Meet Carly

This is Carly. She is Jack's new nanny. Now, before you start questioning why a "stay at home Mom" would need a nanny...please, let me explain. There are days when this Mom needs simple things, like...dog food at Petsmart, an onion for dinner at Publix, a prescription filled at CVS, and a quick oil change. Now add Jack to the picture and these simple errands become very complicated. I have to get him in and out of the car seat and then decide how he should travel...a buggy, the stroller, the Baby Bjorn? Afterwards pack up his mode of transportation and load it into the car. Oh, and don't forget the nap. As soon as I accomplish 2 things on my list to do, guess who starts rubbing his eyes and yawning. So, we head back home, take our afternoon nap, and upon awakening venture out into rush hour traffic to complete our list of what was suppose to be "simple chores". Then there are days when this Mom needs more complicated things, like...a haircut, a teeth cleaning, and an occasional Doctors appointment. That's when things get really tricky. I try to schedule in between Jack's naps, but somehow EVERYONE is on a 2 hour lunch break at that time. So, I try to be flexible with Jack's schedule and tell him that he is going to skip a nap or rest in the car...ha! He really gets me back then. His eye rubbing and yawning turns into a moan, then a whine, and then an overtired angry scream. So appointments with Jack just aren't possible. Now every once in a while, Clay is available to adjust his work schedule to cater to my "errand needs". However it is never guaranteed! Therefore I'm basically out of options...no family anywhere nearby, no volunteering neighbor, and no last minute babysitter to call. The only solution was a nanny...a part time nanny. Actually, a "just one day a week" nanny. Have you ever looked for one of those?....not easy! I started by asking around. Word of mouth is a great way to find services. The first problem in the suburbs is...if someone has a nanny, they don't want to give them up or even share them. The second problem is...there are a lot of Mom's already on the nanny hunt themselves. (I never realized what a hot commodity I was in college, had I known I would have raised my wage!) After 3 weeks of searching, I got a lead. It was website that local nanny's post their services on, kind of like an online classifieds. I was little skeptical at first, but a lot of Moms I talked to had used this resource. Each nanny has a background check, references, and a profile....jackpot! After 3 more weeks of emails, phone conversations, and reference checks, I found the perfect match for our family. Carly is 26, full of energy, and her references were GLOWING. Plus, she was willing to work only one day a week. Her college major was music and her singing voice can calm Jack in even the fussiest of moods. She has been with us for 2 Wednesdays now and I am loving it. She comes right in the middle of the week so I can finish errands from the past weekend or run errands for the upcoming weekend. It is just what I needed to get a little "stay at home mom" break and it is just what Jack needed to get a little "stay at home mom" break!