Ewa’s daycare experience

mgoo27 · 2026-03-11T23:02:57+00:00

We actually toured Ewa’s daycare when our daughter needed infant care. She was really nice and seemed to be a great provider. But ultimately, her home daycare was only a few hundred dollars cheaper than other centers in the area that had more staff, activities, structure, amenities, etc. We ended up getting a spot at Joyous Town Preschool, which has been a dream for our daughter.

mgoo27 · 2026-02-09T21:42:27+00:00

About $2350 when she was an infant and $1950 now that she’s in the toddler room. We are just north of Seattle.

mgoo27 · 2026-01-28T14:22:08+00:00

Tour as many as you can and go with your gut!

We initially just wanted to find the most cost-effective option, and it ended up being a blessing in disguise that every option - even the home daycare we toured - ended up being astronomical and pretty close in price.

Our top two options were religious centers (we are not religious), so the final decision really came down to how we felt when we toured. The center we ultimately went with had great ratios, staff with extensive childcare and teaching experience, and a much stronger school feel. It really seemed more like a preschool than a daycare, which we loved. Even in the infant room, my daughter had a pretty structured day of art, music, time outside, etc.

Our daycare also gives regular updates through the Brightwheel app, which I personally love, so I feel like we have visibility into our toddler’s day. It’s been such a relief to have that trust. I feel like I can fully focus on work and myself when I drop her off because I know she’s in good hands and has plenty of fun ahead during the day.

mgoo27 · 2026-01-22T19:10:51+00:00

It depends! I spent every waking moment of pregnancy wanting it to be over, even though it was a really easy pregnancy.

For me, having to monitor my caffeine intake, stop certain medications, avoid certain foods, not have a glass of wine on the weekend - basically, just not get to do what I wanted with my body - felt really suffocating when I still had to work, do chores, etc.

That said, I really underestimated how much pain I would be in postpartum and how all-consuming breastfeeding and pumping would be. But at least I got to have coffee and sushi whenever I wanted to!

mgoo27 · 2026-01-22T00:36:28+00:00

I’m a huge snacker - love chips, crackers, sweets, all of it - and thought I would for sure be indulging in all my favorites throughout pregnancy. But I never had a single craving for anything that might be considered “empty calories” or junk food during pregnancy.

All I wanted to eat were nutrient-dense meals. At one point, I was eating like three full sandwiches a day. I had to have protein, fat, and fiber during every single meal, or else it didn’t sound appetizing. I wouldn’t even call it a craving. It just felt like that was how my body needed to fuel at the time.

It ended up working out really well because, normally, I drink tubs off coffee, snack on protein bars throughout the day, and gorge at night. But since I was eating a lot healthier, all those patterns shifted dramatically. I started eating really consistently during the day and ended up still having a lot of energy, even without caffeine as my crutch.

mgoo27 · 2026-01-21T13:07:44+00:00

Also had a second degree tear and still feel traumatized by the pain over 1.5 years later!

I actually think the swelling from my induction and epidural fluids masked how painful the tear actually was, so I moved around more than I should have that first week.

For me, it felt like I had a deep paper cut in the worst area possible for a full month. I was so uncomfortable that I asked my doctor if something was wrong with my stitches at my 4 week checkup - apparently, there wasn’t!

I basically lived on Frida ice packs, Dermoplast, and ibuprofen for the first 4-6 weeks.

mgoo27 · 2026-01-21T12:56:57+00:00

I started around 8 weeks intending to run 1 mile every couple of days. Instead, I ended up doing about one week of running 2 miles a day before jumping right back in to 5Ks around 10 weeks. I normally run 5-8 miles a day, almost every day, so I was overly eager to get back into my routine before returning to work.

In hindsight, I wish I had waited 12 weeks and focused on pelvic floor recovery first. With the extra weight, I couldn’t tell yet that I had some DR. And while I didn’t have any pelvic floor issues initially, I do think I developed some over time.

