Parenting: Our daily nanny log

 Less than a month left until our due date and things are coming together nicely.   This past week I ordered some nursing clothes which I plan on including in the go bag as well as just wanting some tank tops and such for once Joshua is here.  I also had my 36 week appointment this week and did all of the pre-admitting for the hospital and scheduled my last four appointments.  The nursery is all set up and thank you cards are out for all the gifts.  We did our labor and delivery class last Sunday and are feeling a little  bit more preapred as far as what to expect.  

I still need to build a go bag (the diaper bag is already done since none of that stuff needs to be used between now and whenever we go to the hospital).  Next weekend we plan on clearing out our registries for the items left.  Then the last thing we need to do is actually post our nanny job.  We plan on posting the job on sittercity.com  which only allows you to post a job three months out.  Since we want the nanny to start in January, it means we need to wait until the first week of October to post the job.  If we don't have someone hired by December we will probably also post on care.com since that should cast a wider net.  We have decided that we are considering paying extra for housekeeping as well.  We also broke down what we are expecting to pay which came out to about $8.50-$10.00/ hr with cleaning or $8.00-$9.50/ hr without.  

We also have the nanny log mostly done.  It took me a little bit to get used to the idea since it felt weird to me to have a log but I am glad we are doing it.  Especially since the nanny will come in the mornings when I am home and leave when Kevin gets home.  It just helps with continuity and keeping track of Joshua's schedule.  We decided to use google forms to keep track but we will just have one copy printed out and laminated for her to take notes on during the day.  Then the nanny won't need to be jumping on the computer for every update, she can just update it at the end of the day and it will automatically go into a spreadsheet.  Hopefully, this will help us avoid rushed conversations at the end of the day.  Below is the link to the nanny log.  Feel free to give it a try.  If you have any suggestions, feel free to leave your comments below.  (Please note: this will change when we move to solid foods. We also decided to leave diapers off as it just didn't seem necessary early on).
Joshua's Day Log

Parenting: Choosing Childcare

I guess it is probably time for another blog post.We are at 31 weeks and this little boy is already running out of room.  I wasn't sure what to write about since there isn't much change in my current situation.  I am due in about 2 months and Joshua seems to be growing healthily.  I have no concerns really to speak of and while most of the pregnancy symptoms really suck, it's still not that bad (though I am ever expanding). This week I did get Joshua's room a little more organized and cleared a space in our kitchen cabinets and linen closets for the addition of his things.  We are only a couple of weeks away from the baby shower and gifts are already starting to roll in! 

So, I figured instead of sharing how little things are changing, I will share some of the planning we have done in preparation for Joshua's arrival.And the question we get most is about what we intend to do for childcare.  So in this post, I will cover how we have chosen a nanny.  In a later post, I will cover things like how we intend to evaluate the job and also walking through our hiring process (we are still a couple of months from hiring anyone). 

How did we decide to get a nanny? Well it was a number of factors.  The first was really that we can afford it.  Money wasn't the main drive for wanting a nanny, but it was a show stopper.  If we couldn't afford it, then we weren't going to go any further.  So, Kevin and I looked at our budget from this year and looked at the money we are saving and have determined that by shifting the money we are saving to pay for the nanny, we have more than enough to cover the cost of a nanny.  To make sure we could afford a nanny, we factored how many hours we expected her to work in a week (aiming high at 40), then multiplying that by the minimum wage (our state's minimum wage  is higher than our federal).   We then spread it out over the course of a year because we want to pay more of a salary than hourly.  I have normally at least two extra days  off each month and we are actually expecting that the nanny will probably work closer to 35- 37 hours a week as Kevin and mine's schedules overlap. So realistically, their pay will average more than a dollar over minimum wage but we figured it would be better if our nanny just got the same paycheck every time so that she has a steady income and doesn't need to worry about what happens on my short work weeks. It's also worth noting that in our area, a starting nanny makes approximately 50 cents under minimum wage (which is illegal technically) so what we are able to offer is actually competitive in our area.  (We recognize that as we move, that may no longer be the case and we may need to explore other options).  

