Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, it's so funny how some parts of the newborn phase have been like muscle memory and others have been like we've had our first born all over again. 

We were worried about how David and Evy would feel with this new family member but they have been so sweet that it brings tears to my eyes to put it into words. I was especially worried about Ev being supplanted as the youngest but, honestly, being the big sister suits her SO well and I think she's been loving it, too. 

I've also loved getting to experience this again with Josh. The way you band together during the newborn phase especially is very bonding. You rely on each other deeply and it's not always cute or pretty. 

Super grateful 💗
To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going to think she has the coolest, smartest, bravest big siblings in the world, and she's not wrong 😉
She's here 🌷 Cleo Renée was born 2 weeks early She's here 🌷 Cleo Renée was born 2 weeks early on Saturday March 11 at 1:52 in the morning. 

Josh and I just had a feeling about that day (Friday), so we kept the kids out of school, went out to breakfast, and just spent our last day together as a family of four. 

My contractions started right after my 38 week appointment that morning and progressed throughout the day until around 4pm when I thought, "Mmk, I'm starting to really need to breathe through these. Better go in."

I was so convinced they were going to turn us away that it really didn't hit me that we were actually going to meet our girl that night until we'd been there for a few hours already. 

Baby girl ended up being 7lbs 15oz and 20in long!

We are all so in love. David and Evy are OBSESSED. A few times their friends have come to the door to ask them to play and they've said they'd rather stay home with the baby 😄

We are so blessed and thankful for this little girl ❤️
How to use a French hair pin. I love these things How to use a French hair pin. I love these things because they can hold up even my thick and chunky hair and I don't have a large clip sticking off the back of my head (don't get me wrong, I love a good hair clip, too)! Have you tried one yet??
This season of waiting has been weird. But I’m s This season of waiting has been weird. But I’m so grateful for it.

On the one hand, there’s so much to do to get ready for little one to join us—it’s been a while since we’ve had a newborn! I’m spending most of my free time writing and nesting, nesting and writing. 

And then on the other hand, I’m feeling pretty ready to have my body back. And by that, I mean just to be done literally sharing it with another being. You start to miss things after a while like being able to breathe when you lay on your back or not getting indigestion for eating a few grapes. 

Overall, there’s so much to be thankful for. Each little inconvenience is a blessing and I’m happy they’re there. I’ll also be happy when they’re over. For now, I’m just savoring being a mom of “older kids” (8 and going on 6) that can grab their own snacks from time to time and put on their own shoes. We’re going to be heading back to square one in a couple months and I’m sure there’s a lot we’ve forgotten!
Naturally, when we see a need, we rush in to fill Naturally, when we see a need, we rush in to fill it and fix it. On top of this, it’s hard for us to ask for help because we don’t want to be a burden to others. 

But in the process of meeting everyone else’s needs and neglecting our own (especially our need for rest), we often become bitter towards the ones we’re helping.

Instead, one of the best things we can do as a wife or mother is to assess our own needs and make sure to leave space to meet them ourself or to ask for what we need. 

It might be time to rest, help with the next meal, time alone to pray and meditate on God’s word, or allowing yourself to leave a task un-done so you can “selfishly” enjoy a hobby of yours like the rest of your family gets to do. 

In the end, making room to find joy each day may be one of the best things you do for your relationships.
30 weeks and counting down the days til we meet yo 30 weeks and counting down the days til we meet you. We *think* we've finally settled on a first name after non-stop back-and-forth and brainstorming. Any guesses?? Or.. what are your favorite baby girl names right now??
Saturday highlights 🖤 We've been trying to be s Saturday highlights 🖤 We've been trying to be super intentional with the time we spend with David and Evy recently, knowing that big changes are just around the corner! We pray with them, ask them what questions they have, take the time to explain things. I'm hoping they'll be set up pretty well for the transition of little sis coming in March but most of the work will happen after she gets here! How did you help littles prepare for baby?
Merry Christmas from the Damons! ❤️ Merry Christmas from the Damons! ❤️
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Baby, Family, Kids, Motherhood, Work · May 28, 2021

How to Work From Home With Your Family


Two words: duct tape.

Sheesh, just kiddinggggg. 

Working from home with kids is no joke though. I’ve personally found myself feeling jealous of my kidless coworkers being able to sit down with their steaming cup of coffee after waking up precisely when they intended to and getting a morning workout in, of course. Whereas some mornings I find I can’t put my sweatpants on and pour the cereal fast enough before I start hearing the Slack “tap-tap-tap on your shoulder” sound coming from my laptop on the kitchen counter.

As someone who works full-time from home with my husband and two small children, I’ve come to feel like visiting my office in person is like going to a work spa where the luxury is being able to sit at my relatively clean dest being relatively uninterrupted for most of the day. 

And for those of you who are finding yourself missing that luxury right now, I wanted to share a few tips about working from home with your kids that may come in handy over the next few months. 

It’s a whirlwind, but we’ll make it work. 

