Life with a Helper

Back when I shared how we will manage to have a baby in Singapore, I mentioned that we would have to get a live-in helper.  We started our search before Christmas as we wanted someone to start around the first of the year so we could get settled in with them before the baby arrives in March.  We found a sweet Filipino woman who was working with a German family and taking care of their two-year-old.  This family was leaving Singapore and so she was happy to come work for us.  While we were in the US for the holidays, Fedelynn moved into our apartment and has been taking care of us ever since.

Derek was uneasy with having someone we don't know live with us but after a month he has gotten pretty accustomed to it.  I am not sure who enjoys having a helper more, me or the dog!  Maddie has fallen in love with Fedelynn and enjoys having her home all day.  I love having my breakfast ready when I walk out of the bedroom in the morning, snacks for me and lunch for Derek packed, and the dog on the way out the door for a walk.  Our helper does all the grocery shopping and errand running so when we get home from work, we get to spend our time together.  I think for the first time in our marriage, we sit down at the table and have breakfast and dinner together almost every single day.  This makes me excited to have the baby come because of all the quality time we will get to spend with her instead of worrying about cooking and cleaning.

I enjoy cooking and baking again because I have an extra set of eager hands in the kitchen.  Our helper is actually a pretty good cook and I admit is better than me at cooking many things.  Our clothes are always washed and put away, the bed is made, and the dishes done.  I know that she is really going to make the transition to life with the baby so much easier! 

I will share a funny "helper problems" issue we have had.  Derek and I realized that we have been wearing the same three pairs of underwear over and over again because our helper is so on top of the laundry and it is getting washed as soon as there is a full load which is about every three days instead of waiting two weeks to do 6 loads like we got in the habit of doing.  I guess it is time to start rotating the underwear (which is now folded and perfectly stacked for the first time ever). We are beyond spoiled!

Nursery Reveal

Most parents get to plan for months about how they want their nursery to look.  They buy a blanket here, decoration there, maybe paint, buy a crib and then a month later the changing table.  We quickly realized after visiting all the baby stores in Singapore that we were not going to have that luxury.  None of the furniture we could find was at all what I was hoping for and it was twice as expensive.  We knew that our company would provide an air shipment so I immediately began planning down to the inch and pound what I could get to fit in that box.  Since we would be home for Christmas, we asked them to pick up all of our things from Derek's parents house right before we left so we could make sure everything fit and if need be, decide what didn't make the cut.  Fortunately every thing fit and then some!

Three weeks after we flew back in Singapore, our air shipment arrived.  It was like Christmas all over again!  We could not wait to open up the boxes and get all the furniture put together.  Our helper was also excited and quickly got to work washing and folding all the new clothes and bedding.  In one weekend, we finished the nursery.  It is a little plain as we haven't painted (and won't since this is a rental) or put anything on the walls.  I have a few ideas to jazz up the walls but we will see if I get to it before the baby is born.

I am really happy with the way it turned out and cannot wait to bring little Caroline home to it!