Ten Months To Be Thankful For

Rhys My Love,
Here are my ten favorite things about you now that you are 10 months old!

1.  You are so busy!  You are standing and moving around all the time.  You have even tested out the waters with standing all by yourself even though I am not trying to hurry you into walking...

2.  Tickle fights.  You have the sweetest giggle.

3.  You love your big sister.  You laugh at all her silly noises and love to watch her play.  You are going to be chasing her soon.

4.  You are still a big thing in a little package.  You are now in the 3rd percentile for height and weight, but the doc says you are as smart as can be!

5.  Dada is your favorite, but I am working to get back on top.  Every time I say "Mama," you seem to answer with "Dada!"

6.  You are the un-pickiest eater and it makes me so happy.  You will try anything and pretty much finish whatever we give you.  You are a pro now at feeding yourself cheerios and holding your own bottles.

7.  No separation anxiety for you.  You seem to be fine with babysitters, going to daycare, and staying with family.  You smile at strangers and are a very friendly gentleman!

8.  Your hair is getting long enough to show off your curls.  I don't think I can bear to cut them even though they are a little crazy sometimes....

9.  Changing your diaper is like wrestling an alligator now.  But it makes me thankful that you are growing up to be feisty and strong!

10.  Did I mention that you are seriously handsome? (wink, wink)

Love,

Mama

You won't stay little for long.

Sweet Rhys,
What a lucky Mommy I am to have such a snuggle bug.  You are slowly growing into the next phase where you will be on the move and crawling soon, but for now you are still stuck in whatever spot we put you in.  This month you became a pro at sitting up and now have several favorite toys that you play with.  You really love one that has a steering wheel and makes lots of car noises and sings the alphabet!

This month you have been eating really well and continuing to grow.  You eat a jar of baby food, and you seem to like everything that we have tried, a still happily drink your bottle at every meal.  At your (somewhat late) 6 month checkup, you weighed 14 lbs 5 oz (6th %) and were 25.5 inches long (10 %).  You are perfect to me!  You finally grew out of the 3-6 months size of clothing and even needed an entire new batch of socks this month.  Apparently I turned around and your feet suddenly grew a ton because you are now wearing the 12-24 month size in socks!  The other size was mysteriously 3-12 months and wouldn't stay on your feet at all.  I think I bought you 20 pairs of socks in one day just so I wouldn't have to mess with them again.

The wonderful gift that God has given us in you is your mellow personality.  People comment that you are easy going and calm, not a fussy guy at all.  You like to people watch and you seem to go along with whatever schedule happens that day.  I think our routine for naps & feedings at home on the weekends is quite different from your norm at school, but you seem happy and content anyway.  You will soon require a bit more activity and planning, but for now you don't seem to mind just being home with me for an entire Saturday.

I have to say that this picture of the two of us made me so happy because I think you look like me.  I love when you wear a "fancy shirt" that looks like one of Daddy's.  Even just combing your hair after a bath makes me imagine what you will look like in just another year, since your sweet features seem to change so quickly now.  But you still have that sandy brown hair and those big brown eyes just like I did when I was little.  See?  This is me at 9 months!

Well, I am going to go give you your bedtime bottle and get in my snuggles right now.  I love you so much, Rhys Man.  You are more of a blessing than I could ever deserve.

All my heart,
Mama

Feliz Navidad

Sweetheart,

Your daddy and I were super proud of you when you performed in your school's Christmas program!   Your class sang two songs and you knew all the words and motions.  Mommy has a long video of you singing "Away in a Manger" and "Feliz Navidad" but it won't load for some reason.  So here are a few cute pictures of you singing with all your heart.

All the kids pointed out to the audience to say, "I wanna wish YOU a Merry Christmas!"

I guess it is fortunate that you are not shy at all and just sang your little heart out.  I think we might have to consider joining the kids choir at church sometime in the near future!

Kisses,

Mama

Your Point of View

Hey dude,
All of a sudden, you just want to be big stuff. You want to be up high so you can keep tabs on what everybody is doing. You want to sit up in a bouncer and you also seemed to like your Bumbo chair when you tried it out tonight. Guess we need to start practicing sitting up on your own!

