Melissa Marah Bauman


QUALIFICATIONS: 

 Professional Nanny for over 10 years 
Bachelor's in Early Childhood Education 
Over twenty years of childcare experience 
Twin experience 
Experience with children aged 3 months-18 years 
Competitive swimmer 
Toy maker and seller 
Certified in First Aid and CPR 
Assistant coached/managed a high school boys' basketball team 
Basketball and soccer teacher 
One-on-one children’s swim instructor 
Swim camp counselor 
Fluent in American Sign Language 
Knowledge of Spanish and German 
California Drivers License 
TrustLine Certified 

 CHILDCARE EXPERIENCE: 

Los Angeles, CA January 2020-Present 
Full-Time Nanny for Infant Twins. Age of Child Upon Hiring: 3 months 
Provided full-time care for two infants. Changed diapers, created recipes and fed children, sleep trained and kept a regular nap schedule, kept children safe during a pandemic, created monthly lesson plans. 

Beverly Hills, CA September 2018-December 2019 
Full-Time Nanny for Infant. Age of Child Upon Hiring: 3 months 
Provided full-time care for one infant. Changed diapers, fed the baby while monitoring allergic reactions, sleep trained and kept a regular nap schedule, found local early literacy programs, coordinated play-dates and created gross and fine motor activities. 

Santa Monica, CA October 2013-August 2018 
Part-Time Nanny for School Aged Child. Age of Child Upon Hiring: 4 years 
Transported child from school to various activities, coordinated play-dates, supervised homework, made and served meals, bathed the child daily. Helped with monitoring the child's medication and kept the parents in the loop on his reading proficiency. 

Los Angeles, CA September 2012-October 2014 
Children’s Private Swim Instructor Children of Various Ages 
Drove to client’s homes and taught swimming classes in their private pools. Worked with babies and children of all ages, helping them learn proper water safety and all for strokes. Taught one-on-one, and also mid-size “mommy and me” swimming classes. 

Los Angeles, CA February 2013-April 2013 
Temporary, Part-Time Secretary and Back-Up Nanny 
Answered phones, ran errands, organized the office, and created spreadsheets for an interior design business. Also was the back-up childcare for the owner’s 5-year-old daughter. 

Santa Monica, CA November 2010-August 2012 
Full-Time, Live-Out Nanny/Personal Assistant. Age of Child Upon Hire: 4 Months. 
Provided full-time childcare for one infant, aged 4 months at the start, and personal assistance. Changed diapers, prepared and served baby food from scratch, kept a nap schedule, organized play-dates, attended mommy-and-me classes and swimming lessons, child's laundry and upkeep of the child's areas. Also made phone calls, sent emails, and did minor secretarial work for the parents. 

Chicago, IL January 2008-August 2010 
Full-Time, Live-Out Nanny. Ages of Children Upon Hire: 5, 2, and 9 Months. 
Provided full-time childcare for three children, ages 5, 2, and 9 months at start. Changed diapers, prepared and served meals, walked children to school, kept a nap schedule, and organized activities at home. Once the children started to grow older, assisted with potty training and homework, took children to museums, the beach, the zoo and various city parks, and taught children how to use public transportation. Orchestrated play-dates with other families with age-appropriate games and activities. Created “science experiments” at home, brought guitar with to teach music, and signed all children up for summer library activities.

Double Trouble Pocket Shawl

I recently jumped on the pocket shawl bandwagon! I made myself one and wore it to work. I care for twin toddlers, so something with pockets big enough to hide my phone (and possibly snacks) was definitely helpful. I made it with Red Heart Ombre, and specifically made it so it uses 2 skeins. Here's an added benefit: the toddlers loved to touch it and stick their fingers in the patterned holes. So what that means I get a little back rub from them when I wear it! Plus the yarn is strong enough that they can poke and pull at it, and it never ruined the shawl.



So I named this Double Trouble Pocket Shawl in honor of my twin nanny kids and the fact that there are two twisted front posts through the pattern.


