Monday, November 16

Fired & Hired!

So many changes going on in the Charm City household in recent days!

First of all, I was fired again. That is, Olivia has decided she does not want to nurse any more, so we are back to formula. Oh well, bring on the caffeinated coffee and boos!

Also fired last week was the au pair. SHOCKER!? Not really. She was a sweet, SWEET girl and she served her purpose for those first few weeks while I was recovering from delivery, transitioning into motherhood, going to the gym, and getting back to work, but beyond that Charm City Daddy and I wanted our home and refridgerator back! Did I tell you the girl could eat? She ate more than CCD and I combined.

In her first month with us I spent nearly $1000 on groceries. (2 trips to the market and 1 trip to Sam's Club). After the first week when I noticed the groceries I purchased that should have lasted 2 weeks were gone, I told her that the food was going nowhere and she needed to "pace herself." Her reply was that in her native Columbia, they eat big breakfasts and lunches.  I said, "Everyday?! Well with all of the junk and preservatives in the food here in the U.S. you won't be a size 2 for much longer." I could go on and on about the eating but suffice it to say it got out of hand, inconsiderate, and very pricey.

Also her experience with infants was very limited and while she followed my instructions to a tee (we keep a daily journal ), I didn't have much confidence in her judgements when left to her own devices/common sense. For example if the baby appears to be hungry after her normal 4 ounces, then giver her an additional  half ounce to an ounce of formual but NOT another 4 ounces! Diaper rash also became an issue in the first two weeks that I returned to work, as Charm City Baby's diapers were not being changed often enough. We worked through it (btw A & D ointment works miracles and we don't change the baby without it) and she's fine now. .

Combine all of those issues, with a 22-year-old from Columbia who loves to chat it up on the phone and party on weekends (understandably), Charm City Daddy and I weren't too keen on having a teenager in the house--just yet. Within a week of breaking the news to the au pair (it was so tough for me), another family with 3 children  (ages 2, 3, and 5) scooped her right up. The new family doesn't live in the city like us--but in the "safer" suburbs of Baltimore. The ages of the children are ideal for her skillset and bag of tricks--tons of songs and sing-a-longs. "Listo Calisto?" was my favorite. Overall, I think that she has found a much better match in her new family and I couldn't be happier for her.

We departed on good terms and realized that we had a pleasant, brief experience together. At dinner on Friday night, we were summing it all up and we realized that we had learned many new things about each others' cultures. I think she is going to miss our loud, gospel-music filled, A.M.E (African Methodist Episcopol) church on Sundays, too.

This morning, our 64 year-old LIVE-OUT nanny, Julia started. Yeah!! Prior to joining us, Julia took care of 4 girls for a family for 11 years! That's what I'm talking about. We've got a real nanny on our hands folks. I can't wait to see how she and Olivia bond.

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