To all my mom & family followers, this post is for you! Im excited to work with our sponsor, College Sitters to share this post with you! How many times do you catch yourself asking, whose going to pick up the kids? Who is going to help with homework? We need a tutor but also someone who can help with the house? I need a nanny but don’t know who to trust or look for? What if I told you a little secret?! There is a new family service being offered in Miami Dade! Last week I had the pleasure of meeting new moms, that are local in the community and discussed a helpful service, called College Nannies, Tutors & College Sitters! It is U.S Based, and we are now one of the many locations to have this being offered to us! (For specific locations I would call to confirm I don’t want to misguide!)
Overall, Its a service that offers help to families whose needs can range! A person to help out with your little ones and while they are at your home, “light” house keeping. A person who can take care of your little, and help with homework if needed or tutor. Running late at work? Need someone to pick up your child? Allow them, an hour in advance for real time emergencies and they can try to help! Traveling within the U.S? Checking before hand, they could possibly have a satellite location where you are traveling.
For peace of mind, they help match caretakers with families based off their needs, they help with background screening, care takers are CPR trained and they have a user friendly app for families to use. You can select which language you prefer. If the caretaker needs to pick up your child/teen, you can request a driving and drug test background. I want to express, This is NOT a click/go service, its a convenient service however, its personal. They take the time to do a phone interview with first time families or family visit before pairing them with one of their expierenced care takers. You need to allow 3 hours in advance for the caretaker to come before the needed time.
Picture below, shows the 3 different categories of caretakers offered. I met with the team for the Coral Gables location & everyone was so helpful and ginuine.
In this picture, you can see the break down of services they offer. On their website, app & by calling you can retrieve further information as needed! We are now one of those locations!
Right now they are offering for a limited time a discounted enrollment rate which is ONE TIME ONLY – no renewals -you pay once and its forever! Along with the discounted rate, they will include 4 free hours for first time users! You can access through the link below.
How much is it? 1-3 kids is 20-22$ H/R each child after that is 2$ additional. For specific rates please clarify at moment of confirmation.
Please keep in mind to specify your needs and expectations, and they will work with you to make sure it is met! They have a CAN DO attitude and are always looking to help and keep families happy!
I personally think this is a great service that is being offered in our community. Whether you are busy family, single mom, a family with no “local” family to help. College Nannies, Sitters and Tutors can help! I feel like this is very helpful and a great addition to families who need the help but don’t know where to look or how to even start to trust!
Happy Monday! Its been a little quiet around here lately. Quiet in the sense, where I haven’t been updating as much. But it definitely hasn’t been quiet in our household! In fact, our smallest addition is finally with us! So much can happen in 30 days, I think we plan so much that we forget that LIFE can change so quickly. We all know it does, but subconsciously we take it for granted. Not in a malicious way, but we do. I realized fairly quickly, that saying they tell you before you have kids: “Once you have kids, you never stop worrying” and boy, did this resonate so well with me this past month. Julian was born, and it was a pretty emotional and mental ride. I want to be as transparent as possible and share what Ricky and I experienced. I also want to share and make others aware of this “dusky” color change that is apparently something a lot more common then what is discussed, I think. * Warning: Long post ahead!
