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!

Must Love Florida State

Grammy and Grandpa came to visit this weekend. Florida State also had a football game this weekend. The Cibula's are definitely Florida State fans...Grammy graduated from Florida State, as did Clay and his brother, Matt. So, whether Jack and I liked it or not, we were going to be watching the FSU game. This was Jack's first real game day with the family, the first of many to come, I'm sure. He woke up from his afternoon nap just in time for kick off...(Clay thought he did that on purpose). He dressed in his Florida State gear, compliments of Grammy and Grandpa. Then he filled his tummy, in true Cibula fashion, and settled in on the couch for the big game. Jack got to witness first hand what it means to be a true fan. Grandpa tried to teach Jack the FSU chant. There was name calling, occasionally the player's actual name, but mostly not. And we didn't leave the house, much less the living room, for at least 3 hours. Jack was a trooper though. He loved to hear the excitement in Daddy's voice and he starred intently when Daddy's voice turned to disappointment. He even looked slightly puzzled at times. Jack lounged in Grandpa's arms for over an hour before switching to someone else's arms for another view of the game. That is a "staying in the same place" record for Jack! (I must note: Grandpa's hair normally does not look like this, it's what 4 hours of football and occasional catnaps will do to you). However, Jack didn't mind. He just sat very content and soaked in the drama of the game and it's fans. Daddy explained to Jack that one day he will be playing sports, such as football. And Grammy and I jokingly asked, "what if he wants to dance, sing or even paint"?. You know, he might actually have other talents or interests. And without hesitation, Daddy's answer was a firm and confident, "no". So, for Jack's sake, I hope he likes sports. I really hope he likes football. And he MUST love Florida State.

Picture Perfect In The Park

Jack and I met some friends at the East Cobb Park for some early evening music and fun. A one man band played songs we all knew, toddlers and kids ran around the open field, and families and friends enjoyed one anothers company. Jack and I set up camp with Erica and Miller, Heather and Meg, and new friends from music class, Christina and Sophia. Jack loves being outdoors...couple that with music and lots of faces to look at and he was a happy boy! We have lots of pictures to prove it. I wish I could claim these fabulous photos of Jack and friends as my photography work, but unfortunately I can't! The camera was mine--just not the shots. Who knew my camera could take such fabulous pics? The face behind the camera was actually Heather, Meg's mommy. She has even started her own photography business and is very busy. If you need a great photographer...let me know! She has really cute Christmas cards too. Since she did such a great job capturing the fun of the evening, I figured I would let the pictures do the talking for this blog post. As the saying goes...A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words!

GG's Visit

GG came to visit on her way to Florida this week. GG is actually Grandma, my Grandma. However, she is Jack's Great Grandma. Since my Mom INSISTED on being called Grandma, we had to come up with a name for Jack to call his Great Grandma...so GG it is. Extremely confusing, huh? Oh well, Jack will figure it out eventually. GG stayed with us for 2 nights...which meant 2 wonderfully prepared home cooked meals. My Grandma is by far the best cook...EVER! Jack was very disappointed that he couldn't enjoy her cooking as well. To make up for it, GG fed him sweet potatoes for the first time. Jack liked them so much, he sat with his mouth wide open for several seconds after meal time was over. Just wait until he gets to try some of her real cooking, he will really have his mouth wide open then! In between meals we went to music class, shopped at the new Target, and went for a neighborhood walk. Jack was thrilled to show his GG off at music. This week he had two ladies to dance with and he got to show GG how he can play/eat the bells. No one could believe that Jack's Great Grandma was such a good dancer! He really made out on the trip to Target too...he did some early Christmas shopping by picking out presents for GG to buy him. I hope he can wait until December 25th! Before GG left Jack surprised us both with tooth number two. A big smile and giggle allowed us to see his new addition. (No wonder he has been so fussy...a cold, an ear infection, and teething...goodness!) I think he might be working on those teeth so he can try some of GG's cooking next time she visits!