As an engineer and a project manager, I’m pretty anal retentive about…well, just about everything. I like to know exactly what I’m getting into, what to expect, and how to make it better. I’m a compulsive “Google-r.”
It should come as no surprise, then, that when I became pregnant with my first (and so far only) child, that I read an endless amount of books, visited web sites, read online forums, and just about anything else I could get my hands on to learn about every little tiny symptom, non-symptom and question that I had. The information out there is endless. Some is great, and some is not-so-great, but the bottom line is, there’s a lot. As far as the pregnancy went, I was pretty well armed with information and what to expect. Questions to my doctor and the nurses that were taking care of me were pretty much just verifications of things I already knew.
Then the unexpected happened. Despite all that I had read about the signs of early delivery, I quite suddenly went into labor. My daughter was born in September 2009 - five and a half weeks early. All of a sudden, I was thrust into the world of mothering and caring for a real life baby…and I had not done my research. For the first time ever, I was unprepared. Of course, the doctors and nurses in the NICU gave me very good guidance. When my daughter was released 10 days later, I knew how to keep her on schedule, change her diapers, and monitor her feedings. I was given excellent information on her development, when to worry, and mostly when not to.
What’s the problem then? Well, after we strip away all the developmental milestones, the disciplining philosophies, and the craft projects (which I don’t do), I find that there really isn’t a lot of “go to” places to get information on what to DO with my child. Now that she’s a walking, jumping, climbing, toddler, I have no idea where to take her so she can safely expend all her energy. I don’t know what safe, economical, family activities are out there. My friends either have grown children or don’t have children at all. I don’t have the resources around me that say “here’s what we do.” So, I turn to the only other place I can…the internet. The information is out there, but it’s not easy to find. So, I figured if I’m going to go through the trouble of researching, I would consolidate what I find into one blog in the hopes that I can make it easier for someone else.
My goal for this blog is to find out what’s out there. I won’t talk about milestones, development, health issues, etc. I’m no expert and there’s plenty of easy-to-find information on those subjects. I will talk about what there is to do with children in Northern California, and especially in the Sacramento area. I’ll endorse toys and activities that we try and give warnings were needed.
This blog is open to feedback. As much as I want to help consolidate information here, I also want it given to me. So, for all the moms and dads out there with good ideas of family fun, recipes, and activities, please send them in. I would love to hear from you!
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