I’ve started the nanny search. I initially looked into two full-service nanny agencies each with its own prescreened (allegedly) nannies whom they’ve interviewed, prequalified and meet minimum requirements like passing background checks and being infant CPR-certified. These agencies will match and send nannies that fit my requirements and needs to me for interviews. I pay the agency a referral fee if/when I hire one of their prospects. The problem: the referral fee is approximately 10% of the nanny’s annual salary, due in a lump sum, so we’re looking at $4K-ish paid to an agency to make the introductions.

Because the full-service agencies are so expensive, Mr. W looked into preschools. There are two local Montessories and a local preschool who would take an infant 4 months old, which is how old Allie will be at the time I return to work. However, it breaks my heart that Allie would have to be plucked out of bed at 6am every morning to be sent into a loud roomful of strangers and strange crying babies and toddlers. She won’t get personal attention, they may not have time to soothe her and respect her nap schedule, and she’ll likely get sick — a lot. Given how this cold is already killing me, hearing Allie slosh around in her sinuses and being unable to clear that mucus for her (the nasal aspirator bulb only sucks out what’s in her nostrils), hearing her phlegmy cough interrupt her sleeping, I can’t imagine having her in this condition being a regular thing. She’ll get sick as she goes to kindergarten and elementary school, why put her through this as an infant? Poor thing’s having a hard time napping because she can’t breathe well and can’t use her pacifier if she needs to breathe through her mouth. BTW, I raised her mattress with a pillow on one end, lengthwise, yesterday. We sleep her perpendicularly in her crib, so if she slides down the incline she won’t go more than a couple of inches, if that. And she does slide down until her feet hit the side of the crib. *sigh*

I signed up for a compromise yesterday — an online nanny database site. I’ve seen this site referred to a few times by people reviewing the nanny agencies. Sure, I’ll have to set up, contact, research my own candidates, but it’s $100/month vs. $4000. If I don’t have any luck with the database site, I could always then pay the big bucks for the nanny agencies. I’ve contacted two promising-looking nannies looking for jobs, and two have on their own contacted me through the site. Of the two I’d contacted, one was the reason I joined the site, but she hadn’t checked the email yet. She seems overqualified, but that’s what I want. =P The other is a 31-year-old German lady who did respond with interest and seems very nice. She’s open for an interview. Of the two who contacted me, one seems perfect and also a touch overqualified, but she wants to be a live-in because she’s moving from out-of-state. I wrote back and said that depends on whether we’ll have a bedroom free once Mr. W’s 21 yr old daughter makes up her mind whether she wants to stay or move out. Really, tho, I’m not sure I want a live-in because it does affect my privacy and freedom. Plus, how will I know her lifestyle will be compatible with ours? The stepdaughter came by yesterday to pick up some more things, which she’d apparently given her dad a heads-up about, but didn’t tell him when. The time she chose was 9:45pm, again after she knows the household is usually asleep. I happened to be up searching for nannies online. She said she had “a few things to print” and took out her laptop and started printing. Her dad heard and came downstairs. I immediately switched to the nanny cam to check on the baby, because the printer is noisy and is downstairs in the living room. I bit my tongue, but was very grateful Mr. W said, “You need to come over earlier if you want to print things; you can hear how noisy that is.” She didn’t respond, which tells me she’s biting her tongue and thinking, “Now I can’t even PRINT, either?” I’d already explained to her in our talk that it’s not the activity; it’s the time. Anyway, I just don’t want this type of thing to be an issue with a live-in nanny. It’ll be hard to tell an adult stranger, “You’re being too noisy too late! Go to bed already!”

I guess I’m gonna be passing names through to Rebecca soon…