New York Nanny Center » infants

Grandma’s Back

Alison Gore — Mon, 24 Jun 2013 17:03:08 +0000

I came back to help out with the babies as my daughter was going back to work. I thought it would be nice to make her transition easier knowing I was here with the kids. Being away for a month makes you forget what hard work it is. Back to juggling two energetic grandbabies and trying to fix a bottle while holding a contortionist. I think my blood pressure rises at least 10 points with each feeding. My twelve hour day begins at 7 am. It’s up and down the stairs it seems a hundred times, tummy time on the floor with time for exercising. Stroller rides for some fresh air take up part of the day. You should see me trying to push a double stroller with humans up a 60 degree hill. What a workout. If I don’t lose a few pounds there is no justice in this world. The hectic nature of the day is forgotten when I look into their big blue eyes and they are looking back. They are smiling at me or talking to me, in baby talk of course, the aches and pains of the day seem to disappear.

All the cares of the day disappear when I see these lil’ faces!

With a good night’s sleep I’ll be ready for another day.

-Mama Bell

Post-Pregnancy Working Girl

Alison Gore — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:19:13 +0000

This is tough.

Yesterday was my first day back in the office from my maternity leave. The whole week prior I found myself crying sporadically thinking of having to leave my two little babies at home. Even the smallest things would set me off…a smile, greeting cards at Target…you name it. I should have had these babies in my husband’s motherland, Ireland, so I could have a nice 6 months off.

Wish I could stay home every day with her!

So yesterday morning I stared at Amelia & Ava for a good 10 minutes before having to pry myself away.

Had to tear myself away from this lil’ one

Once I got into work, I was welcomed by many familiar faces and was able to share several pictures of the girls and discussed parenthood with another mother of twins which made me feel at ease. Throw in some work, pumping, and lunch, and before I knew it the day was over! I left work in such a fury, running to make the 6PM train so I could hold those little ones in my arms and kiss their cheeks uncontrollably. Luckily, they were in good care of Mama Bell.

Mama Bell if you’re reading this…are you interested in coming on full time? Room & board, and baby love included ☺

-Courtney has been a part of LLD since nearly the beginning, she has babysat for over 5 years with our troupe & is a new mom. Courtney is the sister of the President of LLD & lives in New Jersey with her husband.

Bedtime Routine Tips from the Experts!

Lindsay Bell — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:15:00 +0000

Big City Moms always supporting LLD, invited us to their Sleep Experts Lunch to speak about the importance of communicating bedtime routines to your sitter. Here are a few important tips!
1. Give your sitter a tour of your home. Show your sitter the kids rooms, point out dangerous areas you want the kids to stay away from and give specific instructions on how things work.

2. Bedtime Rules. Talk to your sitter about your bedtime routine with the kids i.e. What time do you begin to wind down the night? What is your child’s favorite story and/or bedtime song? What time should they be asleep by?

3. Special Instructions. Are there any special rules you have? Do your kids have any allergies the sitter should know about? Are the kid’s sick and need medicine?

4. Exchange Contact Info. Be sure to leave your sitter with your cell phone and an emergency contact numbers. Be sure to get her cell phone number so that you can text her throughout the night if you have any questions or to check in.

5. Anything else? Sitters are happy to lend a helping hand. If you’d like them to unload the dishwasher or change the laundry most sitters won’t mind. Especially once they have been at your home a few times and you feel connected to them. They will be happy to help!

I stayed to listen to Kira Ryan, mom, sleep lover and co-founder of Dream Team speak about her infant& toddler sleep tips. Here are a few!

Newborns should get 15-18 hours of sleep per day (24hrs)
A good bedtime for an infant is between 6-8pm
Signs of a sleepy infant: the cry is different, no engagement or eye contact, fussy
What is normal?
- Up to 6 mo infants take naps every1 ½ -2 hours
- At 6mo infants usually take 2 naps per day
- 15-18 mo 1 long nap in the afternoon
- Naps or ‘quiet time’ is recommended up to 3-4 years
- White noise machines are great especially for city noise
- Crib should be a sleep sanctuary, anything that screams party or playground should be removed
- Check the nursery temperature! It should be between 68-72 F.
- Is the room dark enough? Get blackout shades!

For more info on Dream Team click here