Friday, April 1, 2011

On a roll....

Look at me.....second blog in a week. At this rate, I could get carpel tunnel any day:) This has been a good week. I have had a lot of stress surrounding our current daycare situation. Callum goes to a preschool close by and Claire stays at home. I am very fortunate to have such a flexible job. I work from home on Monday and Friday and then I am able to bring her in to the office on Wednesday if need be. My mom comes up on Monday nights and stays until Thursday after I get off work. I am very thankful for her help but this whole thing is a bit stressful. So I went to pick Callum up yesterday and the closing staff told me tomorrow would be her last day. I was shocked. I mean, I wasn't really close to her. She is a nice girl and I liked her but I was surprised at the turnover the preschool is having. So I took the opportunity to ask her about her true feelings about the daycare. I seriously feel like I am selling my soul to keep Callum in this daycare because I want him to have consistency and socialization. Well she basically told me she wouldn't recommend it to others. Ok, so I go home, pretty down wondering what I am going to do. Daycare is expensive and it makes me sick to move Callum again. I decide to look at craigslist and see if their is anything in my area for two kids that could work with our budget. Well I am reading and I come across the following add:

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In-home Childcare ~ 15 years Experience (156th & Fort)

Date: 2011-03-29, 2:58PM CDT
Reply to: comm-8nbvg-2293838252@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]

Hi!! My name is Jennifer and my family & I moved to Omaha 6 months ago from outside the Grand Island area. I have worked with children for 15 plus years. I have previously taught 4-5-year-old preschool for 3 years before being blessed with the opportunity to run my own in-home center for the last 8 years in our previous community. I believe that God has blessed me with a kind, loving, caring, compassionate and patient personality to make my passion of working with children a wonderful success! I have had the privilege to work with many families over the years that have led to lasting bonds & relationships. I strongly believe in the statement "It takes a village to raise a child"! It surely does! We all have strengths that contribute to raising strong, independent, helpful, compassionate human beings.

I am a mother of two wonderful daughters, ages 7 & 11. I am looking to do full time Mon-Fri care (part time considered if hours fit our school schedule) for 1-3 children within my home. I will provide a safe & loving learning environment that keeps your precious ones challenged & active! We are blessed to live one block from a park as well as one block from Saddlebrook school/community center & library that offers excellent opportunites to participate in. Also, during the summer, I would plan on taking them on fun-filled trips to the Children's museum, the Zoo, Fontanelle Forest and to various swimming & park activities along with my girls.

I can provide you with superb references from previous families I've cared for in my home daycare previously, as well as references from previous employers and a perfect driving record as well. I also am First Aide/CPR certified . Please send me a message if you feel this is something that may be a fit for your family and I will contact you to set up a time to meet. Serious inquiries only please. Thanks so much!!

Location: 156th & Fort
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
PostingID: 2293838252

Copyright © 2011 craigslist, inc. terms of use privacy policy feedback forum


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Well, this woman just so happens to be one of Callum's first preschool teachers and she is amazing!! So I emailed her and she called me last night. We laughed, we dried and above all we will be a new team from here on out!! She said she would take my kids and quit looking and she is giving us an amazing deal. I am truly thankful and feel like God had his hand in this completely. What a huge relief!

It is obviously a big deal.....I blogged about it, we all know that takes an act of God...and it did!;)


I know everyone is chomping at the bit and when I say everyone, I mean Cari and Jenny my 2 blog readers. I still love the iPad! I have to work late on Tuesday and will not be home in time to do Callum's night time routine. So the iPad has an app with children's story books that you can video record yourself reading to the child while the book is also on the screen. So I just got done reading/recording two books for Callum for Tuesday night. I am excited to see how he handles it.
The way I am going , I may just update you about that too!

Seeing things with less stress,
Micaela




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Remember me?

Seems about time for a blog update, I mean, it has been, what, 9 months. Yep seems time for an update:)

I now have my beautiful daughter, Claire Ann. She is sweet, funny and so much more then I could ever expect. You think once you have had a baby you have it all figured out.....but that is just not the case. At. All. Lately my patience has been shot. I just get frustrated way too easily and at the end of the night when I go to check on them and kiss their little cheeks I just feel the overwhelming amount of love, so powerful that it hurts. And then comes the guilt. Did I really have to get mad about that? Couldn't you have played with Callum a little longer?

You know kids are amazing. I love that Claire knows me and that she is the happiest and most content when I am holding her.....at least I would like to think so. What I always tell Callum is that I wish the world loved other people the way Callum loves his mommy. I think you can tell your child's personality on a deep
level when they are children. Callum is sensitive, very particular, loves structure but above all, that boy can love. He is deeply loyal.....almost to a fault. I am not an affectionate person by nature but as I have gotten older I have tried very hard to to be extremely loving to my children. I want then to understand that the love I have for them is overwhelming. I love how Callum loves his sister. He can do his thing for hours and not say much to her but then out of nowhere I see him go over to her and whisper " you know, you are my best girl". I love how Claire loves Callum. She will look at him and smile huge. Sometimes he won't see her and she will start yelling until he looks and then she smiles at him. Again, overwhelming love.


