Bryce's birthday is on Tuesday, so to celebrate we went out for dinner and a movie. My Mom and Dad were nice enough to come up and watch Charlotte, and I have been absolutely amazed at the transformation they have both made into Grandparents. They completely cover Charlotte with hugs and kisses and just can't get enough of her!
Bryce and I were planning on going to Cirque du Soliel but didn't start soon enough because tickets were already sold out. I am usually such a planner, but these days I'm lucky if I can remember what I'm supposed to do tomorrow. We settled on dinner and a movie close by so that I wouldn't have to leave too many bottles and we are going to try to see Cirque sometime before they leave Atlanta. Bryce really wanted to see Defiance, but it was only playing in the morning so we defaulted to the movie of my choice, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. What a good husband I have to let me choose the movie on HIS birthday! The movie was a beautiful story that left me teary eyed on more than one occasion. I was totally blown away by the make up artistry in the movie, I am still trying to figure out how they made Cate Blanchett look so young and how I can get some of that! For much of the movie Cate Blanchett is a ballet dancer, which totally appealed to me because I miss dance so much, and they filmed the most beautiful scenes of her. I have always thought Brad Pitt is attractive but this movie definitely amped it up a notch, he was so beautiful to look at! This movie was worth seeing in the theater. I also made a run for Starbucks, it is such a rare treat for me to get anything with caffeine in it now. I slurped down my Mocha Frappucinno before Bryce was even a quarter of the way through his. This was the first Starbucks I had in over a year and I was craving it!
After the movie Bryce and I headed to Bonefish Grill to fulfill Bryce's seafood fix. Bryce and his family are from Wilmington North Carolina and absolutely love seafood while I might eat seafood four or five times a year. Bryce ordered the Grouper and I had the pecan crusted trout which were both excellent (and worth the hour wait). We came home to find Charlotte bathed and ready for bed, dinner for tomorrow ready in the fridge, and laundry finished and folded. After seeing all of this of course Bryce said we should go out more often!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Bryce and I have spent the majority of this week hunting down an alternative caregiver. We have checked out four different options and I have probably experienced every range of emotion this week. I'll try to keep some names anonymous since I know jobs and lives are at stake here.
I visited alternate number one on Wednesday on my way home from school, and man I could not leave that place fast enough. When I walked up to the entrance there was a nice big sign on the door saying that the door needed to be locked at all times, and that you had to be buzzed in to enter-a wonderful security feature! Except that the door was propped open, and there wasn't even a person in sight when I walked into the building. After waiting in the lobby and listening to two parents discuss how sick their children have been this winter, and how they can't seem to get over their colds, I was escorted into the infant room. The ratio in the infant room was 4:1, however one of the "teachers" barely looked old enough to have graduated high school and both of the adults in the room didn't pay any attention to the kids while they were talking to me. I know they were trying to tell me what they thought I wanted to hear, but it really backfired. All I could think was "If you are making these concessions for me, who else are you bending the rules for?!". The straw that broke the camels back was the sad little baby who sat in her crib pounding on the Plexiglas to be let out. Visions of Charlotte sitting in that same spot had me running for the door!
Alternate number two was a lady who has done in-home daycare for almost 30 years. She has definitely "been there, done that" and practically answered all of our questions before we even asked them. She has a spot for us on Fridays, but can't guarantee us anything for the fall. State law says that in-home daycare providers can only have six kids, and she isn't sure if she will have an opening or not. Bryce and I left her home feeling a bit more relaxed and confidant that Charlotte would spend the day being nurtured if we brought her there.
Alternate number three was a private daycare/school in our area. Bryce and I were extremely impressed with the cleanliness of the facility and the security protocol they have in place. Forget being buzzed in from a locked door, this place had security cameras and a pin code that had to be entered. This option is definitely more focused on "curriculum" and "quality assurance", something I really have to search my heart about. Yes, I believe that Charlotte is a very smart little girl and should be given every opportunity to grow and learn-but do I also believe that my four month old needs a lesson plan and a quarterly performance assessment? I'm not so sure. Obviously as an educator I know how important it is to establish good habits and skills, but at what point are you pushing too early? Not to mention that tuition for this center is more than our mortgage!! I think a place like this will definitely be in our plans when Charlotte gets older.
