Does a cheaper daycare = a more sick kid?

Last week a notice was posted in our daycare about a child having Strep throat.

Natali was acting a little funny over the weekend. She stayed home with my Monday and Tuesday. I noticed something was up right away.

She was much more lethargic than normal. Sleeping more often than normal. Not much of an appetite. Then I noticed the same in me....plus a sore throat Tuesday afternoon. It got worse Tuesday night.

Wednesday morning we both went to the doctor. I tested positive for strep. Natali was clear. It likely had it but was on the downside by Wednesday morning. We were both prescribed anti-biotics.

This got me thinking. Are more expensive daycare centers more free of sick kids. Follow me here.

In theory the higher priced daycare centers have families that make more money and there fore can likely take days off work to watch a sick kid. The inverse being true for lower priced daycare centers. If you are barely scraping by you might not be able to take a sick day each time your kid is sick.

Kelli burned through all her sick days early in the year due to Natali being sick so often.

I tossed the question to my facebook friends. Turns out I was wrong.

I have friends that work at expensive daycare centers. Here is a direct quote, " I work for a very nice upscale montessori school and we have the same issues. The parents are "too busy" and/or out of town and the nanny drops them off. Yep, even when they have Nannys they do it. They feel their health and time is more valuable than yours. Once one parent does it, the domino of sick children begins!!!"

When Natali is sick I can't justify taking her to daycare. She already feels crummy. Taking her to a school with a bunch of loud kids won't make her feel any better. I guess we are fortunate that I typically work weekends while Kelli has them off. We are much more flexible this way.

Thankfully Natali was back to her normal self Wednesday afternoon. This morning she was a little off by not wanting much to eat. She did take her medicine fine though (helps it was super sweet!).

 

All Kelli's fault

Natali is too intelligent. I blame Kelli. She's the smart one with a Masters degree and a white collar job. I'm just a blue collar worker (Union=blue collar).

This week Natali turned 16 months old. She's so big. When she sits on my lap I am in awe at how much she has grown.

Natali is now on her second pair of shoes. She started at a size 4....now on a size 5. Her feet aren't size 5 yet....but they are bigger than a 4.

I have a few friends who had their first kids within the last 16 months...and are preggo again. No thanks. I said it when Natali was born and I still feel the same today...one and done.

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Kelli has done an amazing job at dropping the baby weight...and then some. She has lost over 40 pounds in the last 5 months. She weighs less now than when I met her. Maybe this vague mention will get her into blogging again?

 

Talking on the Remote

Natali has been "talking" on the phone a lot today. For a good 5 minutes she picked up her baby monitor, put it to her ear and walked around talking to it.

Tonight she picked up her Roku remote and talked for 10 minutes. This video picked up the end of it.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIvwXx73jto

Thanks for screaming!

When we first started brushing Natali's teeth it was easy....for me anyway.

For whatever reason she let me brush her teeth more than Kelli. Not a big deal, it was being done. I could do her entire mouth and she smiled the entire time.

Over the last two weeks though it hasn't been easy.

Natali knows what "brush teeth" means. She brings her fingers to her mouth and wiggles her fingers. Natali then walks (most of the time) to the bathroom. That's where the happiness stops.

Natali watches as we put the training toothpaste on the toothbrush. She is smiling most of the time. She continues smiling...tight lipped when the toothbrush is brought to her mouth. No amount of coaxing helps. Natali just smiles and shakes her head "no".

Fine down on the floor we go.

Natali then begins screaming and crying....which actually helps as now her mouth is open. We brush her teeth slowly and sing to her. Natali screams nonetheless. Once done she walks out of the room dazed...as though she was in a fight. Silly child.

Hopefully the screaming fights will end....someday.

She does have one good hygenic habit.

Natali LOVES to wash her hands. She loves water in general but whenever she hears a faucet one she moves her hands in a hand washing motion and walks over. Oh my little OCD

Thanks for killing the light there buddy

Natali had her first REAL Thanksgiving this year.

Again we spent Thanksgiving dinner with our friends the Eric and Angela and their family.

Last year Natali was there of course, but she really couldn't eat anything.

She was able to eat this year though...and boy did it do a number on her.