So amazed by you!
Love, Mama

A Week Gone By in a Blur

Rhys,
Thank you for being such a patient boy and a good traveler.  I will admit that I was very nervous about our trip to Houston but you made it as easy as could be.  We were so thankful that the fabulous Pool family offered to let Cam stay with them Sunday night and take her to school on Monday, so she had a great time and didn't miss us too much.  We headed out Sunday afternoon and were staying in a hotel very close to the hospital since our appointment was at 8:00 Monday morning.  The Pools even took care of our hotel room with Levi's travel rewards, so we were super grateful!

We got to have a nice dinner with your Aunt Amy (in between her crazy work travels) and Uncle Mina since they have just moved to Humble.  Hopefully on a future visit we can go see their new house, but it was just too far to fight traffic for our doctor.  The next morning, we made it to our appointment right on time, and the hospital was very nice!  Texas Children's Hospital is very modern with bright colors everywhere and was really easy to navigate. The check-in process was simple and we really liked meeting Dr. Carter.  She was pleased to see that you were bigger and healthier (less of a Yoda-green color), but of course she wanted to run more tests.  The one funny note is that Daddy had taken a picture of one of your poopy diapers a few days earlier, thinking that the doctors would want to see the change in color/texture that indicates your liver is processing more bilirubin out.  (Gross, I know!)  He and I laughed so hard when he asked the doctor if she wanted to see it and she said, "Sure!"  You got lots of praise for your poop, dude.  Good thing we didn't actually put a wager on it.

You had to have blood drawn there at the hospital but because you are so little, they can only draw a certain amount per day, so we were sent home with more orders for tests.  Dr. Carter seemed to be in agreement with the measures our doctors here were taking, but still said a biopsy of your liver could only be completely ruled out if your liver enzymes drop into a low/normal range and your bilirubin gets down close to zero.  If our best estimates are correct, your antibodies will be dying off soon and most of these issues will start to correct themselves.  I was at least pleased to hear her say that the radiologists actually do liver biopsies there with ultrasound so they can be sure to hit the exact right spot and that it is a tiny needle procedure.  They do them very frequently and would be our first choice if we did have to go that route.

We headed home that afternoon and you were so exhausted that you slept almost the entire time.  We had one brief stop to feed you, and Daddy has learned that hotels make the best places for pit stops.  They usually have a very clean bathroom near the lobby with a changing station for you, plus they have really hot water near their coffee pots to warm up your bottle.  Much nicer than a gas station, plus there are comfy chairs to sit in while you eat.  Hotel employees are very understanding and it helps that you are cute.

Tuesday we had to be up early to get Cam to school so we could make it home in time for our carpet cleaning appointment.  I booked it about three months ago hoping to have it done before your arrival, but they were only available this week.  It was hilarious to see all the stuff piled up in other places so that the carpet would all be visible.  We still haven't put it all back to normal, but hey, the carpets don't smell like Joe Dog.  They did a good job and gave me a nice deal on some extras since I was holding such a sweet tiny baby in my arms.

Wednesday I had a tremendous victory in that I made it out of the house again in the morning to take Cam to school and I even managed to get a haircut that afternoon.  I have decided it is ridiculous to try and spend an hour drying and straightening my hair, so I cut off about two inches and just plan on leaving it curly for a while.  Some days I might not even have five minutes and it will just stay in a ponytail.  You don't seem very concerned about it.

Thursday we headed back to the hospital to have more blood drawn for tests.  Since we were headed back to the same hospital you stayed at, we dropped by the NICU to say hi to the nurses and just barely missed Dr. Ahmad.  He would have been proud to see what a good patient you have been to everyone. But then that meant that Friday, I was too exhausted to bother even taking Cameron to school.  We slept in a little, made it to Target before lunch and even got Cameron a little present from the dollar section since she has been such a good helper.  My brilliant afternoon plan was to go to our neighborhood park with you tied onto me with my Moby Wrap.  It is just a stretchy fabric that you wrap all around you, and it was super comfortable... until we were out in the hundred degree heat pushing your sister in a stroller.  Might think twice about doing that again!

