1. What would a blog post be without gratuitous photos of Claire?
2. The funniest things I've seen on the web this week:
- Three minutes in a toddler's brain {old news, but still hilarious.}
- A Flight of the Conchords reunion!
3. Now that we are mostly unpacked and Claire is taking regular naps, I have finally been getting out of the house and trying to meet new people. So far, we have been to play group at church and story time at the library. Everyone has been really nice, but all the other moms I've met are at least five years older than me. I feel like their little sister sometimes. I know I should thank my lucky stars to have fulfilled my dreams of marriage and motherhood at such a young age and I do every day, trust me. Sometimes I just miss my friends though.
4. A Walk to Remember is one of my favorite books. In high school, my sister gave Adam a copy as a joke birthday present. He actually read it! Since then, we've had an ongoing six-year debate about the ending. Adam, who hasn't seen the movie, thinks Jamie lives and I, who of course have viewed the movie several times, think Jamie dies. Who is right? Am I just influenced too much by the movie and the book does actually leave things open-ended? Here's what Nicholas Sparks has to say about it.
5. We have been really fortunate to have gone on quite a few dates since Claire arrived. Our parents watched her so we could go out to lunch for both of our birthdays and to the movies twice in June. My parents watched Claire for a bit one night when they were visiting {Side note: we didn't get out until 9:30 at night and the only thing still open was a bar! Suburban living is going to take some getting used to.} and we went out to dinner twice while my sister was in town. We feel completely comfortable leaving Claire with our families, but I am so nervous about hiring an actual babysitter! I'm sure we will break down and ask one of Adam's co-workers for a recommendation eventually. What exactly is the going rate for babysitters these days? When I babysat not-so-long ago minimum wage was $5.15 in our Texas town, so I usually asked for $5 an hour. I have a feeling that prices have gone up since then!
I can't get over how much older Claire looks in these pictures ...!
ReplyDeleteI am wondering about babysitters, as well. I know many college students have offered to babysit for the Keenys, so in a month or two I might ask them who they like and what they pay them and see if I can get them to babysit for us occasionally ... especially since Michael is getting past the age where I can conveniently tote him around to meetings etc and assume he'll be mostly quiet. :-/
Wow - her hair looks red in that first pic! Also, we've never hired a babysitter, but from what I understand, the rate is at least $10/hour (yikes!).
ReplyDeleteShe is SO cute!!
ReplyDeleteI feel like I've read comments somewhere that generally $8/hour is good for an only child (but no less than $20 if its a short date). But don't ask me, I don't really know lol
#3--I agree about just plain missing my friends. Even if I go out with people here (on the couple of times that has actually happened...) it sometimes leaves me even more homesick. But we just have to stick it out--eventually we'll get to know people better...
I've heard it's at least $10/hr now... but I obviously haven't hired a babysitter ever, so don't take my word for it!
ReplyDelete#3 is one of the main reasons we don't have kids yet... I feel like Jeff and I will want/need a support system/network of other parents we can relate to with similar-age kids (especially church friends), and we're nowhere close to having that at our current age. At least y'all have some siblings with babies though... none of our siblings are even married yet, so we have a LONG, LONG time before that happens!
Also, that pic of Claire in the bed - SO adorable!
i hope Claire has red hair! and y'all can just hire me to be your personal nurse and nanny next year!
ReplyDelete