We Matched!

For the past few weeks we have been diligently reviewing au pair profiles and discussing the qualities we want in an au pair. Initially, we saw many profiles that interested us but not one that really stood out. A couple of weeks ago we came across two girls that impressed us so we moved forward with interviewing the two. I first called au pair canidate and was very impressed. Canidate #1 is a 24 year old from Argentenia and she was previously an au pair in Richmond, Virginia for two years before returning home to study fashion. She spoke fluent English and was very mature. I was able to speak with her former host mother shortly thereafter and the host mother gave her glowing reviews. After my conversation with canidate #1 and her former host mother, I felt like we couldn't go wrong with her.

Canidate #2's profile immediately resonated with us. While she is a bit younger at 19 years old, she is a festival-loving vegetarian who seems to have a real free spirit and love of life. Canidate #2 is Polish but lives close to the German boarder and is also fluent in German. Did I mention that her step-father owns a pub in Germany? The moment I began speaking with her on the phone, I was overwhelmed by her enthusiasm and felt a real connection. One of the first questions she asked was if we had a name for our child. After I told her that his name will be Miller, she called him by name and was very confident in her ability to care for him. After our conversation ended I was torn. Canidate #1 would be a sure bet but there was something about Canidate #2 that I loved.

Dana's turn to call. Dana first spoke with Canidate #2. When she got off the phone with her, Dana said she did not know how Canidate #1 would be able to top Canidate #2. Dana was also impressed with Canidate #2 and agreed her personality would really fit with us. After all, she will be living with us for a year. Dana spoke with Canidate #1 the next night and was also impressed. She too felt good about Canidate #1's prior experience. Neither Dana nor I thought we would have such luck with our first two interviews. We had no idea what to do.

We took the weekend to mull over our decision. Our gut told us Canidate #2, but the matching expert at the agency steered us toward Canidate #1. We asked friends at our baby shower about our delima and everyone we asked told us to go with the Canidate that fit with us the best. Late Saturday night Dana and I talked and confirmed that our gut told both of us that Canidate #2 was the best choice for us. We made our decision and we felt good about it. For reassurance, I called our local area director who works for the au pair agency and she confirmed that we should go with our gut feeling. She agreed that Canidate #2 seemed to be a good fit.

On Monday I called Canidate #2 to officially ask her if she would come live with us for the year beginning in February. She told us she very much wanted to but her mother, who is a doctor, was concerned about her taking care of a three month old. Canidate #2 has experience taking care of children six months old and up, but not three months old. However, Canidate #2 was confident in her abilities to take care of Miller as are we. We had a good conversation and Canidate #2 acknowledged that ultimately this was her decision - but she wanted her mother's approval. I conveyed to her that I did completely understand because I am very close to my mother and in the past when making such large decisions, I too sought her blessing. I told Canidate #2 we would pay for her to take an infant first aid and CPR class at the hospital as well as an infant care class. I explained to her that Dana and I will only be a phone call away and told her about our emergency 911 system. Canidate #2 was not hesitant about her possible duties and responsibilities but instead exuded confidence; she just needed a persusaive argument to take back to her mother. We agreed to speak again yesterday.

When I called yesterday I was thrilled to hear that Canidate #2 now had her mother's blessing and she was elated to be able to tell us yes. We couldn't be happier with our choice and are very hopefull that our year with Canidate #2 will be a wonderful experience. Perhaps we will be able to make a trip over to that German pub....