This week was tough because Daddy had to go back to school full-time and was working 12 hour days.  With football practice after school, he was getting home around 7:30 each night, which only left one hour for Cameron to see him when she was awake.  She was really missing her daddy, and I know it was tough for her since I couldn't give her my full attention when you was awake.  It fell to me to get her to and from school each day, which meant the staff at her school saw me looking like a bag lady!  And with you on a four-hour eating schedule, not a whole lot got done.  Sometimes it can take you up to 45 minutes to finish a bottle and then I have to take care of my stuff afterwards.  I often look up after you have gone down for a nap and realize that we have to start all over again in 2 hours.  Hmmm, do I shower or do laundry or sleep?  Not much time for anything else.  Makes me really appreciate those moms that stay home and do this all the time!

And since it took me a full week to write this blog, I think I am going to maximize the time I have right now!  Still loving you with our whole hearts.

Mama

My New Theme Song

Cameron,
I am sure nothing seemed different to you this week (other than the day that you got sent to the office for smacking your friend), but Mommy started her two part-time jobs this week. I believe that on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays I will be working at the property tax consulting firm that my wonderful friend Chris hooked me up with. They are a great group of Christians that operate a fast-growing and smart business, so I am basically trying to figure out how I can best be of use to them. Next week there will be lots of changes around their office so I am just rolling with it.

Then on Tuesdays and Fridays, I am going to be helping my dear friend Josh (husband of super cool Mrs. Natalie) get some work done on behalf of his new ministry called Immersion Outfitters. They are also growing quickly and need someone to take care of administrative things, write and apply for some grants and help him stay organized since he is also running his own full-time business as well. They are tremendous godly people and I truly feel that God brought us together as friends so that I could help grow this ministry into the vision that God has given Josh. I am really excited!

It has been an amazing journey since I left my other job so unexpectedly. God has blessed us financially in a way that I am truly convinced was a miracle. At the end of my first month of unemployment, we somehow still had $1000 left over at the end of the month. That never happens even when I am getting paid! We have been able to keep you in full-time childcare, still pay all our bills and not eat Raman noodles every night. What a God we serve! He provides more than we can even think to ask for.

There has been one song that has been so touching to me during this time. I heard it on the way to my first full day of work this week and I immediately began to cry. It is by Aaron Shust, called "My Hope is in You." You can check out the video here. Here are the words:

I meet with You and my soul sings out
As your word throws doubt far away
I sing to You and my heart cries
Holy! Hallelujah
Father, You're near!

My hope is in You, Lord
All the day long
I won't be shaken by drought or storm
A peace that passes understanding is my song
And I sing
My hope is in You, Lord!

I wait for You and my soul finds rest
In my selfishness, You show me grace
I worship You and my heart cries
Glory, Hallelujah
Father You're here!

My hope is in You, Lord
All the day long
I won't be shaken by drought or storm
A peace that passes understanding is my song
And I sing
My hope is in You, Lord!

I will wait on You
You are my refuge
I will wait on You
You are my refuge

My hope is in You, Lord
All the day long
I won't be shaken by drought or storm
A peace that passes understanding is my song
And I sing
My hope is in You, Lord!

This journey has truly shown me the peace that comes in understanding that God is in control of your life. The joy that comes when you stop trying so hard to force the direction that you think you should be headed in. It has been such a blessing to me to read and study Exodus during this time, to understand how God led his people into a time of wilderness in order to clear their minds of anything taking the place of a relationship with him. Even at the farthest part of their journey when they thought they were going in the wrong direction, that is when they had their most intimate encounters with God. I know that this "wilderness" of my life has shown me the wonder of hearing God's voice and trusting him to lead me where he has planned. And I am so glad that you and Daddy get to be part of that journey too!

Love you,
Mama

Twenty-Eight and I'm Not Late!

Hello my sweet girl,
Another month is coming to a close. It has been an eye opening month for me, but I caught myself saying to a co-worker that now is the time of year that I feel as though I am coming alive again after a brief in comparison but still yucky winter. This is the time when I become so much more grateful to be outside with the sun on my face, to anticipate new life in the garden, and to savor these mild weather days when the rest of the country still has snow shovels handy.

