Time for a Change

If you watched the 6 p.m. news tonight, you heard my big announcement. I am changing directions in my life and going down a new path. I am taking a job with the Huntsville Hospital Foundation, which manages the Melissa George Neonatal Memorial Fund. As many of you know, my husband Chris and I established this fund in memory of our daughter Melissa. All the money we raise goes to buy equipment for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Huntsville Hospital for Women and Children. I will have the opportunity to work directly on my daughter's fund. It was an opportunity I couldn't pass up.

I actually made this decision while I was on maternity leave. For the first time in my life, I was home at night with my husband and children. I have worked nights for 10 years and until now, Chris and I made it work. But now that we have two children, it has become increasingly hard to continue to work those long hours and spend the quality time that I should at home. Right now, I get home at 7 p.m. and have about a half hour with Ann Catherine before it's time to give her a bath and then put her to bed. And then once she's asleep, it's time for me to go back to work.

My children are gifts from God and mean the world to me. I realized that I couldn't continue to work those hours and be the mother and wife that I need to be. As I was pondering that decision, the opportunity to work at the foundation presented itself. I prayed about it and agonized over it. And when I listed my pros and cons, I kept coming back to this: the job at the foundation will allow me to be home in the evenings with my family.

My girls won't be this young forever. And they need their mother. As I said on the anchor desk tonight, I have loved sitting next to Jerry for the past 7 years, but my daughters need me more.

I am going to miss my co-workers here at Channel 19. We have been through the good and the bad together. But I won't miss the crazy hours. Or coming to work during a tornado and leaving my family at home.

And the opportunity to further Melissa's legacy is just the icing on the cake. How many people get the chance to do something they feel so passionate about?

Although I'm leaving the anchor desk, I won't be leaving Channel 19 entirely. I will expand this blog. I want it to become a destination for women just like me who are trying to juggle career and motherhood. I want it to be a place where we exchange ideas and learn from each other. And I also want it to be a place for parents of premature babies to gather. I want us to share our experiences and help each other. I am currently working on the design of this blog, but please, email me and let me know what you would like to see. It can't work without you!

I will also host monthly webchats and appear on television from time to time. So I'm not walking away completely.

If you missed my announcement, please click here to watch it. And please email me your thoughts for my new blog at amy.george@whnt.com.

By the way, my last day on air is Wednesday, February 28th. Until then, I'll see you on TV!