The Nanny Chronicles

Yesterday was the first trial run with Sara the nanny. It was a long freakin road to get there. I like my job, and had always intended to go back to work, so I started looking for childcare when I was about 4 months pregnant. I was prepared (sort of) for it to be super expensive, but I wasn't prepared for it to be so bloody hard to find.

The first place I looked was Bright Horizons downtown. I thought this would be great, I could walk over at lunch and feed him, and it was really nice. And $1700/month. And had a 1-2 year waiting list. As does everywhere else downtown. Its crazy. I start looking into nanny shares, meet with a few people, don't really find anything. So we kept looking, and found a center 2 blocks from Loren's office, still very nice, around $1200/month, that thought they would have a slot for us in the spring. Great, we say, put us on the list. So after Benjamin was born, I started obsessive compulsively calling them weekly to check on our status. Not so good. It looks like there won't be a spot for us after all. $%^*&#!!!

At one point late in the pregnancy, Loren and I run into Jan and Allen at Home Depot. They have lived across the street from Loren's parents for 30 years, and are great. Jan is a substitute teacher, and mentions that she wants to be a "granny nanny" for an infant. I could hardly contain myself. She would be perfect. Beyond perfect! At that point I was looking for someone 4 days a week, since my mom was going to watch him Wednesdays. Then we devised a plan to have my dad drive Jammy to Issaquah on Friday mornings, so Auntie Cookie could watch him. We would pick him up Friday afternoons, and hang out for dinner, or trade babysitting with the Fernies so that we could each go on date night sometimes. So we needed someone for 3 days a week. Long story short, Jan could only do 2 days, and I spent months trying to figure out how to make that work. But there is just no way. I'm still hoping she will call and say she can do 3 days. Anyway, we keep on with the search.

I start looking at in home child care centers. All full. I get on the list for a center in our neighborhood, which I haven't even toured yet (I do that next week). And I start scouring Craigslist every day for nanny options, and nanny share options. Meet with a few more nanny share families, still no good. Send 50 bjillion nanny emails, meet with several nannies. Of course I can't afford a full time nanny, so I'm looking for one 3 days a week, that will bring her child along with her. The first one was great, but her son was a little hoodlum. The second one not so great, but her child was awesome. If they could have just swapped kids, it would have been perfect. So I keep interviewing people until I come up with a good option. Woo-hoo!

Sara is a first grade teacher on maternity leave. Totally capable, really cute and together, and right in my price range, adorable children. Yay! The only catch is that she has not one, but two kids to bring with her, and they are 2 months and 18 months. Yikes. That is a lot of tiny kids to look after. But clearly she wants to do it, and thinks she can manage it, and its a better child/adult ratio than in a center, so why not? Although she is coming from Lake Forest Park, and has to go back to work in September. But I like her, and don't have another good option. So I basically hire Sara.

I had some other interviews scheduled already, so I figured I should just meet with the people in case. And I meet Marnie. She lives about 5 blocks from me, has been a nanny and worked in day cares for several years, and has one cutie little 3 year old boy, Azariah. Who LOVES Maisy, always a plus. She is in fashion design school at night, her husband is in a band. Of course Loren is all excited about that. Marnie is a little more expensive, but could be around indefinitely, and I know would give Benjamin tons of attention. So I was really torn. But Sara had already been hired, and I liked her too, and she is less expensive.

So anyway, Sara comes yesterday afternoon, and watches Benito from 1:30 - 4:30. It was totally fine, he was fed and dry and happy when I got home, playing on the gyminee play mat thingy with Bella, the other baby. She had changed his little outfit when it got wet, and seemed like everything went really well. Sam, the 18 month old, was totally adorable, and kept running over to hug Loren's legs. Super cute. But I'm still kind of worried that in the 3 child scenario, Benjamin will lose out a little on the attention front etc. I keep having to tell myself, better than a day care, better than a day care. This morning I was feeling kind of resentful toward her, because it is becoming more and more clear that I would so like to stay home. I'm going to be totally jealous of the nanny, who will get to hang out at my house all day and play with my baby. There are lots of reasons why it makes sense for me to work, and lots of reasons why I want to, but I'm also surprised by how badly I want to stay home. He is just so sweet and little. It makes me teary eyed to think about leaving him every day. What a total wimp.