This past week you embarked on such a big step - potty training! As much as we talked up our big plans for how it was supposed to happen, your wonderful teachers did all the work for us. After three days, you pretty much had it down. You had one accident this weekend with me, and I truly take the blame for it. We now have to be so much more aware of time passing and ask you to go potty. Not only had I ignored how much time had passed while we were at the big Home & Garden Show, but I took you over to see an enormous pool display with two shooting fountains. I think the sound was too much for you because we had to make a quick change in the bathroom. But you were so patient and grown up the entire weekend! Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you.

You have said so many funny things to us this month. You gave me a lecture at the dinner table about staying in "my space" and out of yours. You call your daddy "Dude" when you want to get his attention sometimes. You tried your first big word in Spanish (orange/naranja) and it was hilarious. You taught me a new song last night at bedtime that your teachers sing to you at school, and I couldn't believe how well you remembered it.

You also read me the paraphrased version (but still pretty accurate) of two of your favorite books today. You still love to read "Corduroy's Surprise" because it has tiny flaps you lift up to see pictures to go along with the story. You love to play with your blocks and plastic necklaces and kitchen. The things you make most often lately are coffee and cake - my kind of hostess!

Daddy tells me that you often ask about Jesus because you see the enormous cross at a church along the highway on your way to school. You tell Daddy that you want to hold Jesus and you ask where he is. He explained that Jesus is in heaven, and tonight when you saw Papa in a picture, we got to explain that Papa is with Jesus in heaven too. I get excited when I think that you are starting to understand more things at church, and I know we want to start memorizing scripture together as a family. I was reminded at church on Sunday that the most important thing we can pray for you is not to be the best athlete or the valedictorian, but rather to pray that you come to know Jesus in your own way.

Well, as much as I love you, it is time for you to go to bed, crankypants! You had a long day...

Hugs and Kisses from Mama

Twenty-Two Sure Suits You

Punkin,
Mommy just realized that I have been totally off in how many months old you are! I apparently skipped on your monthly blogs from 20 right to 22! Now that it's corrected, you really ARE twenty-two months old now. Whew! I don't want you growing up any faster than you already are.

This month you have had to get used to change. Daddy started his new job and is getting home later in the evenings. You get so restless with Mommy sometimes because I know that I need to be doing laundry or cooking dinner, but you just want someone to sit and watch Mickey Mouse with you. Daddy is always so glad to come home to your smiles and silly games. You have also gotten moved up to new classes and new teachers both at daycare and at church. All your teachers say that you are very smart, an amazing talker, and a big helper.

You are still missing Ainslee a lot. You seem to ask to see her every few days, and are so funny when we get to see her. Even Cara says that you two act just like sisters, fighting over silly things like holding hands or which way you want to walk. But you are so sweet when you hug and smile together for pictures. (Speaking of pictures, Cara got the sweetest shot of you peeking in on Hattie while we were hanging out in Fredericksburg this weekend. Hopefully she will post it soon! hint, hint) You seem to be a good friend already.

You have been doing great at using your little potty here at home, but don't seem to think about it anywhere else. I am trying not to push it, but some friends tell me that we might just have to bite the bullet and force ourselves to do a potty training weekend. Lots of time at home to plan on cleaning up accidents doesn't really sound like my idea of a great time, but I think you would catch on quickly and do great. We'll see when we decide to tackle that!

You even got your first tricycle this month! Mommy had seen a cute little Radio Flyer one a while back, but when I went to the store to buy it, it was gone. I was so excited to find a similar one at a resale shop last week, and you love it! You only struggle a bit with keeping your feet centered on the pedals so you don't get stuck, but you really enjoyed cruising around the driveway. Now we just have to teach you not to go anywhere near the street!

Now that the school year is off and running, we are getting into a pretty good routine. I am so proud of how quickly you adjust to everything and learn new things. You are always keeping us on our toes!

Love,
Mommy

Piggy Tails

While playing around last night after your bath, we discovered that your hair is getting long enough to make cute little pig tails. You of course had to run and show Daddy, who exclaimed that you looked beautiful! So this morning, you headed off to school for the first time with piggy tails. I'm sure they won't last all day, and you might have some seriously crazy hair later this afternoon, but they are sure cute for the moment!

Potty Time, Excellent!