Talk to your boss about flexibility of hours

Most of the people I work with have come to understand that I typically step away from my computer in the afternoons and pick up work again after bedtime. Do I do this every day? No, it depends on the urgency of different projects I’m working on. But if I do have the option to finish things at night and have a few extra hours to spend with the kids, I take it. They’re only young once.

The key here is being able to communicate with your coworkers and boss when you’ll be available. Ask your boss if you’re able to have some flexibility in your hours while you’re working from home with your family. 

Be clear about when you’re available and when you’re not

Once you get the green flag from your boss, then communicate with your coworkers. This way, if they ping you “after hours” you don’t need to feel obligated to respond that very minute. You’ll get back to them when you’re online again. 

One of the new things we’ve been doing here at Scouted since we’ve gone fully remote is saying “Hello!” in the mornings when we officially start our workday. In the same way, we also say, “Signing off!” in the evening. This helps to give a clear picture of our availability as well as help us not work around the clock since where we work is now where we live, also.

Leave the room (if you can)

Being able to leave the room to work depends a lot on how old your kids are as well as the help you have available. I’m lucky to have my husband at home to help support me while I work so I can be in another room to focus. If you have older kids, potentially ask them to supervise while you work heads-down for an hour in another room. If you have a partner at home, try working it out so that each of you gets at least a couple hours of heads-down work time each day by trading off the time you work from the kitchen table while also supervising and entertaining. 

Prioritize your tasks

You’re going to have interruptions throughout the day, it’s not a question of “if” but a question of “when.” 

That being the case, be sure to prioritize your tasks and start on the most important ones first. Map out the things you hope to get done each day and in the order you should get them done.

That way you don’t spend too much time in your inbox and then have a difficult time finishing an important project later. 

Ask for help

We’re in a unique time where we’re unable to have “mother’s helpers” or grandparents come over to be with the kids while we work from home. We really do have to get creative with how we multitask being parents while simultaneously doing our jobs. Do your best to assess your situation and ask for help wherever possible. 

Wherever you are, be all in

It can be really easy to feel tied to your computer throughout the day. Believe me, the last thing I want to do is look at my kids like they’re an interruption. 

But to be honest, the feeling is almost inevitable if you’re always trying to work at the same time as being a parent. Sometimes you really need to get that email out by 3, and sometimes your kids will act like they’re going to die of starvation if they don’t get a snack precisely at 2:55. 

The point here is to be intentional, wherever you decide to put your focus. If it’s on work, try communicating with the kids that they need to have a snack now and no more for the next hour because it’s work time. Then, after work time, be all in with the kids. Play games, go in the back yard, make physical contact and give them hugs. They miss that whether they know it or not. If you’re able to separate the two and be “all in” with each, you’ll feel way less stressed and frustrated throughout the day, I promise.

Communicate when you need to just be with the kids

Depending on your work’s culture, you may have coworkers that work into the night and ping you during your designated family time. Or you may have meetings scheduled during when you need to do this new homeschooling thing. 

Whatever the case, communication is so important. If there’s a meeting you know conflicts with your schedule ahead of time, communicate that as soon as possible. Make sure your coworkers know when you need to be offline and when they can expect you to be available again. 

Make time to enjoy this time

There’s no question that we wish working at home with our family came under different circumstances. But we all know this is something you had previously wished you got to do more. Working from home with your kids is a temporary situation that can feel frustrating at times, but is also an opportunity to be with the ones you love most more than you ever could before. 

Enjoy the extra time you now have with your family and be intentional about the little things each day. 

We’ll see you on the flip side.

What are your tips on working from home? Leave them in the comments below!

In: Baby, Family, Kids, Motherhood, Work · Tagged: how to work from home with toddler, work from home to look after child, work from home with kids, working from home family interruptions, working from home with baby covid, working from home with family, working from home with toddlers is impossible, working from home with toddlers meme

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Hi! I'm Chelsea and we're the Damon's. We spent the last two years in WA state paying off student loans and just bought our first house in SC! I love a smooth black coffee, Josh's first love is the Seattle Sounders. Our kids are huge dorks and constantly make us laugh and we all love spending as much time outside as possible.

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Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, it's so funny how some parts of the newborn phase have been like muscle memory and others have been like we've had our first born all over again. 

We were worried about how David and Evy would feel with this new family member but they have been so sweet that it brings tears to my eyes to put it into words. I was especially worried about Ev being supplanted as the youngest but, honestly, being the big sister suits her SO well and I think she's been loving it, too. 

I've also loved getting to experience this again with Josh. The way you band together during the newborn phase especially is very bonding. You rely on each other deeply and it's not always cute or pretty. 

Super grateful 💗
To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going to think she has the coolest, smartest, bravest big siblings in the world, and she's not wrong 😉
She's here 🌷 Cleo Renée was born 2 weeks early She's here 🌷 Cleo Renée was born 2 weeks early on Saturday March 11 at 1:52 in the morning. 

