(no subject)

[sal_amanda]

For the record, I want to clarify that the weight gain scolding was totally called for and I deserved it. I've been scolding myself and I needed someone else to do it, too, for it to take. That particular midwife is my favorite, if for no other reason than that she tells it like it is. That works for me. And the four pound overage was four pounds over for the month, not the overall gain, which is why it's bad, because that means I'm gaining twice as fast as I should be. *wags finger at self*

Anyhoo. I've been really bored lately being home all this time. I did put in an application at the Children's Place, which said it was hiring for seasonal, but I haven't heard from them. I guess I should give them a call to find out what's going on. I could look into Gymboree, too. I think a smaller mall store would be better than a big, busy place like Target in case I need a bathroom run or a moment to sit down. And I loooooooooved working at a kid's clothing store when I lived in Vermont. A little discount wouldn't hurt either, but whatever.

I feel I'm going a little stir crazy with not working, though. And yeah, extra money would be nice, though I think we can squeak by for a few months since John finally got a raise and they gave it to him retroactive to July, giving us a big chunk to work with. That on top of my unused vacation time payout will help us manage until I'd be more in a position to take on a more regular job. It's the boredom that's bugging me more. I know that when the baby gets here, I'll be plenty busy, but I still think I could not be a full-time stay at home mom. I'd go nuts if I don't at least work part-time so I can have time outside of the house with adults. But that's just me.

In any case, I do have some Christmas projects to work on. After that, though, I may have to get myself doing some volunteer stuff for a little while so I don't pull my hair out.

Comments

[busybusymama.livejournal.com]

Being able to stay home fulltime takes a certain sort of energy. I like where we are right now with my job. I can work more or work less. I can work a lot for a couple weeks, or I can take a couple weeks off and focus on things around here. If you are a mom that stays home, in my opionion, you can't just around the house all day with the kids. They are way under-stimulated that way. Especially by age two. I can't see putting my newborn in daycare, but by the time they are two, I think it is a great thing, so long as it is a good quality daycare. Grace has been going to a daycare next door a bit, and to my friends' house a lot, since I have been working more daytime hours the past few months. She loves going, is very social, takes naps well, and comes home happy. I couldnt' have her go 40 hours week, but that is just me.

[sal_amanda]

I'd prefer to be a part-time working mom, but I wouldn't have an issue being a full-time working mom, which is likely to eventually be the case once I'm done with the school thing. I've done enough readings on attachment to have discovered that having even a young baby in daycare isn't bad as long as you research the daycare well and find a good one that doesn't have massive turnover.

Being home most of the time now, I'm way under-stimulated. ;)

[busybusymama.livejournal.com]

I probably should have been more clear. I don't think that daycare for newborns is bad. I just don't want it for my family. That times passes SO quickly. It really does. They change so much in the first year, and there are so many milestones. I just want to be there for as much as possible. Especially since John-Paul's job is so demanding of his time and so unpredictable.

Although, there were days when they were very little that I am sure that I wished I DID work full time! There are certainly advantages to both...

Do you think you would do a daycare center or home daycare? Most of the daycares here are home daycares. There are only two centers here and one in manchester.

[busybusymama.livejournal.com]

Oh, and here it can be quite difficult to FIND daycare for children under two, since daycares have to have less children if they have a child under two. Many won't take babies. If I had wanted to go to work when Grace was couple months old, I would have had to put my name on a list when I was pregnant.

Also, daycares here mostly charge by the week. I was playing with the idea of finding a part-time job with predictable hours and having Grace go to daycare. I found out that I will pay as much for part time as I will for fulltime, because I have to pay for the entire weekly slot. That gets kind of pricey if you are only using two or three days.

[sal_amanda]

No stress. I know what you meant. There are plenty of people who are very anti-daycare for anyone's children, but I know you're not like that. Those people are the reason why I removed myself from various online communities. They're right up there with the breastfeeding and co-sleeping nazis.

[sal_amanda]

I could throw a rock and hit about five daycares in any direction. Seriously. They are everywhere. And they all take kids starting at 6 weeks. The funny thing is that I don't even have to do much research on them. My next door neighbor is so unbelievably uptight and super overprotective that I know the one she goes with is a good one. She's pulled her kids out of others, including one right where she works. Plus she's a child psychologist and I know she's done her homework.

[busybusymama.livejournal.com]

Oh, and congrats to john on the pay raise. retro-pay. That's very nice...

[sal_amanda]

It was very unexpected. His boss has been trying to get him a raise forever so we never thought it would actually happen, and certainly weren't expecting it to be retroactive. It was well timed, I must say.