(Yes, that was a very bad allusion to Wayne's World.) I honestly don't know anything about potty training other than what my friends have casually mentioned. But apparently Cameron is a potty training overachiever and has just decided to do it herself. She is probably very lucky to have seen Emerson and Ainslee being such big girls and using the potty, so she thinks she needs to jump on the bandwagon. She has always been interested in it, but only recently has she been proactive in telling us she wants to go.

Apologies in advance, this is going to be a poopy post!

The other night Bo noticed that she looked like she needed to go, and asked her if she wanted to use the potty. She sat up there like a big kid and actually pooped in the toilet! I thought that would actually be the harder one for her to learn, but she just seemed to know what to do. So we did our happy dance and clapped and kissed her so she would know what a good thing it was.

Then I headed out for this guy:

On a weird note, I actually read an article where this guy bought five different potties of all sizes and prices, and this one was the winner. Super simple and cheap. Cameron was very excited that it was pink and had a bear.

The funniest part was that I brought it in right before her bed time last night and she was so excited to sit on it. She wouldn't get off to go to bed! She was determined that she needed to use it. We tried to explain that she could try later and that she was doing great, but she was super bummed to have to leave. And sure enough, this morning, she said that she needed to go and sat right down to pee. I couldn't believe it when Bo came to tell me that she had really gone! But then of course, she had a meltdown when we had to put her diaper back on and go to school. We gave her teacher a heads up that she might be asking, but the bad news is that her classroom doesn't have a bathroom attached to it. Not sure how that is gonna work. Her teacher can't exactly leave all the other kids to take her down the hall.

It looks like we won't be rushing anything, but I can't believe how quickly she seems to catch onto this. I wish we could have waited a bit more on the timing, but perhaps once we move we can focus more intensely on it. One weekend at home with lots of juice should do the trick, right?

Poor Baby

Cameron,
These last few weeks have been rough! You fought off a double ear infection and fever to spend this entire week at daycare, but then this Saturday morning you woke up with a fever of 103.7. Mommy tried not to panic. After being on antibiotics for a whole week, we couldn't figure out what you could have gotten now! I had to go to work for the evening, but Daddy stayed with you and took great care of you. After you took a very long nap and were fever free, he even took you to a park for a nice hike! He said it was so wonderful to spend time with you and enjoy the beautiful scenery. You just got a little tired on the way back and Daddy ended up carrying you for a while. Next time we go back, I think we should take a stroller and bring Joe Dog!

Last night when your fever came back, we called our friend Dr. Keith to ask if we should make an emergency visit to the pediatrician. He said that your fever might have to just run its course and that it would probably be too early for them to know if you had a virus anyway... This morning you woke up with a fever still, so we stayed home and did chores all day in our pajamas. You don't really seem fussy and are still eating fine. But then this afternoon...




Spots! Mommy and Daddy felt so bad for you, but they didn't seem to bother you or itch one bit. After some quick internet research, Daddy figured out that you probably had roseola. With your high fever that came on quickly, the rash is the second indicator that the virus is on the way out. Don't think you are contagious anymore, but who knows how many kids got it at daycare this week.

After sending Dr. Keith a cell phone pic, he agreed that it looks like an agressive case of roseola. Unfortunately, there really isn't anything to give you or put on the rash. We will probably go to the doctor tomorrow to make sure that your antibiotics worked on the ear infections and confirm that it is roseola. So sorry, sweetheart!

Cross one off, add another.

Cameron,
Mommy is so looking forward to the weekend, but I still know that there is a lot to be done. Our house will officially be for sale in just one short week! Last night, we cleaned up the kitchen and did laundry to get ready for your daddy's family to come visit. It's rodeo time in San Antonio, which means stock shows (which means smelly pigs that Mommy somehow doesn't love as much as everyone else...) We are looking forward to having everyone over to our house for dinner perhaps on Saturday.

But we are frantically trying to get our to-do list all crossed off before next Wednesday. We spent the weekend power-washing the house, painting the new fence, and cleaning out closets. Last night we packed up a ton of clothes and shoes (of course mostly mine) to make our master closet look nice and spacious. I even packed up things out of the guest closet and the bathroom that we know we won't need for a while. My only worry is that our house will sit on the market and I will suddenly wish for something that is all packed away!

