First Day of Daycare

Well, I know I said I'd be better about updating the blog once I got back to work. But it's taken me a week to wade through all the e-mails (thousands) and get caught up on work, and in the midst of all that fun there was a sick day and a middle-of-the-night ER trip with a sick baby. So settle in, folks, grab the popcorn and get ready for an update!
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We'll start with the first day of daycare, my first day back to work.

I had intended on being very "responsible" and take Colt into daycare a few days a week before I was actually back, so he would get used to the teachers and the noise and the environment. But that pretty much shot out the window once I realized how much I love being around him and decided "screw the schedule, I'm going to soak up every second I can get with him"!! So I took him up there to meet the teachers the week before, but I didn't drop him off.

You all know that my "perfect day" I'd planned for the day before I went back was rudely interrupted by raging tornadoes. So that night, I packed the bag-o-stuff to take the next day, cuddled with my boy, packed up my untouched work laptop, picked out Colt's clothes, and settled in for an early bedtime. I also begged John to go with me the next morning...normally it's me dropping off, him picking up, but I knew that night I wouldn't have the strength to do it on my own the first day. I will say, the anxiety of this day was the worst part.

I had to provide the following items:

• 1-2 packs of diapers
• 3 bottles (they do dishes and laundry at least once a day)
• 4 packs of wipes (which we will only have to provide twice a year)
• 2 changes of clothes
• nose aspirator

I also packed a blanket (though the teacher buys each child an extra soft blanket out of her own money AND since my step-aunt/step-uncle work there she had made Colt a beautiful blanket and left it in his crib so we're covered on the blanket department!). I did not need to pack formula, our daycare provides the exact kind Colt eats.

On Wednesday morning I woke up very early to shower and get myself ready. Colt was waking up about this time as well, and I got him fed, burped, dressed, and ready in about 20 minutes. We were off.

We walked in the door and it hit me. I was taking deep breaths when I saw Sonia, my step-aunt. She asked how I was doing and there, with my bag-o-stuff in hand, I broke down and said "not so good". She gave me tissues and a hug, and we continued on to Colt's classroom.

There was Mrs. Vanessa and Ms. Laura. Vanessa has been teaching this class for over 20 years, Laura is her daughter. She hugged and hugged me and told me everything was going to be fine. We talked about Colt's schedule, about his personality (I just feel the need to say over and over that he's very good and if he's fussy then something is wrong), about the other kids in class. She stood and talked to us for over 30 minutes and I was pretty calm by the end. I had avoided looking at Colt in his carseat because every time I did I wanted to break down.

But Vanessa suggested that I get him out and give him long hugs and kisses. So I did, and I cried and cried. This was all strange for me because I'm honestly not a crier. Sure, I have my moments but this was just out of control. About this time, my friend Amanda came in with her daughter and she teared up, too! She just told me "I can't look at you" because she knew exactly how I was feeling! Eventually, I handed Colt over and John and I walked out the door.

I stayed calm in the car on my way to work. All my co-workers were waiting for me when I walked in and had decorated my office with "welcome back" signs and as soon as I saw it I started crying again. I couldn't even talk to them! They were so understanding though, we stood around chatting for a long time and then I got back to my e-mail.

At the end of the day, John picked Colt up and he'd had a GREAT day. Vanessa said "you're right, he's such a good baby". The next day when I dropped him off, it was MUCH easier. I could tell by Friday, he is one of the favorites. The teachers fight over which one gets to take him when we come in, and they like to take him to other classes to visit because he's so cute.

I am not worried AT ALL. I was not crying from worry, because I am oh-so-confident in our choice of this particular daycare. I love his teachers, I love having family that work there, I love that he already has one girlfriend in class and another one coming next month. I was crying because I was sad. I LOVED being at home with him and literally watching him change each day. I loved every second (after those first two weeks) and I was sad to be missing that.

That night, John and I reviewed his day (they give you papers with his feeding times, changing times, and nap times each day), and Vanessa had even changed him into a onesie that said "I love mommy" and wrote that he would be glad to see his mom. It was a good feeling.

So that was our first day of daycare, my first day back to work. Since then, Vanessa has done so much for us. We had a disaster with Vaseline in an attempt to remove cradle cap and she ended up washing his hair over and over to get it all out for us. She also gives him a baby massage each day and he comes home smelling like delicious lotion. She is working with him on tummy time, got him to like the bouncy seat, got him to sleep in his crib for naps unswaddled. It's amazing and we see her and the other teachers as co-parents. They know a heck of a lot more about parenting than we do!
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Wow...that was way long and it's lunch time. So I'll do a separate entry on our first trip to the ER/first fever. I also got a blogger "award" so I'll do a seperate entry on that, too. I have to do that one soon before my nominating friend Alison has her baby!