Keeping it in the Fam

Many of you offered support as we navigated the nanny search process a second time around – thank you!   Despite all that I did to try to control the process – scouring SitterCity, bugging friends for trips and suggestions, reading more than 25 resumes, conducting more than 10 interviews, etc – God truly provided.  Since I’m not in the position to take care of Natalie full-time myself, God provided the next best thing – a loving family member!!!

And you thought my cheeks were big back then? (Jan 2011)

 

Whose arms are bigger? Mine or Auntie Rachel's? (Aug 2011)

 

For those of you who don’t know Rachel, she is my younger cousin (by 8 years).  Rachel just graduated from UW-Madison.  My sisters and I have spent countless holidays, summer days, birthday parties, trick-or-treating excursions, and more with Rachel and her younger brother, Brett.  Growing up, I baby-sat for Rachel and Brett about a day a week every summer – earning $3 an hour, which was awesome!  (Thankfully for Rachel – the going rate for a nanny in Chicago is just a tad higher than that!)  Some of my favorite memories from baby-sitting Rachel and Brett include:

  • Baking cookies every day I baby-sat.  (I like to take partial credit for 19-year-old Brett actually knowing his way around a mixer and oven)
  • Taking them to the Neville Public Museum once I got my license!!!  (3 accidents later, I’m pretty sure that privilege was revoked)
  • Combing through catalogs to develop Christmas lists for Santa
  • Watching Barney (Brett – yes, you have to fess up to this!) and Homeward Bound (Rachel) (Okay, I lie – I was so sick of both of these, but it kept them entertained while I picked up a little)
  • Setting up a swimming pool in the kitchen, so that Rachel could swim while Brett slept (and without my Aunt Lisa finding out until years later!!!)

Except for that last bullet, I like to tell folks that Rachel learned from the best of them (the best being me, obviously – NOT Becky, who Rachel would cleaverly pit us against each other).

The lengthy search process also resulted in us finding a wonderful family to nanny share with (with the exception that they are Michigan grads – luckily, Connor and Natalie won’t be around each other this week, so they won’t be trash talking each other)!  Adorable and sweet Connor is less than a month older than Natalie.  When we were first about to meet Connor, I commented to Jordan that Natalie would likely dwarf Connor in size and number of rolls.  To our surprise, Connor is probably the only baby we met that can teach Natalie a thing or two about extra cushioning.  🙂  Given that we live in a two-story walk-up, Rachel (who is probably 100 lbs. soaking wet) is getting a work-out with these two.  Aren’t they sweet???

Connor, you may have bigger thighs and more hair than me, but I think I have you beat in the double chin category!

For those of you looking closely, between the two of them, how many rolls can you see in this picture? 🙂

Rachel has a lot of funny stories to tell about the two of them interacting, but I’ll save those for another post.  Kelly (Connor’s mom) and I are hoping that the two of them will motivate each other to become a little more mobile (neither have crawled yet) and learn to be good sharers.  Rachel will tell you that they are still working on both of these!

All in all, we couldn’t be happier about this arrangement and are so thankful.  Going back to work would have been so difficult if I was worried about who Natalie was spending time with – but I have 110% confidence in Rachel.  I know she loves Natalie dearly and is teaching her so many things.  Once, I overhead Rachel telling Natalie why it was important to recycle her plastic Gerber container (can you tell Rachel studied environmental education?).  In the first week, Rachel’s voice was incredibly horse as well – she was basically talking and singing to these two non-stop.  I showed her how to stream children’s radio on our TV, to give her voice a break – even though I dearly appreciate that, as studies show that hearing many words is one of the strongest ways to help babies develop and be smart adults!

Wait - its my turn!!! Can you please sit down, Connor?

If you’re ever bored on a Mon, Tues or Thurs, look out for these three at a nearby park. I’d imagine there’s never going to be a dull moment!  Keep up the AWESOME work, Rachel!

This is the first time I met Auntie Rachel! I was less than a month old! She's really cuddly...

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