Lots of dirty diapers today. More than 5 so far....normally she's a 2 a day dumper.

Speaking of diapers. Eric clued me on something I truly didn't know.

I always assumed that when a kid is potty trained it's an A to Z training. Once done the kid is trained....as in no more parental assistance.

Eric and Angela's daughter Marin is almost 5 and will be starting school next year. Before she goes she has to be able to use the restroom solo. At first I was like , well she's potty trained so that's not an issue right? Wrong. Parental help is still needed to "tidy up" the kiddo.

That's when the light at the end of the diaper tunnel grew dim. I was eagerly awaiting starting potty training next year and being free from poop that's not mine. Nope. Several more years of poop ahead apparently. I am now 110% positive Natali is the only kid I need. I don't mind dirty diapers...but it's not something I will list on "things I like to do".

Natali had a good time at Thanksgiving though. After about 6 minutes she warmed up to them and was fine. She enjoyed watching Marin run around the room. For a while Natali was doing circles in the living room in front of everyone, she enjoys being the center of attention.

 

A lot happens in 6 days

I (Darren) am finally flying again. Back to the gridiron....er...skies.

My first trip back was 6 days long. Very abnormal. I didn't care to be gone that long.

Kelli and I video called a few times and I thought that was sufficient. Nope. When I returned I was surprised at just how much Natali changed in those 6 days. Natali had a new word, longer hair and was just older. Eh.

Natali's internal clock is just like mine. Set in stone. No matter what time she goes to bed, Natali is up at either 5:30AM or 6:30AM. One of the other, never in between on her own. When I saw 5:30AM..I mean on the dot. Not 5:28AM or 5:31AM....5:30AM.

Great on weekdays...but weekends....yeah.

Natali's walking is going very well. She can walk at a rapid pace without falling. No running yet.

Over the weekend we went to a Little Gym for a birthday party. This was the second time at a Little Gym for Natali. She did much better the second time around.

The first time she wasn't walking much and just cried the entire time.

This time she cried at first when we entered the gym area. Natali likes to scope out new areas from a distance.

Natali just hung out in our arms for the first 15 minutes or so...taking it all in. Profiling each person in the room.

After pizza and cake she was ready to go. Social and full of energy.

I've noticed this same behavior at mall play areas and parks. Guess it's a good thing, better cautious than dangerous.

Natali's 15 month check up went okay. She has a pretty good memory. She knows the Dr and he never gives her shots...so he was fine with him. When the nurse came in Natali started screaming bloody murder. The nurse always gives shots. Yeah.

Natali is in the 50th percentile for height and weight at 31.8 inches and 23 pounds. Her head size is off the charts though...big head on her shoulders...literally.

Kelli and I escaped to Los Angeles for the day to visit the LA Autoshow. Her mom was in town and watched Natali. Only our 2nd kid free day since Natali was born.

I've been to the LA Autoshow every year for the last 3. This was the second time for Kelli. I loved it. She liked it. I sat in my next car for the first time. A Volvo XC60. SUV...with the option of built in child booster seats! Best thing is I can order the exact car I want, pick it up in Europe, drive it around in Europe and then have it shipped to the United States. I just have to wait till 2014.....when the Prius will be paid off.

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Free Museum Day

Natali is sick again. She had a good run.

She's been coughing since Wednesday. Had a fever since Thursday.  She's been pretty good today. She doesn't eat as much as she normally does. Hopefully tomorrow is better than today.

Bank of America has a sponsorship/deal with Museums across the United States. The first weekend of each month all Bank of America card holders get in free. Simple. Just show your card. So we did.

We went back to the Dallas Museum of Natural Science and History which includes the Children's Museum.

Natali had fun again. She really enjoyed the soft play room. After about an hour she was ready to head home.

Her speech set is getting so big we can't keep count of her solid words.

Natali tries to repeat many of the words we use. Sometimes she's close with her new words, "alright, Lets go"...but sometimes she no where close...still cute.

She has had problems using the word "more" lately. Natali uses the word "more" while signing it for way too many things. She uses "more" to say she wants something. We just don't know what she wants. Natali gets very frustrated when she can't communicate what she wants....which is good in that she learns words fast.

Hard to believe it's been 15 months since she entered our lives.

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