Oldest GD used to turn off FaceTime, but no she just says “no more” with my grandma name. Progress? Ha!
I am so lucky - S, DIL & GS moved in with us two weeks ago. They are both working full-time so H and I are the new nannies! I love having them here and seeing all the milestones he’s hitting but it is exhausting, even with their help. Sometimes it makes it worse because he only wants mama when he sees her.
I feel like we’re running a day care, co-working space and restaurant, all in one place. Until yesterday my mom was living with us but when I drove to meet my sister and trade-off my H was picking up our D and she moved in to work from here, too.
But when I come downstairs in the morning and he smiles when he sees me I realize that I’ve lucky to have a silver lining in all this.
SIL doesn’t want to structure bedtime. Last night he didn’t want me to correct GD for stepping on her toys and books. I just said “ok she’s perfect” and left the room. This morning I told DD that hopefully GS (8 months old) will respond better when the time comes for a bedtime routine.
SIL doesn’t want to admit he could do things better. DD was exhausted last night and at 10:30 pm announced “I am exhausted and have to go to bed”. I took GS and left GD to SIL who is responsible for her. GS is generally easy. GD could be easier but lack of structure is an issue. They will have to figure it out…
DD can speak up more when I am not here.
SIL at age 30 has some 20 year old maturity issues. The less I say the better. Finish on Friday after DD gets home from work and I can leave.
Anybody else missing their grandkids due to this quarantine? I used to drive down to see my grandson every Wednesday, but now only get to Skype/FB video. It’s not the same. He is 9 months, has 9(!) teeth, is now standing and cruising, waving bye bye and getting into everything, and I just want to smell his sweet baby head!
Today my D sent a video of him waving to his “girlfriend”, an older woman of 11 months through the window when her mom came to pick up some sourdough starter from their porch. He’s such a little extrovert that even this brief encounter with his friend gave him new energy all day.
Definitely missing the grandkids. They don’t live close, but we were supposed to visit them 2 weeks ago - trip was cancelled and who knows when we’ll see them in person at this point. We do get to facetime more frequently now, since S has the kids in the morning while DIL works - S facetimes probably at least twice during the week to break up his morning. I’ll take whatever I can get.
Before the virus, we were watching our 3.5 yr old granddaughter twice a week. Now it’s only FaceTime. We had a FaceTime session yesterday and I asked what she was doing and she said” I’m just at home and no one comes to visit.” It was common for her aunts and other grandparents to stop in. She is missing everyone too!
I now understand how many here whose grandkids live far feel.
I miss my seventeen month old granddaughter desperately. I babysat for her two eight hour days a week at least and sometimes we saw her on the weekend. We were developing a very special relationship. She is a joy. It’s a great age with new developments, words and motor skills every time I saw her. It’s been three weeks since I’ve seen her. We face time and get videos, but it’s not even close to being the same. I’d love to see her and I’d love to be helping my daughter and son-in-law while they are trying to work from home.
I dream I’m rocking the grandbabies.
They are with the other grandmother (along with their parents) and I am so very grateful to her. Words can’t express the depths of my gratitude.
My oldest daughter has 3 boys under 5, including a 4-week old. The older boys go to an excellent daycare, which is closed for the foreseeable future. The school makes activities available online (videos of teachers reading books aloud, singing songs, other fun stuff). This week, the teachers began providing hour-long interactive classes each day.
Yesterday was hilarious. The 4-year old thought the lesson was his own private FaceTime session, and all the other 4-year olds thought the same thing. The 2-year old just couldn’t process having his teacher on a screen in his kitchen, and disappeared under the table for the duration. But they apparently couldn’t wait to do it all over again today. My daughter and SIL are grateful for anything that resembles structure at this point.
So glad the school is handling the situation this way. It’s an expensive daycare, and the parents are still paying the full cost, but my daughter is willing to do it knowing that the teachers are being paid. If, as seems inevitable, the shutdown continues beyond mid-April, the owner will charge parents less (not sure how much).
SOSconcern- I understand where you are coming from, but -ok, she’s perfect- and walking away comes off snarky to me. It may not have been in real time. I remember my dad calling one of my kids a brat, in hind site he was right, but that approach didn’t help me. I’m not sure what would have helped. Maybe a one on one with your daughter
That’s great that daycare is doing that, @frazzled1. S and DIL are keeping their 2 kids home, so I don’t know if their daycare is still open, but they’re not providing online lessons (and they pay alot too). That would certainly make it a little easier for parents home still trying to get work done.
I feel bad for S and DIL under these circumstances. They split up their days with the kids, so each of them really only works for their employers half the day. S says he’s actually working til 9pm to try and get all his work done. I wish their was something we could do to help them.