Alternate number four was an interview we had tonight, another in-home lady who has devoted herself to the wee little ones. We actually met her at Wal-mart when I was pregnant and she told me then that she kept kids for a living. Somehow I got her number again through the state website, and I can't shake the feeling that fate made our paths cross then and now. Her whole basement is set up as a play/learning area, and she seems to have a great balance between play time and structured activity time. She is a very strong Christian, and expressed to Bryce and I
many times that she believes that God brings people to her that need a loving home away from home for their children. She could not have been more right! I have prayed so hard for God to take away my anxiety about finding a suitable substitute for Charlotte, knowing that if I can just put all my trust in him that the right person would come along. She only has enough room to take us as a drop in for right now, but I know we will be provided for and the right situation will work itself out.
I knew it would be hard to leave Charlotte when I went back to work, but I had no idea the stress and anxiety that would come with ensuring that she is cared for in my absence. She is such a happy, lovable, loving baby and I don't want anything to happen that would change that!
I visited alternate number one on Wednesday on my way home from school, and man I could not leave that place fast enough. When I walked up to the entrance there was a nice big sign on the door saying that the door needed to be locked at all times, and that you had to be buzzed in to enter-a wonderful security feature! Except that the door was propped open, and there wasn't even a person in sight when I walked into the building. After waiting in the lobby and listening to two parents discuss how sick their children have been this winter, and how they can't seem to get over their colds, I was escorted into the infant room. The ratio in the infant room was 4:1, however one of the "teachers" barely looked old enough to have graduated high school and both of the adults in the room didn't pay any attention to the kids while they were talking to me. I know they were trying to tell me what they thought I wanted to hear, but it really backfired. All I could think was "If you are making these concessions for me, who else are you bending the rules for?!". The straw that broke the camels back was the sad little baby who sat in her crib pounding on the Plexiglas to be let out. Visions of Charlotte sitting in that same spot had me running for the door!
Alternate number two was a lady who has done in-home daycare for almost 30 years. She has definitely "been there, done that" and practically answered all of our questions before we even asked them. She has a spot for us on Fridays, but can't guarantee us anything for the fall. State law says that in-home daycare providers can only have six kids, and she isn't sure if she will have an opening or not. Bryce and I left her home feeling a bit more relaxed and confidant that Charlotte would spend the day being nurtured if we brought her there.
Alternate number three was a private daycare/school in our area. Bryce and I were extremely impressed with the cleanliness of the facility and the security protocol they have in place. Forget being buzzed in from a locked door, this place had security cameras and a pin code that had to be entered. This option is definitely more focused on "curriculum" and "quality assurance", something I really have to search my heart about. Yes, I believe that Charlotte is a very smart little girl and should be given every opportunity to grow and learn-but do I also believe that my four month old needs a lesson plan and a quarterly performance assessment? I'm not so sure. Obviously as an educator I know how important it is to establish good habits and skills, but at what point are you pushing too early? Not to mention that tuition for this center is more than our mortgage!! I think a place like this will definitely be in our plans when Charlotte gets older.
Alternate number four was an interview we had tonight, another in-home lady who has devoted herself to the wee little ones. We actually met her at Wal-mart when I was pregnant and she told me then that she kept kids for a living. Somehow I got her number again through the state website, and I can't shake the feeling that fate made our paths cross then and now. Her whole basement is set up as a play/learning area, and she seems to have a great balance between play time and structured activity time. She is a very strong Christian, and expressed to Bryce and I
many times that she believes that God brings people to her that need a loving home away from home for their children. She could not have been more right! I have prayed so hard for God to take away my anxiety about finding a suitable substitute for Charlotte, knowing that if I can just put all my trust in him that the right person would come along. She only has enough room to take us as a drop in for right now, but I know we will be provided for and the right situation will work itself out.
