Sitter #1

I posted a while back on why we hired a sitter and how important that was for us. After interviewing a few people and our #1 choice not being available until mid-May, we decided to try out someone on a trial basis. We discussed it and decided that giving her a shot as a back up sitter might be a good idea, so we set up a day and time for her to come over and hang out with Matthew while I was home.

Apparently, my child has his own agenda and did not take to her at all. Sure, he's going through some separation anxiety/stranger danger, but there are quite a few people he's totally comfortable with that he's never met. It was quite an interesting day to say the least and we have decided we won't be using her anymore.

Here's what NOT to do when it's your first day on the job babysitting.

1. Arrive for the job late. Yes, I'm a stickler for time when it comes to you being paid to watch my child. You were late to the interview and I showed grace and gave you a second chance, but being late to the actual job? Umm, no.
2. Not paying attention to the details. It's important not only to listen, but to ask questions and remember the important details such as where his food and formula is and how to change his cloth diaper.
3. Bombarding him when he first wakes up. I'm pretty sure that when I mention he might need a little bit to get used to you, that is a hint to take your time when approaching him. Him screaming when you get in his face .2 seconds after he wakes up is not making him comfortable.
4. Oversharing. Learning about your sitter and their issues will come over time, but knowing all about you within the first hour of having you over? That's a little much. Please make sure that you also leave out things that might make a parent feel uncomfortable before they really know you. Plus, it makes it seem like drama follows you everywhere.
5. Admitting to calling the authorities on more than one family. Are you going to call the police or CPS on me? Yes, there are definitely warranted cases, but you are way too comfortable calling the authorities. See previous statement.
6. Telling me you're fine with my child screaming and that it doesn't bother you, then telling me how patient I am with him. Yes, my child cries, a lot, but if it doesn't bother you, then you shouldn't really comment on how I'm patient and good with him when it's been 45 minutes of almost constant crying. It makes me think that you wouldn't be patient in this situation.
7. Letting me know you need the money. I understand everyone has their own financial burdens, but this is inappropriate on your first day.

As you can see, we won't be asking this particular sitter back. I'm holding out hope that our first choice will be much better with him and that she will be a great summer sitter for us and will continue on her breaks from college. Being a previous caregiver myself, I try to really make it a priority to treat our sitters well and hope that they feel the same way.

Answers

Friday I took Matthew to the pediatrician once again to try and figure out why he's so gosh darn fussy. He hasn't been sleeping well or eating well on top of everything else and I knew something wasn't right. His ear had a little fluid in it two weeks ago and we were told to be on watch for an ear infection. Either way, I was hoping to find something out seeing how it has been almost 9 months of mostly fussy days.

You would never guess he was fussy!

 

What we found out was that Matthew's reflux is acting up again (I knew this), but that it was playing a large role in how he was feeling and acting. Because of how he was reacting to more acidic foods, it was making his reflux worse and his intestines are inflamed. Basically, his stomach feels full, sick, and bloated all the time and he's dealing with reflux on top of all of that! She explained that he's learned to cope with the reflux so it doesn't seem like it bothers him as much, but it's really uncomfortable for him still which makes him super fussy.

 

 

We were told to change his diet and only give him low acid foods and that we should see an improvement in the next 10-15 days. If we see a great improvement, then we can experiment with adding in some of the more acidic foods in small quantities, one at a time, for a few days each to see how he reacts. She also said that between 12-15 months old, he should be feeling much better on his own!

I'm so glad there's a light at the end of the tunnel and we're really praying that changing his diet will drastically help him. It was so nice to see how happy he was for 2 weeks, then the reflux started acting up again. He's been having such a hard time sleeping because of it and eating has been difficult too. There's been a lot of crying going on over here that will hopefully be over with soon!

When You Have a Fussy Baby

When you have a fussy baby you...

• Are thrilled with happy days. Seriously, sometimes they are few and far between and you need those days to remind you that there's light at the end of the tunnel.
• Feel like you're on pins and needles with each awake time not knowing if it will be a happy one or a fussy one.
• Tend to feel alone while everyone is talking about their happy babies and how life is just the best ever!
• Try 10 things over the course of 30 minutes to get them to be happy. Which usually ends up only working for a few seconds or minutes at that point.
• Are exhausted by 7pm and seriously consider going to bed.
• Feel thrilled, but guilty asking your mother in law to take the baby for a few hours just so you can get some things done.
• Cry a lot. You cry because they cry, out of frustration, and because you're exhausted.
• Are still thankful for the baby that you prayed for and have, but still pray for better days.