We also knew we wanted to set the agenda for our childcare every day.  We know we want Joshua read to every day, have tummy time and occasionally be taken on a walk.  As he gets older we want someone to work on sign language with him as well as other mile stones like talking and walking. For daycare, depending on where you go  determines what sort of care your child gets.  But no matter where you go they set the agenda, and you sign on for how they want to do things.  And part of setting the agenda for us is doing a daily nanny log.  (See next blog post!)

Other factors included wanting a flexible schedule as some days Kevin goes in early and some days he stays later and the schedule will be different as I have field exercises, training, etc.  without needing to worry about dropping Joshua off somewhere in the morning or picking him up.  We also didn't want to have to worry about what to do if Joshua gets sick and they wouldn't allow him in daycare for a few days.  I have seen many Soldiers in a rough place because every time they took their child to daycare during the winter, it seemed like their kid would get sick and then they would loose childcare for a few days (that they were still paying for of course) and it was just a vicious cycle.  Now, one of the cons to hiring a nanny is that if she calls in sick, there isn't an automatic backup.  But Kevin's schedule is very fluid and he can take time off most of the time with almost no notice, so we are willing to assume a little bit of risk there. 

So for us, a nanny was an easy choice of child care.  Though it is also worth mentioning that being in the military, it is very hard to find a day care off base that runs the same hours I do (which is a need for us because occasionally Kevin travels for work).  And on post, I would have to pay significantly more because I am an officer and Kevin makes good money (you pay based on your income, not based on the childcare being received). So day care would only be a little bit cheaper for us anyway. 

Life: Two trimesters down, one to go!

It's officially my last trimester! 26 weeks later and I figured it was about time for another update.  It feels good to be over the hump of knowing that if Joshua comes, he can survive.  Obviously, I want him to wait and develop fully and healthily but it is very comforting to know that he can come at any time.  In a couple of weeks, the Army restricts my work hours to no more than 8 hours a day, no more than 40 hours a week.  And yes, I am supposed to work up until my delivery day (unless the doctor's give me bed rest).

At this point in the pregnancy, I have been enjoying the normal symptoms of nosebleeds, heart burn, sciatic pain and low energy levels.  I have gained 20 pounds exactly  as of this morning and Joshua is kicking like crazy.  Kevin felt the kicking for the first time last week but it was off and on.  Now, if Joshua is kicking towards my front, my stomach moves noticeably.  It has become very distracting because now when I feel him kicking, I automatically want to look and see if I can see it.  Mostly he seems to like kicking me in the back, stomach and bladder.  

We've already put the crib together and got the bedding and wall decorations. We are waiting until we pick his dedication verse and then we will stencil it on his way and put the decals around it.  I am currently studying the book of Joshua during my daily readings for inspiration.  We have a few possibilities already, but our intention with the verse we choose is to help define the character we want our children to have.  

We have also been doing a fair amount of reading and have made a few "decisions" about life when Joshua comes and how we want to raise him.  I put "decisions" in quotes because these are mostly just the things we intend to try first.  For instance, we have just started talking about doing a birth plan and my current preference is to attempt a natural birth.  However, I am not opposed to getting anesthetic if that's how I feel once contractions start.  Similiarly, we have decided that once Joshua gets here, we intend to do the 90 Minute Baby Sleep Program.  Additionally, Kevin and I have decided that our child care choice is to use a nanny.  We will be waiting until his arrival is much closer to hire someone, but we will be using Sittercity to make our selection.  The last thing we have decided is that we are dropping most every commitment that we have outside of our jobs.  Since most of Joshua's time is going to be spent with the nanny, we both feel that it is really important to spend our time off with Joshua.  Not to mention the fact that unlike in most American sitcoms, we are expecting our life to change and revolve around fulfilling Joshua's needs.  Now, that's not to say we won't add things back to our social calendar as we feel able, but it will only be after we are sure that those things fit in the parameters of the type of parents we want to be.  

I think that's about it.  Just three short months left until Joshua is here and I think it will go fast and then slow.  Mostly because Kevin and I are taking a trip to Florida with my family at the end of the month and we are taking a trip back to Illinois in August (for a friend's bridal shower!) and a trip in early September for my baby shower.  And after all that traveling in the period of about a month, we will be coming home just to wait until Joshua arrives in mid-October.  