Josh and I just had a feeling about that day (Friday), so we kept the kids out of school, went out to breakfast, and just spent our last day together as a family of four. 

My contractions started right after my 38 week appointment that morning and progressed throughout the day until around 4pm when I thought, "Mmk, I'm starting to really need to breathe through these. Better go in."

I was so convinced they were going to turn us away that it really didn't hit me that we were actually going to meet our girl that night until we'd been there for a few hours already. 

Baby girl ended up being 7lbs 15oz and 20in long!

We are all so in love. David and Evy are OBSESSED. A few times their friends have come to the door to ask them to play and they've said they'd rather stay home with the baby 😄

We are so blessed and thankful for this little girl ❤️
How to use a French hair pin. I love these things How to use a French hair pin. I love these things because they can hold up even my thick and chunky hair and I don't have a large clip sticking off the back of my head (don't get me wrong, I love a good hair clip, too)! Have you tried one yet??

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Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, it's so funny how some parts of the newborn phase have been like muscle memory and others have been like we've had our first born all over again. 

We were worried about how David and Evy would feel with this new family member but they have been so sweet that it brings tears to my eyes to put it into words. I was especially worried about Ev being supplanted as the youngest but, honestly, being the big sister suits her SO well and I think she's been loving it, too. 

I've also loved getting to experience this again with Josh. The way you band together during the newborn phase especially is very bonding. You rely on each other deeply and it's not always cute or pretty. 

Super grateful 💗
To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going to think she has the coolest, smartest, bravest big siblings in the world, and she's not wrong 😉
She's here 🌷 Cleo Renée was born 2 weeks early She's here 🌷 Cleo Renée was born 2 weeks early on Saturday March 11 at 1:52 in the morning. 

Josh and I just had a feeling about that day (Friday), so we kept the kids out of school, went out to breakfast, and just spent our last day together as a family of four. 

My contractions started right after my 38 week appointment that morning and progressed throughout the day until around 4pm when I thought, "Mmk, I'm starting to really need to breathe through these. Better go in."

I was so convinced they were going to turn us away that it really didn't hit me that we were actually going to meet our girl that night until we'd been there for a few hours already. 

Baby girl ended up being 7lbs 15oz and 20in long!

We are all so in love. David and Evy are OBSESSED. A few times their friends have come to the door to ask them to play and they've said they'd rather stay home with the baby 😄

We are so blessed and thankful for this little girl ❤️
How to use a French hair pin. I love these things How to use a French hair pin. I love these things because they can hold up even my thick and chunky hair and I don't have a large clip sticking off the back of my head (don't get me wrong, I love a good hair clip, too)! Have you tried one yet??
This season of waiting has been weird. But I’m s This season of waiting has been weird. But I’m so grateful for it.

On the one hand, there’s so much to do to get ready for little one to join us—it’s been a while since we’ve had a newborn! I’m spending most of my free time writing and nesting, nesting and writing. 

And then on the other hand, I’m feeling pretty ready to have my body back. And by that, I mean just to be done literally sharing it with another being. You start to miss things after a while like being able to breathe when you lay on your back or not getting indigestion for eating a few grapes. 

Overall, there’s so much to be thankful for. Each little inconvenience is a blessing and I’m happy they’re there. I’ll also be happy when they’re over. For now, I’m just savoring being a mom of “older kids” (8 and going on 6) that can grab their own snacks from time to time and put on their own shoes. We’re going to be heading back to square one in a couple months and I’m sure there’s a lot we’ve forgotten!
Naturally, when we see a need, we rush in to fill Naturally, when we see a need, we rush in to fill it and fix it. On top of this, it’s hard for us to ask for help because we don’t want to be a burden to others. 

But in the process of meeting everyone else’s needs and neglecting our own (especially our need for rest), we often become bitter towards the ones we’re helping.

Instead, one of the best things we can do as a wife or mother is to assess our own needs and make sure to leave space to meet them ourself or to ask for what we need. 

It might be time to rest, help with the next meal, time alone to pray and meditate on God’s word, or allowing yourself to leave a task un-done so you can “selfishly” enjoy a hobby of yours like the rest of your family gets to do. 

In the end, making room to find joy each day may be one of the best things you do for your relationships.
30 weeks and counting down the days til we meet yo 30 weeks and counting down the days til we meet you. We *think* we've finally settled on a first name after non-stop back-and-forth and brainstorming. Any guesses?? Or.. what are your favorite baby girl names right now??
Saturday highlights 🖤 We've been trying to be s Saturday highlights 🖤 We've been trying to be super intentional with the time we spend with David and Evy recently, knowing that big changes are just around the corner! We pray with them, ask them what questions they have, take the time to explain things. I'm hoping they'll be set up pretty well for the transition of little sis coming in March but most of the work will happen after she gets here! How did you help littles prepare for baby?
Merry Christmas from the Damons! ❤️ Merry Christmas from the Damons! ❤️
The 12+ hour drive is worth it 😊 The 12+ hour drive is worth it 😊

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