Baby Arrival Brief · Week 7

Yelena: the agreement, payroll & the Feb–Mar gap

Monday, November 9 – Sunday, November 15, 2026 · Move week

30 days to Dec 9 ≈ week 36 Movers Tue Nov 10

⚖️ Decisions due

Yelena agreement terms. Schedule, rate, holidays, sick policy, start date (April 2027), termination notice — the full term sheet, agreed in principle this week, written up next. Due: Sunday, Nov 15.
Payroll approach: DIY vs. a service. Decide whether you run household-employer payroll yourself or hand it to a service — then set up the EIN and accounts in December/January, not March. Due: Friday, Nov 13.
Feb–Mar 2027 coverage map. Who covers which days between the end of parental leave and Yelena's April start. Due: Sunday, Nov 15.

This week's actions

Attend the Galt Baby pickup + install class

Saturday, Nov 14. Bring the questions from the Oct 19 brief, both caregivers, and photos of the Forester's back seat. Install the RELX base that weekend and leave it in — "car seat installed" is a Dec 4 checkpoint item.

Lev + BlairSat, Nov 14

Draft the Yelena term sheet

Start April 2027, 3 days/week, care at her home (80 Ferndale Rd, Deerfield). Put in writing: schedule, hourly/daily rate, paid holidays, sick-day policy, start date, trial period, termination notice (both sides), and who provides supplies/food. Share the draft with Yelena for her input — the final agreement gets signed in Q1.

LevDue Sun, Nov 15

Get payroll/tax advice and choose DIY vs. service

Talk to your CPA (you're a controller — you know what you don't know here): confirm Yelena's worker classification (see deep dive — care at her home makes this fact-specific), then decide between running payroll yourself (EIN, Schedule H, W-2, IL filings) or a household-payroll service. Set a January setup date on the calendar now.

LevDue Fri, Nov 13

Map the Feb–Mar 2027 coverage calendar

The gap between parental leave ending and Yelena's April start. Draft the shared schedule: which days Lev's mom covers, which days you and Blair cover with remaining leave/WFH, and where the holes are. Holes get backup sitters (see deep dive), not hope.

Lev + BlairDue Sun, Nov 15

Basic babyproofing sweep of 134 Willow

Movers come Tuesday — once rooms settle: anchor the nursery dresser and any tall bookcases, outlet covers, stair gates if applicable, lock away cleaning chemicals and medications, water-heater check (120°F). The deep babyproofing round happens when the baby's mobile; this is the newborn pass.

LevDue Sun, Nov 15

Deep dive · Yelena's agreement, payroll & the Feb–Mar gap

The arrangement

Yelena Shahnovsky starts April 2027, 3 days/week, with care at her home — 80 Ferndale Rd, Deerfield (close to 134 Willow). Lev's mom covers the other days. The baby "graduates" around age 2 (Dec 2028), when Bright Horizons at Lake Cook re-enters the picture. Open items: written agreement, pay rate, tax treatment, backup care, and the Feb–Mar 2027 bridge.

The written agreement (term sheet this week, signed in Q1)

Schedule: which 3 days, drop-off/pickup times, what "late" means.
Rate and pay schedule; overtime expectations; paid holidays (hers and yours); sick days — for her and what happens when the baby is sick.
Start date, trial period, termination notice (30 days both sides is standard).
Supplies: who provides diapers, wipes, food/formula — and a stocked bag that lives at her house.
Emergency protocol: pediatrician info, your contacts, when to call vs. text, hospital preference.
Daily log: feeds, naps, diapers — a shared note or app so both households see the same day.

Payroll & taxes — the classification question first

A nanny working in your home under your direction is ordinarily a household employee (IRS Publication 926). Care at Yelena's own home is fact-specific — if she sets her own methods and routines in her own space, she may be an independent caregiver rather than your household employee. Don't assume either way; this is exactly the question for your CPA.

If she is a household employee (per IRS Publication 926):

You need an Employer Identification Number (EIN) — free, minutes online.
Social Security/Medicare applies at the 2026 wage threshold (~$3,000 for one employee per the current Pub 926) — 15.3% combined, 7.65% employer / 7.65% employee.
Report on Schedule H filed with your own tax return; issue a W-2 by Feb 1, 2028 for 2027 wages.
Check Illinois unemployment insurance and new-hire reporting obligations separately.

This is logistics, not tax advice — your CPA confirms the classification and the filings. A household-payroll service (HomePay, SurePayroll, and similar) handles EIN, withholdings, filings, and the W-2 for a monthly fee; worth pricing against your own time.

The Feb–Mar 2027 gap

Two months between leave ending and Yelena starting. Build the calendar this week (action 4):

Primary: Lev's mom's days + you and Blair stretching remaining leave / WFH coverage.
Backup layer: identify 2–3 backup sitters now (not in February) — a vetted sitter or two who've met the baby, plus one family option. Interview in January.
The rule: every weekday in Feb–Mar has a named adult attached to it by Jan 31. No "we'll figure it out" days.