The past couple of weeks have been great and hard all at the same time. Malick came home for two weeks and left yesterday . So while he was here I only had to give Claire her baths because Malick took care of Callum's. It was nice to be a team and get some breaks. So now after getting use to all of that, he had to go back to Auburn. This is hopefully about over. It has been the biggest challenge ever.

The highlight of the week came on Friday morning when I arrived at the Apple Store at 7:30am in the freezing cold. I had been planning all week to go and get the iPad2 and I knew I had to get there early and that their would be a line and still no guarantee I would get one. So, I get there and I am not the first, I am the tenth!! Holy cow, it doesn't even open til 9am! I may have not been the first but I without a doubt was the dumbest!! It had snowed in the middle of the night and do you think i wore my boots that were sitting by the door? Nope. I wore slip on flats.....with no socks! Yep, I stood in the snow and thought without a shadow of doubt that at 845 I would have to have a couple of toes amputated. It was horrible. The woman a couple of people back dug out a pair of miss matched socks from her purse. I took them and had more gratitude then I have felt in a long long time. I mean, I had already taken my coat off to take my cardigan off and wrapped it around my feet. But I did get the iPad....actually I got two. I bought my mom one too. She has helped us a ton since I have had Claire. She comes up every week to watch her so that I can go to work and we don't have to put her in daycare. She is making a huge sacrifice and I wanted to get something that I knew she would love. Boy does she! And boy do I!!!!! This thing is amazing. I mean so amazing that for me it is life changing. I can do so much on it, like type this blog. So many things. It has helped me unwind the past couple of days. Malick said I would be fine without him because I have the iPad:) I am excited about the iMovie app. When I was in college I loved making movies. So I cant wait to make things for the kids. I have messed with it a little but I want to learn more. So, tomorrow night I am going to a iPad class at the Apple store to learn more, and then come home and share with my mom the knowledge.



Here is my heart beating in two little bodies.


Whelp, that about wraps it up. See ya in 2012:)

Kidding, I kid. I hope to do better at this. No promises.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Help!! It's a GIRL!!

Well, the truth is, I always thought this baby would be a girl. Mainly because this pregnancy has been completely different, I mean totally DIFFERENT then my pregnancy with Callum! I was sick with Callum but I could still function. This time is much different. Mostly because of my Lactose Intolerance. I had no idea that being lactose intolerant would change my way of living so drastically. It has. All of my favorite foods have milk in them! I actually started getting sick a month after I was pregnant. Not the typical morning sickness deal. This was full fledge I am dying and better pump out a Will soon kind of sick. I just couldn't function. So after getting the lactose test my doctor advised it was discovered that I am SEVERELY lactose intolerant. This means no milk or dairy at all!! Now, I didn't think being lactose intolerant meant I was having a girl I just new this pregnancy would be very, very different. And it has. I have craved nothing but sweet fruity things! With Callum I craved tons of grease! The more grease the better! I had Burger King Bacon Crossanwhiches EVERYDAY. Yep, everyday. They would have those specials where you could buy one and get one free. I would do that, thinking, I could save one for the next day.....NOPE. I ate both. I also ate a lot of Runza. Not any surprise this is one of Callum's favorite restaurants:)



So last week I found out the baby was indeed a girl. As much as I thought she was a girl I didn't really think God was going to give me a girl to raise. Don't get me a wrong, I am very happy. I am just freaked out! I have spent several years working with girls at BT and just despised the drama. I am worried she will come to resent me for some reason. That she will rebel like crazy and I won't know what to do. I can give advice to others on behavior modification techniques but actually thinking I will have my own daughter makes me nervous. I have downloaded tons of mother-daughter songs the last few days to try and calm my nerves. I am breathing a little.

Now the pressure of a name for her. I like names that have a masculine feel to them and Malick wants the girl to have a....drum roll please.....girls name! So, my thoughts of naming the baby...Carsyn, Charlee, Jamyson, Ainsley and a host of others are out the window. Everything I suggested seemed like a "man's" name to Malick. SO....I am not completely unreasonable. Well, I was a few days ago. I basically said I was giving birth to her and would name her whatever I wanted. After that crazy rant, I calmed down and am now totally reasonable. I came up with the name Callum from a boy that was at Boys Town. I had never heard it before and thought it would be great. So, Malick said he liked it and I got to name him Callum, just like I wanted. A few days ago we came to an agreement that I would quit with the boyish names and come up with something girly. I went to the website babycenter.com and looked at a variety of names and we have decided on....Claire Ann Diarrassouba. My mom's middle name is Ann, so I knew I wanted it to be Ann but I had no idea about the first name. It came down to Sophie, Jolie and Claire. I really love the name Sophie but I know a TON of Sophie's. Jolie is cute too, it just didn't seem right. So compromise complete. I need to know the name so that I can call the baby by her name; I feel it helps me attach more.

