Day Care update!!!

So, my heart skipped, skidded and crashed...

Hubby sent me an email saying, in effect, he didn't think our daycare was good for Ocoee. You see, when I think something is wrong or bad, I sometimes need Mike's perspective because I can be a bit judgy and have unrealistic expectations at times....but when hubby thinks something is wrong I know we need to take action.

They aren't bad, this daycare, just not the right fit for us.

So I called our other daycare, the crunchy, cool parent co-op that we had reserved for the fall, and begged if there was an opening....

And there was. The director was just about to call me. Amazing. My heart lifted and I was so happy. This seems meant to be.

She will start at Hillcrest the first week of February. They also do cloth diapers, they are small and homey, with a welcoming vibe and a great philosophy. We are required to volunteer 20 hours a year...brilliant idea. I can't wait.

So this going back to work has been harder than I thought. But I am feeling empowered about our change. I hope little bug likes it as much as we do...or else plan C....hide her in my office :)

Cheers

J

Nature versus Nurture

This is Ocoee's new thing...she lays this way all the time. When she cries- I think, Yea I wish I could put my hands over my ears too. Other times I think she is telling us a really good story that goes, So this bunny was hoping through the woods like this....

That might be because I wrote my first book at age 5 about a bunny. Still shocked that didn't win a junior Pulitzer or something.

I give this a lot of thought, does nature make us who we are or is the nurturing we receive (or don't) shape us?

I don't know but I am betting on nurture, cause I am the betting kind of gal. Here is a good quote that shows the type of thing I hope to nurture in you, baby bug.

"I have no special talents, I am just passionately curious."-Albert Enstein

I hope you are passionately curious.

Happy 14 week birthday!! Your daddy turns 34 on Sunday. Oh how lucky I am to have you both as the center of my world.

Cheers

J

Top whatever lists...

So my dear friend Dan is an expert list maker and I bow at his greatness. He challenged me to make an inferior list to his and I just can't muster up the energy...so like every good teacher I know I will just steal his...with his permission.

So here it goes.

Albums of the year

1) black keys- el camino. Frickin' rifftastic.
2) Decemberists- the king is dead- instant classic
3) foo fighters - wasting light - just catchy I'm sorry it is.
4) radiohead - king of limbs- with bsides possibly #3
5) strokes - angles- nice little record

6) my morning jacket - circuital
7) death cab for cutie - codes and keys
8) the head and the heart - self titled

9) wilco - whole love

10) Bon iver - self titled
11) bright eyes - peoples key
12) blitzen trapper - American goldwing
13) pj Harvey - let England shake

14) iron & wine - kiss each other clean
15) book of Mormon soundtrack

The only area I am going to challenge him is where is Florence + The Machine, Lungs. The song, dog days are over, is so amazing. It was on our birth play list and my doctor actually stopped working for a moment and asked, "Who is this?"

We also discussed songs our babies heard and we both have a special spot in our heart for Eddie Vedder's, Into the Wild, soundtrack. D.P and K.P. listened to this album right before their son, Eddie (of course) was born and the song, Society, from the album was playing when Ocoee was born. Good music synergy.

So what albums would you add?? Leave a comment and tell me.

And my own little list...

Top things I love about your darling, baby.

1. Your ears, nose and toes...and everything in between.

2. Your go, go, go spirit.

3. Your smile

4. Watching you and your daddy play in bed before I go to work.

I could go on and on......

Cheers

J

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I am cursed I tell you...cursed!

That is sorta how I feel. First, yesterday after all the emotional turmoil of taking baby to the daycare for the first time, I rushed out of work to get her at 3:15....3:17 baby was in my arms and being smothered with love.

3:22, all of babies belongings were gathered and we head out the door. This is when my brilliant thinking is crushed by bad karma or a curse of some time.

For those of you who have read my blog before you will have dejavu. I looked my keys in the car...while it was running.

No bambino this time thank god. See here in Alaska it is butt cold. Like negative 5 yesterday when these events went down.

So I thought it would be very mothering and smart of me to leave my car running to stay warm, slip key fob with lock/unlock thingy on it, lock car and go grab Ocoee.

Damn key fob didn't work to unlock.....so I called hubby...again to come rescue me. He works close luckily. I used to have this problem in college until I bought a 1987 nissan maxima that had a number code for the entry....perfect. I could purposely lock my keys in the car and retrieve them with a code....worked great until one night after a few drinky drinks and I forgot the code.

Anyways I digress.