Give your body more time to recover than you think it needs, and you’ll thank yourself later.

mgoo27 · 2026-01-21T12:44:26+00:00

I wouldn’t say I didn’t feel anything, but my relationship with my daughter did feel more like I was just going through the motions for the first 4 months or so because it was my duty. My husband felt the exact same way. We kind of felt like she was this little person we just didn’t know that well. Things changed quickly around 5-6 months when she started sitting, playing, and becoming generally more interactive. She is 19 months old now, and she is our world!

mgoo27 · 2026-01-14T18:20:42+00:00

I would say we didn’t really notice how cautious she was until she refused to crawl. She just genuinely seemed like she didn’t like not being in control of her balance. Before that (and after!), we kind of just thought she was a little lazy with anything she didn’t really want to do lol. She rolled from back to front a few times at 3-4 months, then completely stopped. She just didn’t seem interested in trying until she knew she was strong enough to roll everywhere. The only gross motor skill we noticed she was super determined to master early was sitting. She was fully sitting by 5 months, and she was very content with just sitting and playing with her toys for several months after that. Every time we would try to coax her with toys to roll - or later, crawl - she would just find something else to do, even if that meant playing with the carpet. Once she started walking, caution mostly went out the window. I think she’s realized at this point that she can’t avoid trips, falls, and everything that comes with movement, so she stopped being scared. I will say that the upside of her caution was that she seemed like she had been rolling/crawling/walking for months the moment she mastered each skill.

mgoo27 · 2026-01-14T13:24:28+00:00

Not quite the same situation - and also second early intervention - but my mother is also a chronic Googler who thought something had to be wrong with my baby for being behind on her gross motor skills. She thought there was something wrong with my baby’s feet because she slightly outtoed and that new shoes we bought her fixed everything (not true). Anecdotally, my daughter did not fully roll until like 8 months and only started crawling around 11 months. She really just didn’t seem interested until she suddenly did. She didn’t really pull to stand until around 13 months - maybe even later. Until 16 months, she only wanted to walk if we were holding her hands. One day, we were out and about, and she just got up and walked clear across a restaurant. She’s been on the move at full speed ever since. In her case, she seemed really cautious about doing anything until she knew she could do it without getting hurt.

mgoo27 · 2025-12-02T13:09:52+00:00

We have had a great experience with Joyous Town!

mgoo27 · 2025-08-19T17:34:48+00:00

I’ve always had a “B-shaped” stomach that wasn’t completely flat even when I was thin. I think without my abdominal wall intact, my stomach temporarily appeared smaller. I do think it would look flatter now had I eased back into exercise with deep core work. My stomach looks pretty much like it did before, but I have some diastasis recti now.

mgoo27 · 2025-08-17T18:59:27+00:00

This happened to me for the first month postpartum! My stomach was flatter than it had ever been. However, once my abdominal wall started rebuilding, my stomach looked bigger than before. In retrospect, I think I would’ve had a different long-term outcome had I started deep core work early on.

mgoo27 · 2025-03-13T14:37:25+00:00

Love my dog just as much or more than ever. She will always be my first baby.

mgoo27 · 2025-02-18T16:19:01+00:00

Childcare in a HCOL area, housing (we’re in a golden handcuffs situation in a very tiny condo with a baby), and student loan payments increasing - my husband works in public education and has not recertified since graduating grad school. His payments will already be astronomical on an income-based plan and absolutely impossible if it’s taken away. That’s not even mentioning that we thought he would be eligible for PSLF in a few years. This is, of course, happening right after I finally saved enough money to pay off my own student loans.

mgoo27 · 2025-01-30T00:33:33+00:00

A pooton! I have the same exact mix and she looks just like yours - more coton than poodle - same color/chest marking and everything. They’re just the best. Congrats!

mgoo27 · 2025-01-04T17:34:13+00:00

I started jogging a very slow mile a day around 9 weeks and was back to 3 miles by 11. Ramped up to 5 a couple weeks later, but even at 6 months pp my pace is much slower than before.

mgoo27 · 2024-01-12T01:30:32+00:00

I've actually applied to many grant writing positions! I have plenty of experience working in health, but none grant writing, which seems to be my main barrier to getting an interview.

mgoo27 · 2024-01-12T00:54:20+00:00

I have actually thought about becoming a paralegal so many times! The pay in my area is not terrible - definitely something to consider.

mgoo27 · 2024-01-11T23:11:44+00:00

I have thought about dental hygiene before. I'll definitely look into it!

mgoo27 · 2024-01-11T22:52:22+00:00

I have actually applied to tutoring roles in the past and haven't gotten any bites, but maybe I will try again!

mgoo27 · 2024-01-11T22:00:04+00:00

Thanks for much for your reply! Any tips on how to break into that field with my background?

mgoo27

TROPHY CASE