Materials Needed:

Red Heart Supersaver Ombre (2 skeins is a perfect amount)

Size J crochet hook

Scissors

Yarn needle to sew in ends

Stitch markers (these aren't necessary, but they're very helpful)

 Stitches and abbreviations used:

Ch: Chain


Sts: Stitches

Dc: Double crochet

Sc: Single crochet

X: Times (for instance, "dc 6x" means double crochet six times)

7tr: Seven triple crochet stitches in one stitch

Fpdtr: Front post double triple crochet

Hdc: Half double crochet

MR: Magic ring

Sl st: Slip stitch


Fptr: Front post triple crochet

Fptr point: Front post triple crochet around two front posts. Yarn over twice, pull up a loop around the front post BEHIND, yarn over, pull through two loops, yarn over, pull through two loops, pull up a loop around the front post AFTER your work, yarn over and pull through two loops, yarn over and pull through two loops, yarn over and pull through two loops so you end up with one loop.

Sc BLO: Single crochet in the back loops only

Bpdc: Back post double crochet

Fpdc: Front post double crochet

Crab stitch: Also known as the reverse single crochet. Here's a good tutorial.


Main body:

Ch 35 sts.

1. Skip the 2 sts closest to your hook and dc across (from this point on, you should 33 sts in each row). Turn your work.

2. Ch, sc across. Turn your work.


3. Ch 2x (this does not count as a st), dc across. Turn your work.

4. Ch, sc across. Turn your work.

Repeat 11 more times, so you have 12 rows of dcs and scs. You should end with a row of scs.

5. Ch 3, (this counts as a dc), dc in the next st, ch, skip 1, dc 6x, ch, skip 1, dc 2x, ch, skip 4, 7tr, ch, skip 4, dc 2x, ch, skip 1, dc 6x, ch, skip 1, dc 2x. Turn your work.

6. Ch, sc across. Turn your work.

7. Ch 3, (this counts as a dc), dc in the next st, ch, skip 4, fpdtr 3x around row 5 sts, fpdtr 3x around the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th stitch just skipped around row 5 sts, skip 8 in total from the beginning dc, ch, dc 2x, ch, skip 1, dc, hdc 2x, sc, hdc 2x, dc, ch, skip 4, fpdtr 3x around row 5 sts, fpdtr 3x around the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th stitch just skipped around row 5 sts, skip 8 from the last dc, dc 2x. Turn your work.

8. Ch, sc across. Turn your work.

9. Ch 3, (this counts as a dc), dc in the next st, ch, skip 1, fpdtr 6x around row 7 sts, ch, skip 8, dc 2x, ch, skip 4, 7tr, skip 4, ch, dc 2x, ch, skip 1, fpdtr 6x around row 7 sts, ch, skip 8, dc 2x. Turn your work.

Repeat rows 6-9 about 24 times. You can add or subtract the amount of repeats depending on your height. This amount should be good for most adults.

10. Ch, sc across. Turn your work.

11. Ch 2, dc across. Turn your work.

Repeat rows 10-11 for 12 times in total. Fasten off your work.


Pockets (make 2):

1. Make a MR (Magic Ring), ch 2 (this does NOT count as a st, and does not count as a st throughout the pocket), and dc 12x in your MR. Sl st into your first dc. (12 sts)


2. Ch 2, (dc, fptr) in the same st, sl st into the first dc (24 sts)

3. Ch 2, [dc, (dc, fptr in the same st)] 12x, sl st in the first dc (36 sts)

4. Ch 2, [dc 2x, (dc, fptr in the same st)] 12x, sl st in the first dc (48 sts)

5. Ch 2, (dc 2x, fptr point, dc 2x) 12x, sl st in the first dc (60 sts)

6. Sl st 2x so you end up at the fptr point. Ch 2, [(2dc, ch 2x, 2dc in the same st), hdc, sc 12x, hdc] 4x, sl st in your first dc. You should have 18 sts in each of the 4 sides.