Yesterday made 1 month that Julian was born. He’s officially been home for 2.5 weeks. He was born July 5th. Lets begin by me saying how I am very happy that my surgery went great, everything was going according to “plan”, Julian was successfully delivered and was confirmed to be 8lbs 14ounches, 21 inches long. We had our touch time which was so beautiful, us 3 meeting having our little own moment. He was taken to get rechecked for his vitals, thats when, LIFE decided to change how the rest of the day was going to go. He was rushed to nursery for X-rays to check to see water in his lungs, they reassured me that it was normal and he would be taken to my room as soon I was done in recovery. I went to recovery, got my room 2 hours later. My husband enters my room over the moon excited to share that Julian will finally be brought to our room. Here, we go again with LIFE, that, unexpected change, Julian turned blue and was immediately rushed to NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) they call these episodes “dusky change” which is when they lack oxygen and turn blue/purple in the face they require to be stimulated by being hit on the back and/or chest, or bottom of the feet. He was observed & treated closely by a great team in Baptist Childrens Health. The day I was cleared for my release which was Sunday 7.8.18 he unfortunately suffered another episode leading him to be kept at the hospital, he luckily did not change color or need to be stimulated he corrected his oxygen level on his own. However, every time his saturation in oxygen would go below a certain number (it was up on a monitor), they would call this a “desat”, when ever he has a “desat” they add 3-5 days on watch to make sure these episodes either don’t come back or subdue. While going back and forth to the NICU, my husband and I kept reassuring each other, that he might be in NICU, but he’s where he needs to be and all his exams are coming back negative with no medical findings. He was kept inside the incubator bed for a good amount of time & also went under phototherapy for bilirubin (slight jaundace), when he was finally able to be in an “open bed” that was a huge relief for Ricky and I.
While you are there you see other babies and families who are in there for other or sad/worse things. You quickly begin to realize that no matter how much you think your case is bad, there is someone out there who is suffering worse or don’t have any support. Overall, Julian is healthy and we are very blessed to have a happy healthy baby boy who was released on Wednesday 7.18.18. He was kept for 13 days he was observed, examined and seen by every pediatric sub specialty. All his medical outcomes came back negative with zero findings, that is what kept us hopeful for him to be out soon. Within that period Ricky and I completed a CPR video, and it was a good refresher and highly suggest for parents and who ever takes care of their little ones to see. We were finally released and got sent home with an apnea monitor to be used at night. The monitor that we have is similar to the idea of the “owlette”. It reads the heart rate, in our case he has to wear wires that are hooked to a machine, when a certain number hits in low or high, it alarms us. We then need to make sure he’s okay, no color change or trouble, we then disable the alarm. So far, thank god all is smooth and we are scheduled to see the provider we need to in order to be cleared from the monitor at night. My only honest opinion about these monitors is that, its a gift and a curse. Its a good thing because you get alarmed, but a lot of the times when the alarm goes off its a false alarm, I think I woke up feeling like I was having heart attack every 2 hours when that thing went off. Now, I’m just straight mombie – a mom in zombie energy ha! Thank the caffeine lords for COFFEE!
“The Meeting”
On to “The Meeting” – Belle met Julian, and if I could upload videos on here, I would. (I’m sure you can, I’m still figuring out how to use the website fully HA!) Annabelle responded so adorable to him. Her initial reaction was: “He’s So Cute!”. She, like any other toddler has her days of showing us how those terrible two’s really are in full effect. However, over all though, she seems to be adapting pretty well so far, I mean its only been a month. I think she thinks Julian is a doll, which I have to be extra careful with. And, then theres moments she walks into a room and doesn’t even acknowledge him being there. So, id like to think, So Far So Good!
How am I doing? I get asked. Im overall pretty good I must say. My csection this time around was great, my blood pressure was maintained low, my healing has been great so far and I was up and walking the day of surgery. I joke now and say, I didn’t really have time to think about my healing because as soon as I was able to get up, I was walking up and down that hallway to NICU. I’d like to think that Julian pushed me to recovery faster for him and for all of us back at home. I gotta say though, Ive gone walking a few times but my diet has been HORRIBLE! The amount of sugar in take I have inhaled these past few weeks, I think could have made up for the LACK of sweets I had during the whole pregnancy. Ive cooked a few meals here and there, got my nails done and began to write this post. I tell myself small changes everyday, and ill find a rythm that works for all of us at some point lol at least Id like to hope I do!
So Much Change! But all good change! I try to stay positive as much as possible! Its not everyday, but its a conscience effort to be made everyday!
Hope you all have a great week! I’ll leave you with some pictures below! 🙂
Here we are, Juju and I in our first touchtime. Momma and JuJu in the NICUThey were running a GI Probe on him to test for reflux or any other GI issues
I wanted to share some of my favorite products from JohnsonBaby that I have been using for a while now with Belle! They are used pretty much everyday, and I find myself replenishing a lot and my empties were staring at me in my face so I thought, to share what has been working with us!