I knew it would be hard to leave Charlotte when I went back to work, but I had no idea the stress and anxiety that would come with ensuring that she is cared for in my absence. She is such a happy, lovable, loving baby and I don't want anything to happen that would change that!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Maybe a breakthrough!
I had my very first morning of panic when I woke up and realized "Charlotte did not wake up all night!". Granted it was 4:30 in the morning, and she actually did wake up around 5, but my alarm had already gone off and I was already up! I never had that feeling when I was home with Charlotte on maternity leave because she gradually started sleeping later and later, so it was never a big shock to wake up and see what time it was. Since I have returned to work Charlotte has been up around 1 or 2, so last night was a big night! She slept from 8-5 again, yeah!! Charlotte has always been a crier as soon as she is awake, but lately I've heard her "talking" over the monitor instead. I love their little sleepy faces in the morning! They look so curious like they are trying to figure out what this day will bring, and so innocent and sheepish like they've been caught doing something they weren't supposed to! I have NEVER been a morning person, but Charlotte sure does make mornings a whole lot nicer!
Monday, January 26, 2009
What a good Daddy!
Bryce is home with Charlotte today because I've used all my sick time on maternity leave and Monica had a doctor's appointment. Bryce has already emailed me twice at work to say everything is going great, and she is eating and napping well. I jokingly asked Bryce if he wants to be a stay at home Dad and his response was "Bring it on!". I will say that Bryce always loves a challenge, but we definitely need both incomes! Charlotte sure does love her Daddy though!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
It's all in a name
After staring at a list of 25 licensed in-home daycare providers in my area I found myself near tears trying to contemplate how to choose a person to care for my child based on their name. I kept feeling their name out, saying it over and over trying to determine if somehow I could imagine trusting my life to a person with that name. It turned out to be a moot point, I started at the top of the list and soon realized that finding someone was going to be a lot harder than I thought. Out of every person I called, only two were even willing to watch children under one! Both ladies don't currently have a spot, but have put us on their waiting list for the fall and we are going to interview with one of the ladies later this week. There is a possibility that she will have an opening on Fridays starting in March, which would be a huge help to us because all of Monica's shows are on the weekend. I kind of insisted that she see us for an interview because I feel so sure that once she actually sees Charlotte she will fall in love with her cute face and try to work us in somehow, plus I wanted to be able to check out her space before I got my hopes up. We actually have two factors working against us though, one is that Charlotte is so young but the other is that Bryce and I are both teachers. It is going to be really tough to find someone who won't make us pay to hold her spot over the summer, but not paying for child care over the summer would save us close to two thousand dollars. Whew, there's more to this baby stuff than I ever realized! So now our prayers will be focused on finding that perfect place for Charlotte to go during the day, I want nothing less than the best for my baby!
Who could resist that face?!
Friday, January 23, 2009
TGIF!
Another week has blown by. I can't wait to spend the weekend hanging out with Bryce and Charlotte, it is my favorite thing to do now! Weekends are especially nice because Bryce gets up for one feeding now, and I can have actual sleep for hours in a row. AAAH! I don't know what it is about those "short" weeks that seem so LONG!!
Bryce's Mom has been trying to get her own business up and running so she is entering shows that are out of state now. On the days she is out of town we will need someone to watch Charlotte while we are at work, and finding that substitute loving environment for Charlotte is top on my list of things to do this weekend. If you live in our area and can recommend someone that would be great! Also on our list of things to do is take down our Christmas lights outside (Hey, there are some people who never take them down, at least we have an excuse this year!) and find a wall calendar. I feel like I am going a little crazy without my calendar to write everything down on! Bryce on the other hand is enjoying the more lax approach!
Bryce's Mom has been trying to get her own business up and running so she is entering shows that are out of state now. On the days she is out of town we will need someone to watch Charlotte while we are at work, and finding that substitute loving environment for Charlotte is top on my list of things to do this weekend. If you live in our area and can recommend someone that would be great! Also on our list of things to do is take down our Christmas lights outside (Hey, there are some people who never take them down, at least we have an excuse this year!) and find a wall calendar. I feel like I am going a little crazy without my calendar to write everything down on! Bryce on the other hand is enjoying the more lax approach!