Life: We're expecting our first child!

Alright, I know I have suspiciously absent from blogging for the last few months.  At first, it was just the business of having friends and family coming to visit and hitting the slopes during any down time we had, but then that reason changed.  On February 13th, Kevin and I found out that we are expecting our first child.We kept the news mostly to ourselves until week 8 and decided that after we told our family, we wouldn't put anything online until we reached our second trimester (when the risk of miscarriage is greatly reduced).

Baby's first rattle- From my mom

13 weeks

We have had our first ultrasound and our due date has been set for October 19th.  It is hard to believe that we will have a baby  before the holidays even hit.  (If you didn't know, Kevin and I had decided to stop preventing children at the new year and had thus expected to it take the average 3-6 months to get pregnant. Instead it took less than 45 days). Kevin declared it as a boy the first night we found out while I wasn't feeling either way.  I still really don't feel any one way, but when we first saw baby moving and playing on the ultrasound, I said, "Wow! Look at him." So we shall see.  Neither of us are really hoping one way to another, but I think it is fun to try to guess.  We have every intention of finding out the sex at our 20 week appointment.

Assorted books- from my mom

Book from Aunt Heather

The Army has been both frustrating and extremely helpful during this time.  I didn't have my first appointment until week 8 and that was just an intake appointment (no ultrasound, just some lab work and family history) and I had my first ultrasound in week 11.   The Army is pretty good about not doing an unnecessary testing (unlike a regular physician who can get away with charging insurance companies for extra ultrasounds that don't really have a purpose) which is both good and frustrating.  Naturally, I would have wanted to see baby much earlier, but at the same time, I appreciate the idea of not indulging everyone of my wants.  I have also been going to pregnancy physical training instead of my normal unit PT.  This includes one day a week of prenatal yoga, one day of pool PT, two days of either cardio or light weight training and one day of classes.  The classes are taught my nurses and midwives that cover a range of topics from how STDs can affect pregnancy and delivery to nutrition to delivery methods.  It really helps that instead of having a bunch of extra appointments during the day, most of our education occurs during our regular hours and I know that if I have a question, I will see a nurse that week (though with my step mom and best friend both being doctors, I normally just text one of them when I have a question).

Soft ducky- from my mom

For those wondering, and since I have already been asked, this doesn't change anything about me being in the Army.  I got pregnant with every intention of staying in.  Technically, my commitment is up next May, but I plan on staying in past that at this point.  Yes, I can get out of the Army now that I am pregnant but no, I am not planning to.  Even if I change my mind after baby's here, (which I know some of you may be hoping for) I will at least stay in until next May and fulfill the commitment I first made.  Kevin and I timed it this way so that we would almost be forced to try and make things work with us both working.  I am not the type of person to quit because something is tough, but I will quit if I decide this is something I don't want to do anymore.  If I am being perfectly honest, I cannot imagine that I won't want to be in the Army after baby is here.  I love my job and though I am

Baby's first piggy bank- from my mom

sure I could find success elsewhere, I appreciate the structure and responsibility that doesn't exist outside our military.  If I am not in the Army, I will probably be a stay at home mom, at least for a while.   So, the question will be "do I want to be at home with baby more than I want to be in the Army?"  At this point, Kevin and I are planning on me being in until 2017/18.  If plans change, they change.  If I go for twenty years, then awesome.  If I decided I am done after my four, then so be it.

Baby's first ducky- from my mom

As far as my first trimester of pregnancy, I started getting morning sickness at week five and by week six, I had already moved into nausea with vomiting.  I have experienced a few other symptoms too (congestion, nose bleeds, fatigue, cravings, food aversions and pretty much everything in between too) and that has changed some things around our house.  For instance, I haven't been cooking much and Kevin has had to do some of the grocery shopping.  But things are slowly returning back to normal.  In fact, yesterday we hiked 12 miles to the top of a mountain and back (about 4500 ft in elevation change).  I plan on continuing to hike, but I am not sure that we will be doing any more mountain climbing as I get bigger (mostly because of the risk of falling on the snow and ice that is still up around the 10,000 ft mark).  We cut our ski season short this year in part because of the risk of falling (not much for me), but more because the morning sickness pretty much killed any desire I had to get up early and be in a car for two and a half hours.  The only weird food things have been that for the first time in my life I don't want anything to do with vegetables (which I normally love) and have only really been able to do raw carrots and I haven't really wanted chocolate (super weird for me).  I have craved McDonald's (so weird!) and Chipotle (not surprising!).

