A day in the life of...SAHM edition

My time as a stay at home mom is coming to an end and I thought it was time to share another day in the life post before I go back to work in a few weeks. It took us a few months to get into our own groove and things definitely got easier once we were past the newborn stage. Levi is now 7 months old (see my latest update here). I was able to take advantage of a generous parental leave policy and maxed out all other paid (vacation) and unpaid (personal leave of absence) time off to get a glimpse into the life of a stay at home mom. It has been a wonderful experience (so much better in so many ways that I didn't expect) and this day a few weeks ago is a great example of the fun and everyday craziness with the kids. You just never know what to expect. 

This is my third "day in the life of" post. You can read the other two here and here. 

6:23 am. Ava and Noah are awake, which means I'm up too. I change Ava's diaper and we cuddle on the couch for a bit. We have breakfast in the kitchen, tea and zucchini bread for me, bagels and water for them. I check my messages and follow up on a few things. 

6:45 am. Tony gets up, grabs breakfast to go, and gets on the road. The kids are eating slowly, Ava goes potty, then Noah needs to go too...It seems like things are taking forever. I attempt to empty the dishwasher, but don't get far. 

7:45 am. Levi is awake; I hear him making happy noises in his bed. I go get him, change his diaper, and put him on the living room floor to play. 

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. 

Confronting my Anger

I let things get to me sometimes. And then I find it hard to control my emotions. Kids push buttons, we all know that. And most of the time I think I do a pretty good job preventing things from escalating by anticipating their needs. But that doesn't always work of course. Noah has days like today where he WILL NOT LISTEN. It doesn't matter what I do - strict consequences, patiently repeating myself, positive reinforcement. He just zones out and doesn't cooperate. Ava gets easily frustrated when she feels like she can't communicate what she wants and doesn't always get the difference between "I don't know what you want" and "I know what you want but you can't have it". 

When all of that comes together during times where I am trying to accomplish something (getting ready to leave the house, nap time, or getting dinner prepped), things can get ugly in this house. I'm not proud to admit that I loose it pretty quickly sometimes. I snap, I yell, I slam doors. And once that cycle has kicked off, it's so hard for me to snap back out of it. 

I've had days where I let some small thing in the morning get to me and I can't help but be in a funky mood all day. It's so emotionally draining. I've wondered why I can't keep my cool sometimes. Maybe it's a sense of perfectionism and I have feelings of failure when I can't keep my kids under control. Maybe it's a form of anxiety which can manifest itself as rage. Maybe I just described the same thing in two different ways. I have always assumed these quirks, these oddities that come and go in phases, are triggered by specific events, and aren't noticeable to those who aren't very close to me, are character traits. It's been a few years since I've thought about whether or not I have or used to have depression. Then I came across the above article linking anxiety and rage, and I am wondering again. Either way, whatever the cause, getting angry and frustrated with my kids isn't helping anyone. Yelling at them might get their attention, but it never solves the problem. It most definitely doesn't make me feel better, quite the opposite in fact. And most importantly, it's not the kind of relationship I want to have with my kids. So I'm working on it.