We are excited to share more personal information about us here. Please review and feel free to ask us ANY questions!
SCHEDULE
The first, is our CRAZY schedule. Justin works in New York City from early in the morning until night time. Jessi teaches at 2 different schools, and has a rotating teaching schedule. And everything changes while Jessi is in Peru and from semester to semester. However, the best way to explain our schedule is to show you a sample 3 weeks. Please see below.
NOTE: The schedule is subject to change, after we meet with our au pair to see what works best for everyone. We want EVERYONE to feel comfortable :-)
FUN GABI FACTS
Loves to eat and try new foods!
Loves elephants, owls, Moana, Frozen, and Elmo
Loves to play outside
She is a great snuggler
She blows kisses when she meets people in stores
Playing in the bath is her favorite!
We are working on getting her to sleep through the night in her crib...she sometimes wakes up crying in the middle of the night
She has 4 teeth and 2 new ones coming in!
Loves to read books
She knows baby sign language and can sign when she wants "more" of something -- this is super helpful!
If you sing to her and dance with her, she will be your best friend!
Is really excited to explore new things
Is learning her colors and shapes!
FUN JESSI FACTS
Loves trying new foods - Thai, Italian, Vietnamese, and Japanese are some favorite kinds of food!
Doesn't like eating fish too much -- only likes tuna, shrimp, and sometimes crab
Loves chocolate
Is a morning person
Is very organized and clean
Has asthma, so she has to carry an inhaler with her in case she gets sick
Is an artist - she loves to paint (that is her painting in this photo at a gallery opening)
Loves dressing Gabi up in cute outfits
Loves to shop and watch movies
Loves to rock climb
Loves to be around water -- the beach, a lake, a pond -- it is so relaxing
Just got a machine that can make t-shirts, so she has been having fun creating custom t-shirts for friends!
FUN JUSTIN FACTS
Loves to rock climb
Loves to work out in our home gym once a day
Loves eating meat and barbecue foods
Doesn't like vegetables very much
Likes snacking on candy
Loves blueberries and cherries
Graduated with a software engineering degree
Loves Marvel movies
Loves playing video games
Plays an online game with friends across the country every Wednesday night and has been for several years
Is really tall!
Used to race in triathalons
Very allergic to cats and some dogs
One time he cycled across the country with a friend!
ADDITIONAL NOTES
No shoes in the house (due to Jessi's asthma and allergies}
No food in any bedrooms (except the baby can have a bottle of course!)
No cigarettes or drugs of any kind
No candles or incense please. We have 1 candle that we keep in the kitchen and occasionally light it
Feel free to cook or bake in the kitchen! Just please clean up afterwards (dishes, put ingredients away, wipe the counters down, etc)
Absolutely NO texting or answering your cell phone while you are driving. Not only is it super dangerous, but it is also against the law in our state and you can face large fines. If you need to answer your phone or text while you are driving, simply pull over to the side of the road (as long as it is SAFE) or in a parking lot and then you can check there.
Any time we have family outings, you are always invited! We want you to feel like part of the family! We also understand if you want private time to yourself too. Really, it is up to you :-)
We both love to read and have a large collection of books (fiction, non-fiction, and cookbooks!) that you are welcome to borrow - just ask :-)
We have a small home gym in our garage that you are welcome to use if you would like to work out
We have a huge backyard, so if you are interested in gardening, you are welcome to garden
Jessi's parents live about 5 minute car ride away, and are always able to lend a hand if there's any problems
Justin's parents live about 20 minute car ride away, and because of work, they like to visit Gabi on the weekends
We are very friendly with our neighbors next door to us and across the street. The next door neighbors have a daughter that is 5 months younger than Gabi, and the neighbors across the street have 2 daughters (age 4 and 8)
Once we have a "MATCH", we will share an AU PAIR HANDBOOK with our au pair to give more detailed notes about Gabi, feeding her, changing her, etc. You won't go in to this blindly. We want everyone to feel comfortable :-)