I also feel like shopping is helping me attach too....I need to do more of it!;)

Seeing it girly....
Micaela

Friday, June 11, 2010

These are a few of my favorite things.....(insert great Julie Andrews voice)

I seriously go through a plethera of papertowels.....I may need an intervention. I know it isn't "green" but I can't stop. I think using a towel or wash clothe just seems like wiping dirty stuff back on the counter. This made me think of some of the things I just can't live without.



Viva Paper Towels- They are the best! Just like a wash cloth but you throw it away after each use. This sweet find is something I can't switch on. I told Malick the last time he went to Baker's he better not even think about bringing me home 'Bounty'.



Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix- I am not saying this is the best brownie mix out there but for me it is gold in a box....GOLD! I was recently diagnosed as lactose intolerant and this is the only mix I have found that I can eat. Boy do I eat them!! I am averaging a box a day....I wish I were kidding.

Purses- I don't know what it is I just love purses. I feel like I have been in rehab the past year over this addiction. I have not spent alot of money on purses but I just love them. I have always wanted a Coach or Micheal Kors but just can't justify spending the money when I have a 3 year old and another on the way. I will keep checking out TJ Maxx for the latest deals. Purses always fit no matter what your size and I for one LOVE it!!

Ipod- As I type the word Ipod I laugh. I mean, come on, I just never thought I would have a "fancy" Ipod. I had an Ipod nano for the last few years and it has been great to go on walks with and do what I needed it to. Well, a co worker had the new ipod nano that has the mini video camera in it. I new they were $150 in stores so I went to ebay to find a good deal. I got one with a warranty for $98 with shipping. I got it and the seller accidentally sent me an Ipod Touch!! I called the seller to let him know he had "upgraded" my purchase without knowing. He said it was his mistake and that I could keep it. At first I was a little bummed. I wanted the little one with the video camera. THEN I found out all the things the touch could do and I was in heaven! I have TV shows for Callum on their, all my songs, I can check facebook, a police scanner....I mean it is just endless. This little contraption has been amazing for a road trip or a trip to the mall when I NEEDED to get my eyebrows waxed. I had Callum in his stroller, put on a show and got my eyebrows waxed in peace. I am embarrassed that my son can turn on the ipod by himself and find a sow he likes. I am not winning any mother-of -the-year award anytime soon!!:)


I adore the Clorox anywhere spray. I find myself using it all the time....paired with my Viva paper towels, of course! It smells great and makes me think things are clean....probably cleaner then they really are. The only downside with this product is that my husband wiped our wood table down with it. So, our old table has sections have lighter wood:) Not the products fault....user error!

Truly, I know there are so many things that I just can't live without but they are not coming to me right now. Probably because my son is sitting across the table as I type suppose to be eating but is instead drawing with his new markers AND it could be that I am starting to smell my brownies in the oven.....today's batch is featuring peanut butter ( something I added, we'll see if it is a hit or miss)!!

Seeing things the best I can,
Micaela

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Baby Time

Well, this is seriously my fourth attempt at a blog. I wish I were kidding. I love reading blogs, especially the ones of the people that I know. I have always wanted to be a blogger but just never have the consistency to actually sit down and type. So, attempt four begins....I don't even remember the addresses of the other blogs so they will continue to float around in the blog world. I thought for sure when I signed up for this one I would get a notice saying I currently have too many blogs open. BUT it didn't happen.....yippeeee.

I am sitting here at 3:43 am because I can't sleep. Hopefully I can get my thoughts out and then head back to bed. My husband (Malick) goes to school in Auburn, Alabama and is currently driving back to Alabama....probably why I can't sleep. He chooses to drive straight thru and it makes me nervous! He left at 7:30pm and will be home tomorrow at 6pm. Crazy! I just wish he would stay in a hotel half way and sleep but he likes to do it all at once. So that's fine. While he jams out to his African music, eats his energy bars and fruit, I will continue to feel like I am going to go into Cardiac Arrest at any moment:)

Him being in Alabama leaves me here in Nebraska with my three year old Callum and I am currently 18 weeks pregnant. I convinced my doctor to do an Ultrasound at 18 weeks instead of 20 weeks since my husband was in town and I wanted him to be apart of this neat experience. The baby looked great (from what we could see) which wasn't much! I had myself pumped to find out the sex of the baby but today the baby just wouldn't move from it's tummy. I tried jumping jacks, shaking, dancing but it was not happening and I was getting concerned that the Ultrasound tech would call CPS due to me shaking my baby in-utero! :) I wish I could wait to find out the gender until birth but I do not think I can physically do that. I am a planner and finding out the sex helps me to start bonding with my son or daughter now. Don't get me wrong, I am bonded now but I just feel a little something something having a gender, a name, that I can associate with my baby.

In three weeks we will try again. I am not telling anybody when that ultrasound is just in case the same thing happens again. I will just blab the news on FB without any warning that I am finding out. This blog will hopefully be more put together as I learn about blogging. For now, this is a variety of what is on my mind as I sit to do my hourly call to my husband who is stressing me out!!