5 months!

Yikes! Time flies. I forgot to take a picture of Kellen when he turned 5 months, but got one of him a few days later. He is such a happy baby and definitely a mama's boy. He is getting very mobile. He either rolls across the floor or he gets his feet up under him and pushes himself forward. Needless to say Mattaya is not pleased. The number of time I have had to wipe her tears because  Kellen covered her barbie doll's head in drool are countless! He loves to eat and has tried pretty much everything that  I can give him right now. It is so much fun watching my kids grow and change! It just happens way to fast.

Childcare

Being a working mom with two young children, childcare is something that is always in the front of my mind. Where to put your babies when you cannot be with them is such a hard decision and it is complicated by what you can afford.

I was very fortunate with  Mattaya to have a great friend watch her. It worked out well and I was VERY grateful. Mattaya was loved and cared for like I would have done. When we moved from Washington to Montana we put her in a larger center type of daycare. This was not a good move, the way that they disciplined or should I say the lack of discipline was very bad for Mattaya. At one, she was very stubborn and intense. They would tell her to have "gentle hands" but she didn't understand and would still get very aggressive towards the other kids. This caused problems at home as well, however she was only there for a month as my husband and I both lost our jobs and I got to spend the summer at home with my baby! It was awesome, but when we went back to work in the fall, we needed daycare again. We chose an in home daycare and it was good. The discipline worked for Mattaya and she thrived, but things changed and I really wanted Mattaya in a preschool. She was not enjoying going to daycare and she needed more stimulation. Before Kellen was born I started to feel that she needed something different. Then a few situations happened at daycare that made me really uncomfortable and I knew it was time to change places. She started at a very large daycare center and she loves it! She is thriving and gets mad when we call it "daycare" because it is her school. She is often upset on Fridays because she doesn't get to go.

For Kellen I am also blessed to have a very wonderful friend watching him. He does well with her. She is doing me such a huge favor, I am forever grateful!

Here are some things that I have learned when dealing with daycare

1. Things change. Your child may need more stimulation, structure, or a different environment to continue to grow and learn at their highest potential. Your daycare may change. Turnover can be high at daycares and different people have different ways of working. The care your child was receiving at one point may be different then it is at another. You need to do what is best for you kid, so don't be afraid to change where your child is while you are at work

2. If you are using a friend or family, remember they are doing you a favor, even if you are paying them. Don't ask them to do things above and beyond. Your child should fit into their lives and not the other way around. Do not have expectations that will make your friend or family struggle. Even if you are paying them, often it is a lot less then you would for a nanny and they are getting similar care, so if you want things done a particular way you should hire a real nanny.

3. Keep your child on the same schedule on the weekends that they have during the week. It can be really hard to do, but it helps your kids and your childcare providers. I will admit that I am guilty of not doing this with Kellen, but it wasn't fair to my friend. I now try to stick to his schedule as best as I can on the weekends.

4. ALWAYS watch your child for behaviors issues, changes in attitude, etc. This is often a sign that something is not going right at daycare. If your child doesn't want to go to daycare or if you notice specific behavioral issues after they have been there, question your provider about what is going on, if you are not satisfied get your child out!

Making Memories

Since I have been back at work, Chad and I have made it a priority to get quality time with the kids after dinner until it is bed time. We do many things: Go for walks, play with Mattaya's toys, have a family movie night or just goof off. One of my favorite things is when we play on our bed! Mattaya helps Chad make our bed and often times it turns into an all out wrestling match! When I was a kid I would always climb into bed with my parents in the morning and it is one of my favorite memories. I hope that this time we spend with Kellen and Mattaya will be one of their best memories too.

Thoughts of a Working Mom- Month 2

Being a working mom is hard. Well, being a mom is hard. I know that stay at home moms have it tough too. It is not easy what ever path you choose. Each has its challenges and benefits. As a working mom over the last few months I have learned a lot. I always knew that my family was my priority, but I didn't realize how much I would have to emphasize this at work. Also, I did not realize how much having another child would affect Mattaya. She was fine before I went back to work, but now, she is having a really hard time with it. She tells me almost everyday that she doesn't want me to work. Yesterday she asked me if she could "go to ballet". I told her yes but Daddy would take her. She broke down and said that she wanted me to take her. OUCH. I think my heart broke right there. I wish that they would have classes on Fridays and Saturdays so  I could take her! I hate not being able too, but  because of our situation I have to work. Mattaya wants  and needs me but I am not always there for her. This is one thing I didn't expect and something that makes it so hard for me to go to work. However, I know God's plan for me will be great and I have been blessed tremendously with so much. It maybe hard, but seeing the excitement on her face when I get home makes it all worth while!

Solids!!

I started Kellen on solid food a little over a week ago. He is totally ready and would probably try anything I give him. First off, let me just say how amazed I am at the number of opinions out there as to when to start solids. Mattaya was started on rice cereal at 4.5 months, but we didn't give her anything else until she was 6 months because the doctor warned us about allergies. Now we live in a new city and have a new doctor. She told us to give him what ever we felt like when he is ready and that it doesn't matter when between 4-6 months you start, if they are going to get allergies, they are going to get allergies. Everyone I talk to has been told something different. My philosophy is as a parent you will know when they are ready.

This boy loves to eat!

I started out with rice cereal, but Kellen was not a fan. So we moved on to sweet potatoes, which he loved and then apples and pears. Something I learned from my daughter: it doesn't matter whether you start with fruits or veggies, your baby will like one over the other. I started Mattaya with veggies. That was all I gave her for about a month after we started to introduce her to new foods. Once we started on fruit, that was what she preferred. I forgot that she was an independent human being and even as a baby I could not control what she liked and didn't like. So unless you are willing to only give your baby veggies,  it really doesn't matter what you start with.

When Kellen is full he starts to suck on his fingers. This is definitely an interesting way to let me know he is done, but it works as I cannot get the spoon close to his mouth.

Kellen telling me he is done

I think we will try peas next.

Bad Doctor=Struggling Mom!

Kellen got a cold over a month ago and about three weeks ago I took him to his old doctor because he was still not doing well. I had been avoiding doing this  because our old doctor is not very good and I have had issues with him, but I couldn't see the new one for a few more weeks because we had to "establish care" with her so I broke down and took him in. I am glad I did because he had a double ear infection. That said, the doctor put him on an antibiotic that he shouldn't have. When I questioned him, he got defensive. This is the second time I have had a falling out with him, the first was over vaccinations. I was exhausted from lack of sleep and so I gave in and gave him the antibiotic and  it messed up his stomach. In a few days he had blood in his stool. I took him back for this and they took him off the antibiotic even though his ears were still bad. When I questioned if this was the right move because of the threat of resistant bacteria, he got defensive again. It was only two weeks until we saw the new doctor so I took my child and left. Kellen struggle for those two weeks. He stopped sleeping well and was pretty cranky. Because he was having a hard time, I was really struggling. I have never been so exhausted! I have to get up at 4 am to go to work and I don't tend to get home until around 6 pm. It made for long hard days. My work suffered, my relationship with God suffered, and my relationship with my husband suffered. I was at the end of my rope!
Last Friday I took the kids for their well child checkup with our new doctor and she was amazing. She validated my frustration and got Kellen on the right medicine. He is doing so much better.
As a parent you are the one who should decide what is best for your child, if your doctor does not recognize this, it is time to find a new one!

4 Months!

Kellen turned 4 months old yesterday! Time goes by way to fast and sometimes I just want him to stay little and newborn forever. He is such a happy baby. He is rolling all over the place, sticks everything he can into his mouth, and loves his sister more then anybody!