You have had a bit of an odd week too. Your tummy has been a little upset, but you don't seem to be grumpy. Your appetite is still good, so we have just tried cutting back on how much milk you drink and that seemed to help. Daddy even went and bought you lactose free milk to see if that was better. I really hope that you aren't suddenly becoming lactose intolerant because you sure love your dairy.

Here's hoping that we can make it through the rest of the week in one piece. You fell on Tuesday and got a huge busted lip at daycare (which bled horribly when you fell over again that night) but it is already looking much better. Hasn't stopped you from sucking your thumb and giving lots of kisses. And one shameless Mommy moment: This morning was cold and rainy, so I had set out your big fleece hat on your bookshelf. You saw it and patted your hair and said, "hat" to tell daddy that you wanted to wear it. He was so surprised! Smart and fashionable girl!

Hopefully if the weather clears up, we might head to the stock show with Grandpa and Gigi. We are supposed to be taking a bunch of things to our new storage building, but something tells me that family time will win out. Maybe we can just combine the two! Nothing like bonding over boxes!

Fifteen Months - Far Too Fast

Miss C,
We headed to the doctor for your fifteen month checkup the other day and you were definitely at your finest. You haven't seemed to make the connection that going there means getting shots, so you were still in your morning blissful mood. You weighed 23 lbs. 6 oz. (50th percentile) and measured 30.5 inches long (50th percentile). Being perfectly average means that your clothes fit exactly when the tag says they should. :)

The doctor even complimented you on how smart you are during the brief time that she was in the room with you. I asked if you could come sit on the table for Mommy and you nodded and walked over. Then when you were standing up on the table, I asked you to sit down and you did all by yourself. The doctor also mentioned that for a child your age, she is happy if they can consistently say maybe three words. So I tried to think of all the words you say...

Joe Dog, milk, up, more, Daddy, Mama, down, purple (you said it the other day when you saw Grammy's shirt!), eat, moo, baa (sheep noise), book, diaper, shoe, and I think you may have even said Chad a few times. :) Maybe there's a few more that I just can't think of, but that is a lot! You are so smart.

You are such a happy eater. I must confess that I am glad you are eating so well at daycare because they have exposed you to tons of new foods! You pretty much will eat anything. Every day I get a little report of how you did, and beside all your meal times it always says "ate well" with a little smiley face. My girl loves to eat! Especially whatever is on Daddy's plate. Apparently his always tastes better.

I did start thinking about how you will handle things when we eventually move. We plan on listing our house in just a few short weeks, and I wondered if you would notice the little changes. I worry that we may have to get up and leave quickly for a showing or that we will go nuts from having to keep the house clean all the time. But I want to try to make your new room feel just as cute and cozy as the one you have now so maybe you will adjust quickly.

We love you so very much and are constantly amazed by your wits and personality. We can't wait for another fun weekend with Grammy and are even going to have dinner with Ainslee and Cara and Jason tonight! (I have a feeling there will be squeeling.)

Just So I Don't Forget

Had to write these few things down before I forget to mention them on the blog...

One of your more funny moments came when Daddy was giving you a bath. You have lots of "sea creature" bathtoys that float, and Daddy thought it would be funny to sing the Jaws theme and swim one of the sharks toward you. So as the shark got closer and closer, the song speeds up and the big finish is when the shark kisses you all over your tummy. Your version is to swim the shark around singing "doo doo doo doo doo" and then you give the shark real kisses. Gotta try to catch that one on video sometime!

You also are learning lots of animal noises. We love to ask you each one, "What does a sheep say? What does a cow say?" And you say the answers in your own funny way. Moo and Baa come out pretty clear, but your version of "Oink Oink" and "Ribbit Ribbit" sound like two silly grunts! I tried and tried to get a good video of this one too, but you were way too distracted and sleepy. We will keep practicing though!

And lastly, yesterday morning you were majorly fussy on the way to daycare. You always get a cup of milk to drink but are usually upset when it is suddenly empty. I just couldn't figure out how to make you happy. We sang, I tried to reach back and hold your hand, I tried turning down the radio.... I think you have taken after me and just get mad when we come to a complete stop and truly hate bumper-to-bumper traffic. (I told your Grammy that I am worried you will grow to resent me for trapping you in your car seat so much and you confirmed my fear by crying "Daddy, Daddy" over and over.)

