some friends' decisions

[rapscallions]

what do you guys think?

1. a friend who just has dd3 a few days ago decided she really wanted to make bf work this time. she tried with the other two but this time she was going to make it stick. then her dh won an all-expense week trip to hawaii and they're going in four weeks. kid-free.

2. a friend who is about to have her fifth just hired a nanny. a live-in. her first three are in school fulltime, the fourth is in school three a.m.s a week.

i think in some ways, deep down, i'm jealous!

[birthjunkie27]

1. How could a mama leave her newborn for an entire week, breastfeeding or not? I'd think even if a mama was formula feeding it'd be really tough to leave a new baby for that long. Sure, a vacation, all expenses paid would be AWESOME, but there is no way in hell I'd leave my baby. I'd bring her with. Is that not an option for her, or does she just not want to?

2. I admit, I sometimes fantasize about what it'd be like to have a live in nanny. Or even a during the day nanny. But then I come back to reality and remember that #1 we can't afford it and #2 these are MY children and I am the one raising them. Nobody else.

[IncaMama]

yeah, what she said. LOL

[iris0110]

1 I wouldn't even leave my 4.5yr old for a full week. I just couldn't do it. Besides, I would love for him to see Hawaii. I would take the kids even if it meant paying extra, or at least the nb.

2 I don't think I would want a live in nanny. However a maid would be lovely, and a chef. They don't even need to be live in. They can just come by every day for a few hours to clean and cook for me. Yeah I know I am dreaming but it is a nice dream. Can the chef be a Sushi chef?

[IncaMama]

LOL Shannon - for the first time ever, someone is here right now cleaning for us. i was so nervous at first...feeling really stupid and posh...but now...i'm LOVING it.

and dave was SERIOUSLY suggesting the other day that we hire a personal chef. LOL!!!

and THEN my DAD (mr. frugal himself) suggested that we get some meals delivered to our home 2-3x a week. not takeout stuff, but personal chef kinds of meals that they just drop off (don't cook them here). LOL

anyway...if you can afford it, DO IT!

[rapscallions]

yes, baby WAS going to be coming first i heard. then suddenly grandma (who is a nurse and really knows better and in fact was ticked when my friend's sis left her nursing baby behind for a weekend one time) was saying to leave her. coincidentally, the story in friend two (geez i'm tired, i believe i meant the FRIEND in STORY two) left her five week old twins (first borns by the way) for 15 days when they were a few months old.

i know we're all different mamas. and we choose what works for each of us. and really, with each kid i have, i am more and more tolerant of others' different parenting styles, but for some reason, both of these decisions just rubbed me all wrong. (tho you can guess which one is making more jealous than the other, ha ha!) well, thx for listening b/c i have no one here to vent to. hubby gives me the shrug and i already told my mom!

edited to say -- michelle do you guys have super suppers? you can go there and make 12 meals to take home (everything is all chopped up and they give you recipes and baking dishes and they clean up after you) or you can have them make them for you and take them all home. heat and eat or freeze for later. word on the street is that they are MOST delish and work out to around $8-$12 a meal. not too shabby, cheaper than eating out and way cheaper than a sushi chef i'm sure, yah? i'm starting to see coupons for them too....

[allnaturalmama]

Wow, how sad. I've been out a couple of times for 2 hours or less while Will stayed home with Daddy between feedings, and by the time I get home, I'm just aching for him. I think a week away from him would be the end of me!

And, about the nanny - that has never, ever appealed to me. No one knows or loves my kids more than I do, I couldn't fathom voluntarily turning them over to someone else. Although, I have to confess that when DD2 was first born, I did have a mother's helper come in for about 5 hours a week so I could catch up on housework, but I don't think that's quite the same as a live-in nanny!

[judybean]

I've gone to the movies once with dh, leaving lucy with MIL. Gosh, those two hours were So Hard!! I cannot fathom leaving all three for an entire WEEK. Sure, sometimes I'll joke about how fabulous that would be, but in all reality I just couldn't do it.

and the nanny bit. Nope, I couldn't do it. Again, something I'd dream about, but... I like to raise my children the way *I* think is best. And if you're paying somebody else to do it for you, I think you do give up a bit of that control. It's just not for me.

[witchbaby]

heh, i'm going to florida at the end of march and intitally planned to leave k with her daddy and my parents for 4-5 days, but then i couldn't stand the thought of being away from her that long... and she's 2!