permanency. Because of the change of govt etc I think the 2 years started from the start of this year and not back in June when I started last year.

Now to my dilema- DH and I are in negotiations over having #3, essentially I would like to start trying in Dec and hope to be due Sept- oct time, my reasoning for this is I am elligible for Mat leave of 14 weeks (paid)- but because I am a fixed term teacher if I am only due say 4 weeks before the end of my contract I only get 4 weeks paid leave- so I would like to take full benifit of the leave. But if we have a baby then, I won't have done my 2 years of service (providing I get posted back to the same school in 2010) and wont be eligible for my permanency. If we wait it out so that I can get my permenancy, we will have to wait till August next year before TTC so I can ensure that I get my paid leave, am employed up until I am ready to go on leave etc.

So I guess my thoughts are I don't know whether to have another baby when I want to- and realise there is plenty of time for my career (I have never been out of work yet), or whether to wait it out and get my permenancy but have a bigger age gap between my kids etc.

If you were in my situation what would you do?

(and if you made it to the end of my ramblings I thank you )