The other way I am cursed is that I am allergic to work....really.

Today at 10 minutes until 11 I started sneezing...and sneezing. I couldn't stop. Then my eyes started to swell, throat got itchy and began to swell closed....so what did I do. Go to my meeting of course and drip snot, sneeze and choke my way through it. A dear coworker was concerned and offered me a water bottle, then her concern grew to panic..."Um, Janelle are you breaking out in hives???

YEP!

So off to the nurse I went. Who gave me 1/2 a dose of children's Benadryl. Hives are gone, feel more or less normal but am so, so sleepy. Really how do people take this stuff....off for a nap in the corner now.

Cheers

j

First day update

9:01

Baby is sleeping. She was pretty cranky tonight. Daycare was too dang exciting to sleep. Having just a few afternoon hours with her was hard but I pulled my big girl pants up and decided to suck it up buttercup and appreciate those moments instead of feeling sad for the ones I lost.

As her shirt says, we do have the good life!

First day of daycare

So we all knew this day was coming, but it seemed to have snuck up on me anyway. I had long chats with Ocoee about daycare and how much fun she would have and how she needed to be a big girl and face the brave new world of daycare with out me. She seemed to take it all in stride.

Then today came. We packed everything up the night before and loaded the car. We got a good nights sleep and tried to mentally prepare ourselves. Hubby accompanied me for the big event. And it went....

Great for Ocoee. She was unflustered and happily cooing away at the sweet grandmas who run the infant room when I left....or as hubby called it, "I thought I was going to have to pull you away." I was very proud I didn't cry until I was alone in the car.

So here are the positives of daycare.

1. I can make some money for our family, I love being an educator and they pay me for it....total bonus. The 8 weeks they pay you for runs out fast, I have been gone for a total of 14 weeks. We budget very well and have been ok but it will be nice to see a paycheck again.

2. Our daycare lets me cloth diaper. So happy about this since I love my fuzzibunz and so does Ocoee.

3. Routine. I have time to workout post school and her daycare is just a few blocks from my work, gym and favorite stores.

4. Adult time-I am a very social person and adult time to chat and have non-poop related conversation is important.

And now the negatives.

I MISS MY BABY!

So I can yell that here and no one thinks I am crazy because I sorta feel like yelling it at work and they would think I am crazy....well some of them anyways.

I am actually very lucky. My school is warm and welcoming and my office mate has kids of his own so didn't mind me blabbering on and on about Ocoee for most of the morning.

Also her daycare is very close so I went over to check on her for lunch. I was on the way out the door when my principal told me to not go...not that I couldn't but he said it would be bad for baby....confuse her and all that....I didn't care I was going hell or high water.

Bad Idea. Just made me cry all over again and she was so ambivalent about seeing me. I wanted her to be so excited to see her mama but she was more concerned with all the new lights and people she could look at.

The grandmas once again scolded me for not having socks on her......is this a conspiracy...socks do not stay on her feet...I have tried-hundrends of times. She has tons of smart wool socks, super warm and cute (thanks Diana!) that end up off the toes and on the floor minutes after putting them on. So I dragged the 3 pair I packed her out and put them on and ran....let them try to keep them on...that is what I am paying for right?

Hubby and I made a deal that if she was crying and miserable I could grab her, run out and never look back. But she wasn't.....this makes me happy right?

Missing my little bug,

J

Fresh beginnings! Happy New Year's Ya'll

Ocoee loves mornings with her daddy!

New years as New parents was relaxing. We picked up sushi, made a ra-ru drink (Alaskan Raspberry Vodka, with Dry Rhubarb soda, lime and hubby's homemade sparkling water-yum!), rented a movie and had baby in bed early. We were in bed before Midnight and happy to be. This year has been the most exciting year in so many ways. Being pregnant and having a baby were intense, life changing events and now I can't imagine my life with out little Ocoee in it. Welcoming her to the life we had together has been so fulfilling for me.

So for new year's resolutions. I make them every year...can't remember what they are after a few weeks but heck not a bad way to get the year started with good intentions right? So this year...

I plan to be more present. In life, with people I am with. Not planning the future or worrying about something I can't control. But here and now, present.

Hubby plans on appreciating what he has more...he still wants a boat and a cabin but knows he has it all really.

Ocoee is the most ambitious of us all and plans to learn to walk, talk, eat solids and many other mischievous things that she wouldn't even tell us about...at least not in a language we could understand.

Happy New Years!

Cheers

Janelle