Kevin and I hiking

Bible- from my mom

Kevin and I have only bought a couple of things for baby.  The first is a bag I intend to use as a diaper bag.  I bought it during a thirty-one benefit party for Caring-for-Carter.  I bought a bag called the city weekender (may look small in the pic but it is definitely a bag for an adult with enough room for a couple of changes of clothes, etc.).  I figured it was perfect since I didn't really need or want a new purse, and this is the type of thing I can use on weekend trips after baby doesn't need a diaper bag anymore.  The second item we bought is a play yard.  We decided to buy this early since our 8 month old niece will be staying with us in a couple of weeks and we didn't have any place for her to stay.  We pretty much went with the most expensive model because it packs compactly and will be perfect for our trips back to Illinois.  It has a removable bassinet with a stand, a changing table, storage under the changing table area, a raised bassinet and then the normal play pen for when baby gets bigger.  I sent my sister-in-law a picture to let her know we have a place for our niece to sleep and she told me that her and her husband were planning on getting us a pack in play as a gift so that they could use it during their visit!  I just had to laugh that we had the exact same idea, I was just faster at ordering.  Also bought were onesies to announce we were expecting to aunts and uncles, and some bottles, blankets, jammies and a toy to tell my mom.  But none of those things are here with me and I don't have pictures, sorry.

Baby's first onesie- from Michelle

We have also had a few people already starting to buy baby gifts.  My friend Michelle technically got the first baby gift (but she was also told early as I felt horribly guilty.  I am supposed to be a bridesmaid in her wedding on October 18th and baby is due the next day!)  Naturally, since we met in college, she bought baby's first Illini gear.  My mom came in second with a silver rattle, a duck toy (we are going pond themed for the nursery since it is gender neutral), and a piggy bank.  Since then, I only know of one toy that has been bought by my mom and a bunch of books.  My mom and sister have made it their mission to create baby's library.  

Life: Happy New Year!

Ok, so this isn't the normal New Year's blog.  This is the long over due blog.  The, I haven't blogged since before Thanksgiving, which means I have a lot to update blog. So, I think the fastest and easiest way to provide you with a proper update is through pictures.  Since I have last updated....

We finished the kitchen....

My family came to visit. So we went skiing...

And visited Pike's Peak and had dinner at P.F. Changs....

Then I hosted Thanksgiving dinner...

I sliced open my finger trying to julien carrots (whoops!)...

I had my wisdom teeth pulled (with no swelling woo hoo!)...

I got glasses...

A pipe burst in our crawl space...

We saw a play starring a friend (bet you can't guess what it was)...

We went skiing with friends (and my husband was not happy about stopping to take a picture)...

I got a hair cut...

We traveled to Illinois...

...where I got to see my friend Sam and her family...

...and meet my sweet niece for the first time which was my favorite Christmas present this year...

...and Kevin and I took our puppies for a two mile run and wore them out...

...and played killer bunnies (twice)...

...and then we drove home, and Hoeffer couldn't get comfortable...

...where we picked up a friend's dogs while she is out of town with her husband who is on R&R...

... and I got to plant my aero garden (countertop, self-sustaining herb garden) that I am really excited about.

Also, without pictures, I set up my Christmas tree and Kevin has started working on building a server in our house.  Our media server is up and running and now he is working on our NAS.  I have also mostly packed for Mexico (we leave in a couple of days).  And my stocks are doing great (I passed a 75% gain on my initial investing today!).  I have no New Year's resolutions, but I am excited to start the year.  Once we get back from Mexico, we plan on trying 30 days of Paleo eating, so you all can expect that our favorite recipes will definitely be shared).  I am also looking forward to a slower pace that allows for more workouts and blogging. But this year is also bringing a new job in a new unit and I have to say, I am excited about the change.