Monday, January 19, 2009
New Rocking Chair
Two ladies at my work surprised me with a rocking chair for Charlotte. It literally brought tears to my eyes I was so touched, and the chair is absolutely perfect for her room. I know this is a piece of furniture we will keep in our family forever, and I will always remember the two sweet ladies who wanted Charlotte to have her own chair to read in! Doesn't it look perfect with her rug?!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Our little girl is 4 months old
I cannot believe it! Sometimes I look at her now and think where did all the time go?! I think that somehow at three months she could still be called a newborn but now she looks like an infant instead of just a little baby. She has been entertaining Bryce and I so much, she is trying out new sounds every day (today it is a high pitched squeal) and she has found her sense of humor. She was laughing so loud at the dogs playing the other day (check out the video below). She loves to giggle and laugh, and her new favorite is to be danced around the room. I love hearing her laugh! She has been so much better with going out now too. Bryce and I took a chance at a Mexican restaurant down the road, we both ate super fast because we were afraid she would start crying at any moment and we didn't want to be those people (you know the ones who get a dirty look for bringing the crying kid to a grown up place). Charlotte was great though. She didn't fuss and she just sat in her carseat and watched. We even took her to the mall and got some shopping done. Her little cheeks were so red because she gets hot so easy and every store has the heat blasting and bright lights going, but she was a trooper.
She has been sleeping better at night as well. She's not back to being as good a sleeper as she was before I went to work, but she is getting better. She usually wakes up between 2 and 3 now and then sleeps until Bryce comes in to wake her up and get her ready for Monica's. I decided I am going to try and hold off on the cereal for as long as I can. I don't know what happened to me! Before I had Charlotte, I was totally fine with formula and all the baby foods-but now I just can't get out of my head how gross and artificial it all seems. At any rate, I believe that God gave me breast milk because that is what is best for her and it makes total sense to me that since I have it breast milk should be enough for now. I would at least like her to show an interest in food before we move on to using a spoon! It is possible that I am being selfish here as well, I had no idea that the bond you develop by breastfeeding a baby would be so deep. I enjoy the time we get to spend together when it is just the two of us and she is so content. I think going back to work would have been even more devastating if I didn't have those special moments to look forward to. Even when I get up at night now, I try to put a positive spin on her feedings and think that I get to spend just a few more peaceful minutes with her and in those moments it feels as though all is right in the world.
Here are some pictures of our beauty:
She wants to sit up by herself so bad!
Pink cheeks after a day out
All bundled up for the snow flurries!
We didn't think about video of her laughing until she was almost done, but you can get a glimpse!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Memories
Life has been so busy that I tend to only write about the most important things, but I want to preserve a lot of our little memories too. I cleaned out Charlotte's closet and had to put away all of her newborn clothes, that got me thinking about how fast time is flying! Here are some of our moments in time:
The sink was so full of dishes on Christmas day that we had to give Charlotte her first bath in the "big bathtub". Bryce wouldn't let me go back to the sink after that, but Charlotte loves bath time anywhere she gets it.
Charlotte loves her new activity center by Baby Einstein because all she wants to do now is stand up. This thing talks in different languages!
I keep getting overwhelmed when I realize Charlotte is not a newborn any more! The consolation prize is getting to pick out new clothes and new toys that say they are for three month olds!
We bought Baxter a neoprene brace for his leg. He tends to get excited when people come over and we want to be able to go on long walks in the spring, so this has been a great way to help keep his joint stable.
It is absolutely amazing to me that four months have flown by since Charlotte's birth. Life changes so quickly!
The sink was so full of dishes on Christmas day that we had to give Charlotte her first bath in the "big bathtub". Bryce wouldn't let me go back to the sink after that, but Charlotte loves bath time anywhere she gets it.
Charlotte loves her new activity center by Baby Einstein because all she wants to do now is stand up. This thing talks in different languages!
