7 Months Update (Levi)

It seems like I just published Levi's 6 months update and yet another month has flown by. At the same time, things are slowing down a bit. While so much changes almost daily in the first few months, we're not hitting new milestones quite as often now. 

One thing that hasn't changed is that Levi is growing like a weed. Last time I mentioned that his 9 month clothes were getting small. Only a few weeks later, he's now almost ready for size 18 month. 

Interview Questions for a Daycare Center

We just toured a daycare center which is opening in our town next month. The director did a wonderful job walking us through the different routines and policies, and gave specific examples for what the kids may be doing in each room. 

We have four years of daycare experience, and have had kids in all rooms, from infant to pre-k, so we already have a good feel for what to look out for. I remember touring our current daycare when we were pregnant with Noah and I didn't really know what to ask. Especially the older kids' classrooms seemed so far away, that I think for the most part we focused on the infant room. I now know better. Time flies and Noah will be graduating from his pre-school program next year. 

Here are some tips on touring a daycare center and preparing questions to ask. 

Lactation Oatmeal Cookies - Winter Edition

I've been making these cookies for a few months now. And don't get thrown off by the title - while they're my version of a lactation cookie recipe, they are my go-to-cookie for when we're out and about and need a quick snack. They're not the healthiest cookie out there, but also not terribly sweet and sugary. The perfect mix of a sweet treat and a nutritious snack on the go. I used this recipe as inspiration, omitting the brewers' yeast because I didn't have any on hand and thankfully didn't have any issues with my breast milk supply, and making a few other tweaks. For my winter edition, I've added cranberries, a hint of ginger, orange zest, and used white chocolate chips instead of regular chocolate chips. I usually bake a few extra and keep them in the freezer so they don't dry out. 

Interview Questions for a Nanny

My return to work date is suddenly fast approaching which means it's time to figure out childcare for all three kids. We love Noah and Ava's daycare, but they don't have room for Levi for a while, so we are considering all options, and one of them is hiring a nanny. There are pros and cons for both a daycare and a nanny, but I don't want to get into the details here why we might prefer one over the other in our current situation. Instead, I want to focus on questions we are planning to ask during a nanny interview. This is beyond the basics of safety, first aid training, background check, hours, pay, etc. and is supposed to help paint a picture of how the nanny would handle communication with us, how they would spend time with the kids, how they would set and enforce rules, and how they would handle difficult situations. 

6 Months Update (Levi)

And just like that, half a year has passed since this cutie joined our family. Clothes in size 9m are getting small and he's still in size 3 diapers. At his last check up he weighed just under 18lbs and was 27in long. While he's still drooling like a champ, he's not yet teething.