Oh no!! I've dropped my baby!

Yes, I finally did it!  The infamous "dropping of the baby" that every new parent does.  Lucky boy, he was almost one before it happened.  Just to clarify, it wasn't so much a dropping of the baby, but rather carelessly allowing him to fall off the change table.  :(

I had heard all the stories from other mom's, variations of dropping, falling, and knocking the baby's head on something.  I remember one mom telling me that the day after she got home from the hospital, the public nurse stopped by to see how they were doing.  And as she rounded the corner to greet the nurse, she banged her baby's head on the edge of the wall.

When my son fell, unfortunately it was a lot more preventable.  He had started standing up on the change table to look at the shelf next to it.  I leaned over to place something in the closet next to the change table, when I heard a noise and turned to see him falling off the table.  Luckily, he slowed his fall by grabbing the change table on the way down and landing on a small rug.  Unfortunately, as he landed he fell back and hit his head on the hardwood floor. 

Well my heart stopped!  I was trying to figure out what to do.  I waited to see what my son would do.  He then proceeded to do the “silent” cry, where it takes (what feels like an hour!) for him to make a sound.  I couldn’t believe that I had let him fall!

But within a minute, he was fine...I hadn't broken my baby!  These little guys really are tougher than they seem.  :)

My baby is turning 1!

I obsessed months ago about what I was going to do for my son's First Birthday.  With only a few weeks left till the day, we are running out of time!

There is a lot of pressure on what to do for a First Birthday.  Do we want a big affair, or a small intimate affair?  What type of food, what type of cake, what type of decorations?  Do we theme it up or just go with the flow?  What can we do to make it special? Clowns, ponies, or pinatas?

But maybe we should just remember what a special little boy we have, to just bring people together to celebrate and visit with us.  And take the pressure off, and just enjoy the day.  And have lots of wine!

This blog post can be seen on Okanagan4Kids. Follow The Mellow Mama as she shares her journey and passions through life. You can see her complete blog at http://www.themellowmama.com/ or follow her on Twitter or Facebook.

Putting my life in someone else's hands!

Sounds a little daunting doesn't it?  Like I am getting a serious operation or going on a dangerous expedition.  But no...I'm looking for childcare.

Is it normal to have this kind of anxiety?  I'm not afraid of leaving my little person with someone, someone I know!  This whole process of regular childcare is fraught with tension.  And not only is it about finding the right person but also the right type of childcare.

After my research I have discovered this...there are childcare centers, licensed daycares, unlicensed daycares, nannies and casual babysitters. And they all have their advantages and disadvantages.

Childcare centers-these are what we think of as traditional day cares.  Held in public buildings, with many caregivers, and many more children (max 12 kids for infant/toddlers).  Really, to me,  it's like school for the little ones. Advantages are that they are more flexible for when you need part-time and everyone is fully certified, and the disadvantages are (and I'm just guessing) that the relationships built with the caregiver and child are more like teacher/student relationships.

License Not Required Caregiver (unlicensed daycare): they are allowed to care for two children or less that are not related,  not including their own children.  The advantages are that there are less children, disadvantages are that there is no licensing requirements needed.  They can be registered as not licensed and that requires them to have first aid, criminal check, home inspection, and references.

Licensed Caregivers: they are allowed up to 7 children including their own.  And there is a range of regulations regarding the ages of the children.  Advantages, fully regulated and full certifications like, Childsafe First Aid Certificate, Criminal Record Check, References, must comply with the Child Care Licensing, & Facility Act and Regulations. Disadvantages many more children to caregiver ratio.  

Nannies: this is where a caregiver comes to your home to care for your child.  Advantages are personalized care, no need to transport child, ability for child to bond. Disadvantages are no social interaction with other kids, no supervision or other children around, and much more expensive.

Luckily there are a few organizations in Kelowna to help the child caring process.  Nannysitters they will arrange all types of child care for a fee, although the fee can be a little expensive, it does help in a bind. We are actuallly using one of their babysitters next week while going to a wedding.  There is also the Kelowna Child Care Society which is a government funded society with resources and a referral service.  I was able to find a bit of information regarding rates & regulations on their site. 

So there are many things you need to look at when deciding on the type of childcare that you require. Other than the details like, when are they open, what happens on holidays or when the child is sick, or what they charge, it really comes down to the particular person or place. And the most consistent advice that I have received,  is to find someone or somewhere where you feel comfortable.  Go with your gut instinct, it's mother's instinct. 

And if you have any other advice...please let me know! Maybe I should just lock him up in a cage?!

This blog post can be seen on Okanagan4Kids. Follow The Mellow Mama as she shares her journey and passions through life. You can see her complete blog at www.themellowmama.com or follow her on Twitter or Facebook.

The Bloggess...a shout out!



http://www.bloggess.com/


Gotta send out a shout out to a qwirky blogger. Just read this blog and love her sense of humor! If only I had the guts to buy myself a 5 foot chicken.

But I guess the mini lesson to be learned from this blog post is "learning to pick your battles".  Picking your battles...not something I'm good at (ask my poor husband).  I guess that I feel that we are always going a hundred miles an hour, and if I don't address something now, it will get missed.  But my husband (a man) needs to be able to process information, not vent it. 

I always found it a challenge to wait for the right time, but as a new mom "right times" come so infrequently now.  So how do we come to happy medium?  Why do I always feel like I am the one who has to bite her tongue?  Or does it just feel that way. :(

Maybe the trick is to treat it with a sense of humor.  Hmmmm....where can I get a 5 foot chicken?!

When one door closes...another always opens.

I have come to the end of my maternity leave, now what to do?  I unfortunately was downsized a few months prior to having my baby.  While it was wondeful to have the luxury of just worrying about being pregnant, the return to work issue takes on a whole new challenge.  It's one thing to try and juggle a new addition to the family while returning to a job that you know well, it's another to try and find & start a new job. 

When starting a new job, you don't have the flexibility of being able to negotiate different working conditions (ie.  part-time, flex hours, or working from home).  You also tend to have to put more time in to learn your new job...and time is precious when you have a new family.  BUT...I do now have the opportunity of doing something I love, taking on new challenges, and totally recreating my work conditions.  However, when the world is your oyster...which pearl should I take?

About 10 years ago, I had returned to University to complete my degree.  And being an "older" or more "mellow" student, I had the luxury of being a little wiser than my original trip through post-secondary education.  I do remember saying to my fellow (and younger) classmates to "do what you love, because you will be good at it, and the money will follow".  So now it is the occasion to follow my own advice...let's see if I can make a go of it!


This blog post can be seen on Okanagan4Kids.  Follow The Mellow Mama as she shares her journey and passions through life. You can see her complete blog at www.themellowmama.com or follow her on Twitter or Facebook.