I keep getting overwhelmed when I realize Charlotte is not a newborn any more! The consolation prize is getting to pick out new clothes and new toys that say they are for three month olds!
We bought Baxter a neoprene brace for his leg. He tends to get excited when people come over and we want to be able to go on long walks in the spring, so this has been a great way to help keep his joint stable.
It is absolutely amazing to me that four months have flown by since Charlotte's birth. Life changes so quickly!
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Too tired for words
But I will try to think of some anyway. We took Charlotte to the Pediatrician yesterday after about four nights of less than four hours of sleep (for me). Charlotte has been acting like she is starving and reverted back to newborn stage of eating every two and a half hours around the clock and fussing when it is time to go to sleep. Needless to say, when the four thirty am alarm clock goes off I am literally saying a curse word out loud. If you add insomnia on top of the round the clock feedings I'm sure you can imagine just how tired I am (I think I am having trouble falling asleep because I am unconsciously listening to the monitor or waiting for her to cry) . When I called the doctor's office to describe her behavior and added that she has started drooling a lot and sucking on her hands all the time they told me to bring her in to check for an ear infection. Apparently they thought that maybe she was fussy when laying down at night because the inner ear fluids were bothering her, and that she was sucking on her hands/nursing to comfort herself. So, off to the office we went but they found absolutely nothing wrong with her. She is up to thirteen pounds now, right on target. She is eating around 28-30 ounces a day, also right on target. Her ears looked great, she's not cutting teeth....it was basically chalked up to a big growth spurt. The nurse told me I can give her rice cereal if I want to, but I haven't made that decision yet. I need to do some research, but honestly my gut tells me to continue breastfeeding as we have been and let her get past this phase. When we go back for her four month check up and shots the pediatrician I love at her office will be back from maternity leave, and then maybe I will feel more comfortable about making changes to her diet. I suppose we'll just tough it out for now!
100 most popular baby names of 2008
100 most popular baby names of 2008 |
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Busy as a bee
We spent our winter break surrounded by family and friends. It was SO GOOD to get to catch up with everyone and show Charlotte off!
Colin and Jenn Kelley (sorority sister from college)
Colin just wanted to hold the baby!
Raigan showing Charlotte what she got for Christmas.
Raigan and Bryce playing on her new Nintendo DS
Dinner with Laney and Amber Vickers (another wonderful friend from college)
Spent a day watching football with Uncle Charlie
Christmas with Aunt Jenna
Lunch with Kaiden and Katie Kirk (Katie and I first bonded while teaching in Gwinnett)
Beckie, Charlotte, Kaiden, Katie, and Pierce (making his debut this spring!)
Charlotte and Nathan checking each other out
I wonder how long I will call him baby Nathan?!
Andrea, Nathan, Beckie, Charlotte (roommate in college and now my Pharmacist-or at least I should probably pay her to be with all the advice she gives me!)
I also visited a friend from work, Nikki, and her new baby Callie. Callie was so precious...she slept almost the entire time I was there and made the cutest little noises! I know Nikki is not looking forward to coming back to work, but we will all like having her around again!
Colin and Jenn Kelley (sorority sister from college)
Colin just wanted to hold the baby!
Raigan showing Charlotte what she got for Christmas.
Raigan and Bryce playing on her new Nintendo DS
Dinner with Laney and Amber Vickers (another wonderful friend from college)
Spent a day watching football with Uncle Charlie
Christmas with Aunt Jenna
Lunch with Kaiden and Katie Kirk (Katie and I first bonded while teaching in Gwinnett)
Beckie, Charlotte, Kaiden, Katie, and Pierce (making his debut this spring!)
Charlotte and Nathan checking each other out
I wonder how long I will call him baby Nathan?!
Andrea, Nathan, Beckie, Charlotte (roommate in college and now my Pharmacist-or at least I should probably pay her to be with all the advice she gives me!)
I also visited a friend from work, Nikki, and her new baby Callie. Callie was so precious...she slept almost the entire time I was there and made the cutest little noises! I know Nikki is not looking forward to coming back to work, but we will all like having her around again!
Saturday, January 3, 2009
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