7. Sl st 2x to the corner, ch 2, [(2dc, ch 2, 2dc in the same st), dc 4x, hdc 2x, sc 6x, hdc 2x, dc 4x] 4x, sl st into your first dc. (22 sts on each side)

8. Sl st 2x to the corner, ch 2, [(2dc, ch 2, 2dc in the same st), dc 22x] 4x, sl st in your first dc. (26 sts on each side)

9. Sl st 2x to the corner, ch 2, [(2dc, ch 2, 2dc in the same st), dc 26x] 4x, sl st in your first dc. (30 dcs on each side)

10. Sl st 2x to the corner, ch, (3sc in the corner, sc 30x) 4x, sl st in your first sc.

11. Sl st 2x to the corner. Ch 7x, skip the st closest to your hook, sc 6x. This is the beginning of the ribbed edge of the pocket. (Sl st 2x in row 10, turn your work and sc BLO 6x in row 11, ch, sc BLO 6x) repeat this until you reach the next ch 2 in row 10, so you have a ribbed edge on one side of your pocket.

Fasten off your work.

Connecting your work:

Lay out your main body piece with the front posts showing. Then place the pockets on top of the edges (where your dc rows and sc rows are) with the front post showing. I usually put plastic stitch markers at the corners of the pockets so they fasten on to the main body. Stitch markers aren't necessary, but they help hold things together. Just make sure the corners of the pockets match up to the corners of the main piece.

1. Make a slip stitch on your hook, and start with an sc where your pocket is lined up on your main body. The stitch should go through BOTH your pocket and main body. Sc along the side of your work, through both pocket and body. When you reach the corner, 3sc in the corner. Continue sc through both with a 3sc in each corner. You should have 2 scs in each side of a dc, and 1 sc in the side of a sc. Keep going all the way around, and you should now have both pockets fastened onto your work! When you come to the sc you started with, sl st.


2. Ch 2, dc in each st, until you reach your second sc in the 3sc. 5dc in that st. Continue with dcs along each side with a 5dc in each corner, and keep going until you reach the first dc and sl st.

3. Ch 2, dc in each st, until you reach your third dc in the 5dc of row 2. 5dc in that st. Continue with dcs along each side with a 5dc in each corner, and keep going until you reach the first dc and sl st.

4. Ch 2, bpdc around each dc, until you reach the third dc in your 5dc of row 3, (bpdc, ch 2, bpdc) all in that st. Continue with bpdcs around each st with a (bpdc, ch 2, bpdc) in each corner. Finish with a sl st.

5. Ch, (sc in each stitch until 3 sts BEFORE the ch 2, fpdc 3x into row 3, 3sc in the ch 2, fpdc 3x into row 3) 4x, and continue sc to the first sc. Sl st.

6. Ch, (sc in each st until 3sts BEFORE the first fpdc, fptr 3x into row 3, sc 4x, 2sc, sc 4x, fptr 3x into row 3) 4x, and continue sc to the first sc. Sl st.

7. Ch, crab stitch around. Sl st at the end and fasten off your work.

Weave in your ends and you're done!

Find more of my patterns HERE

Maple Oat Nut Muffins

 I make a small batch of these for weekday mornings. It makes 6 muffins.

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats

½ cup milk (any type will do, I use 2%)

¼ cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons of neutral oil (I use canola)

1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 egg, beaten

¾ cup all purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans



Instructions:


  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line 6 muffin cups with paper liners.

  2. Combine oats and milk in a large bowl.

  3. Add maple syrup, oil, brown sugar and egg. Mix until combined.

  4. Stir in flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt until combined.

  5. Stir in nuts.

  6. Divide batter between muffin tins and bake for 22 minutes.

  7. Let muffins cool in the tin for at least 5 minutes.

  8. Once cooled, store in an air-tight container for about a week.