Everyday when we get home from school or camp, since its summertime now – I always draw a bath for her. Even though we might go back outside in the afternoon when daddy gets home, she pretty much bathes twice a day! (talk about a clean tush!) She really loves “bubblebath time” – as soon as I pick her up, she’s already asking “Momma bubblebath?” So, I’ve tried all 3 Johnson Baby Bubble Bath Times, and quite frankly love them all. Pictured below is the blue original, but the purple for me is my favorite just because of the smell and its calming. But really all bubble baths from them are great!
With bath time, we wash those pretty curls of hers, and if you know me, (I have straight hair) so taking care of curls was something new for me! I also enjoy using their “No More Tangles” shampoo + conditioner in one! Its smells so pretty & leaves her curls so bouncy! Before I blow dry her hair, I normally use the “No More Tangles” detangle spray & I also use it when styling her hair for school/outtings! It really helps with the those curls! It smells great, and it helps ease combing through her hair.
Lastly, is the head to toe wash, which I take with me on our vacations everywhere! Its a great size, and it does everything in 1 bottle so it helps me save space in here luggage! I love the formula in it, and hello NO TEARS! This is what Johnson is known for as well along with their great formula consistency! Ive even used the head to toe for myself, when I’ve gotten “eye infections” – because of the No Tears, it helps clean out your eye ducts! * Just a little tip I thought to share! Whenever that happens, I get a cloth towel, warm water and the head toe and really lather up the towel and wash the eye! Random I know, but hey whatever helps!
From when she was born, till now we have gone through quite a variety of products! And I can safely & honestly say, for the past year this is what we’ve been using and its been great for us! I’m excited to try their products with Julian when he arrives soon! Belle has had such a great outcome, I’m sure he will too! 1 more week, and he’s here with us god-willing! I hope his was of help for some of you mommas!
Its been quite some time that I have written here, things have been a little busy and I must admit I have had zero energy for anything!
We are getting ready for Julians arrival, which means I’ve had lots to do around the house and in his room. Ive been organizing as much as I can so while Im recovering Hubby, My mom and Mother in Law know here to find things around the house they might need.
Julian’s clothes and blankets are washed and put away. Below I included a picture of the kids cabinet in the kitchen and Julians closet so far. In his closet I found closet separators for his clothes that breaks it down by the months up till 24 months. His room for the most part is ready to go, only thing left is to “dress” his crib. Its an old cuban superstition, to not dress the bed until the baby arrives home, so naturally we are waiting for his arrival for that. His bottles and pacifiers have been washed, sterilized and put away! Pacifiers we are planning to use are NUK, I used them with Belle and she had a great experience so Im hoping the same for Julian. The glass bottles are actually from Belle when she was a newborn, just the nipples are new in package that I kept from when she was born. The brand is “Born Free”, however this line was discontinued. The Kitchen is full with snacks for belle and for us to have easily ready when I recover the first few weeks at home. Since I’m a C-Section, I went ahead and got my bag ready and registered for the hospital recently. Things are begining to fall into place, and I’m hoping for a smooth transition as much as possible. All I pray for everyday is that, we are both happy and healthy and everything else will be taken care of.
As of now I’m feeling tired, ready to see our baby boy and anxious. Granted that I know what to expect, but its still a little nerve wrecking to think what our life will be with a hyper toddler and newborn in the house. Getting my Netflix and DVR Ready to watch some new shows since I will be home for quite some time! I have had a great pregnancy in comparison to my first. My first overall was great but towards the end with work related stress and travel, my blood pressure went up. This time around, I have been lucky enough to be home and my stress level is no where near what I experienced with Belle.
I hope to be a little more active on here again and my social media posts once my energy level returns. Thank you for tuning in! Keep you all posted soon!
Xo,
Jackie
Julian ClosetKids Corner in the Kitchen, First shelf is Julian his bottles are from BornFree that are from Belle newborn stage. The two shelves above are for Belle!