My sixteen month old GD lives nearby and I am used to spending a lot of time with her. We have done a few near but not together things. Standing far away in the yard, taking a walk where we stay in the strreet and they are on the sidewalk. So we can verbally interact and see each other, which is great. I miss picking her up, reading to her with her on my lap, holding hands, etc.
And D has to make a game of catching her and picking her up if she starts to walk toward us. I wonder if GD is confused by all the odd behavior, but she seems okay so far. I imagine she’s missing her baby friends, too.
I really try to leave the GKs to parental care when they are home in the evening. However even SIL’s parents would be advising GD not to step on her toys/books. SIL just wants to be ‘right’ and have his voice. My comment essentially was telling him “OK do things your way. Your child. Your time getting her to bed/sleep.” GD behaves well for me w/o parents around.
DD is on the same page with me, it is just letting SIL have his way of doing things – like the way extended bedtime. So we let him handle GD. Hopefully GS will be better with bedtime as he gets older (8 months now).
DD is very appreciative of what I do. SIL, working from home, could absolutely not watch the kids and do his job. GD still doesn’t realize her dad is working in the master BR - otherwise he would not get anything done with her wanting all of his attention.
I was told to come post this here 
Ren Alexander aka romani jr was born today at 8 PM Detroit time.
He’s in the NEST, a shorter term NICU, while his lungs try to clear.
I’m doing well but bummed only one of us can be in the NEST (covid rules). Since we’re formula feeding, it made sense for Mr R to go as he hadnt really been able to hold him.
Many congratulations on your new little one, @romanigypsyeyes. Wishing all of you much health and happiness. I had a baby at the same hospital 36 years ago, and she’s turned out to be a real keeper. ?
Congratulations @romanigypsyeyes !!
So happy for you @romanigypsyeyes . I know it has been a journey, and what a strange set of circumstances at the ‘finish line’.
Glad your hospital is not the one where the H masked that he had symptoms of C19 so he could be there at the delivery. Then after W delivered she had symptoms. What a selfish jerk.
So DD was notified this evening that the GK’s daycare is closed until further notice. If not open the week of April 13th I have to work that day as I need to work one day in 30. My last work day was March 16th.
DD and SIL are not consistent with follow through on structure for GD (22 months old). Last night GD nearly leaped over DD to spill my coffee on the table between the couch and love seat. So I can no longer have coffee in the family room (fine), but GD can bring her milk bottle in there as long as she doesn’t go by the couch and love seat with it - well of course she was challenging that tonight. SIL finally took her bottle away. They act like they are her servant instead of parent. She also wasn’t suppose to have her pacifier until later but she cried until she got it. “Push over Parents, POP” but they are the parents. GD behaves much better for me - she knows I don’t let her get away with nonsense.
Wrong state - that happened in NY.
@romanigypsyeyes (and Mr. R and Ren), welcome! Your journey has been inspiring and we feel like you are one of our own. Need advice if your mom or sibs aren’t available…you know where to turn!
Our 16 month old GS (living with us because of coronavirus) is feeling his early toddler oats. I have seen 2 epic tantrums in the last week - complete with throwing himself on the ground and flailing his arm and legs. Why, you might ask? Because his mom brought him in from the deck for dinner. Food holds little interest for this boy, but being outdoors is his greatest joy. He and his grandpa go for 5 mile walks each day - it’s what’s keeping them both sane. His mom & dad are pretty good at not responding to the tantrums but I can see how hard it is for them. And I also think it’s hard for them figuring this all out while living here. We are trying to stay out of their way and let them do things the way they do them but my H is finding it hard to hold his tongue sometimes. I keep reminding him that he’s their son, they get to do things their way, and we should just be happy they want to be here with us.
This is more just a poor poor me post, so apologies in advance. My daughter, SIL and 9 month GD are moving today to a house they purchased. No way to delay as their rental has been rented to new people, plus they wanted out due to problems with the house; flea infestation being one. GD has several food allergies and was in the mist of testing when COVID 19 hit. They were able to get tested to several foods, but was due to go back next week for others. The office has halted testing unless an emergency, and my daughter was good with that, until today!
GD had an anaphylaxis reactions to something; D wasn’t ready to share as EMS and the movers were all there! They decided not to go to the hospital, as her breathing had improved after her Epi Pen. My daughter also has a couple of severe food allergies, so knows what to do. This is the second reaction in 2 months, the last when my SIL was out of town for work. My daughter is a bit high strung on a good day, so I can imagine on moving day, after working from home for a month with a baby, she might have over reacted a bit!
When things settle down after the move, I hope my daughter has another phone call with the allergist to see what next. They are having trouble figuring out what to feed this child as she is allergic to milk, eggs, most nuts, maybe wheat and I forgot what else she has already been tested for; oh, and she has low iron levels!
Thank you for listening 