But when we arrived at daycare, I realized that you had spit up some of the milk. (Warning: gross description in 3, 2, 1) It was like tiny cottage cheese everywhere. Not like liquidy, but chunky and smelled awful. No mother can take her child to daycare looking like that. So I am standing in the rain, trying to hold my umbrella over the door by squishing the handle under my chin, and trying to wipe you off enough that it isn't so noticeable. And did I mention that it got all over the buckles to your carseat? Those are a little more challenging to clean. (Yes, my formerly clean car now smells a bit like barfed up milk.)

So I was talking to your daddy on the phone afterwards and told him all that happened and how frustrating it was. Like that is how I want to start my morning off! And he goes, "Okay, well I had better let you go." What sympathy! I think we should take a vote and see who you want to drive you to daycare all next week...

The Truth About Daycare

Cameron,
You survived your first week of day care! I am glad I didn't blog about it earlier, because yesterday seemed to be the turning point for both of us. You are going to a place that I checked out a long time ago, not far from my office and a bit more reasonably priced than many of the other ones we looked into. I think any place would have been a hard adjustment from Mrs. Cara's, so I am trying to think positively about the progress we have made in just a week's time.

Monday morning was ROUGH. When the three of us arrived (Daddy was so sweet to accompany us!), it was total chaos there. The classroom I thought you were supposed to be in was empty and had apparently been repainted recently. Then we found out that your regular teacher doesn't arrive until 8:00 and prior to that, you are shuffled into the nursery with a different teacher. And of course, there was the crying. You didn't want to be put down with all the strange people and things. It was so hard for us to leave! And it made me feel absolutely terrible that I didn't get to talk with someone and make sure they knew how you behaved and how you like certain things. You were just one of many kids they had to take care of, but of course to us, you are the most important little girl in the world!

Tuesday morning, Daddy wanted to go with us again just to give you a goodbye kiss before we went in. I think it made it worse since you knew where we were and what was about to happen. It also made me feel terrible that you only took a 25 minute nap on Monday and apparently did the same thing on Tuesday. I know it was probably hard to sleep on your new nap mat amidst all those other kids who were out of their routines too. As soon as one wakes up, the teachers have to try to keep them quitely amused and see how long the other ones can sleep. And the weirdest part was that your daily report said that you refused to eat lunch on Tuesday. WHAT?!?! Have you met my child? She EATS.

So Wednesday morning, I was determined to wait after 8:00 to see your real teacher Mrs. Liz. But all of a sudden, there are two more complete strangers in charge of your class. And with me hanging around, you didn't want to eat breakfast or play with anyone else. You just wanted to cling to me and cry. Apparently Mrs. Liz had a plumbing emergency at her house and was running late, so I expressed some of my concerns to the staff there and asked that she call me later.

And thank goodness I called back that afternoon to talk with her. It made me feel so much better to explain my worries (the biggest being your naps) and how to maybe make you feel more comfortable and adjust. She encouraged me that she has been watching many of these kids for a while now, and she could tell that the holidays threw everyone out of their normal routine. She said to be patient and that she knew you would adjust.

Thursday, I was determined to make it a better day no matter what. I dropped you off on time and gave you a quick hug and kiss and left without lingering. You cried, but I am sure you settled down easily shortly after. And today was the same thing. Your teachers have had much better reports the last few days, with notes about how well you have been eating (even though you apparently are going to have to learn to feed yourself with a spoon pretty quickly) and that you have been taking 1.5 hour naps. You still fuss a bit in the afternoons and you seem to know when other kids are getting picked up by their parents that it should be time to leave for you too. Yesterday when I arrived, you were standing right in front of the door blocking another mom and kid from leaving, and you did a little happy dance when I leaned in and said your name.

This is just going to have to become our new normal. I want you to know that we love you so much and wish we had so much more time to spend with you. But soon enough, we will have to let go even more and send you off to school! We are going to make it. I am sure that having Saturday and Sunday at home will completely throw off the routine again, but we are going to make it. And we will work to make sure that the time we DO have at home will be full of fun!