Day Care Battle Wound

I debated about whether or not to write about this, but since it's Leah's first I feel obligated. 

Leah got her first ouchie at day care 2 weeks ago -  a big ol' bite! I surprisingly stayed calm when the teacher told me what happened, and I'm relieved to say Leah took it pretty well. She tried to take another girl's toy, and the little girl bit her in return. Leah did not cry, just whined a little bit as she showed the teacher. I originally thought I'd be furious at the little girl who bit her, but  I know 2 year olds are kind of at that stage. I'm also pretty sure Leah will one day be on the flip side of the scenario too, no matter how much I tell her no pushing, no biting, etc. 

2 weeks later, and I've noticed Leah is still slightly traumatized. She's a little hesitant when kids get close to her, and she no longer freely hands out hugs and kisses to any kid {with the exception of little babies}. She also continues to point to her arm and say "Ami did it. Be nice. Sorry." 

Sorry, you got a boo boo baby girl! Mommy will continue to give you lot of kisses! 

{Leggings by House of Mia}

How Cute Is This...

Leah's daycare makes some of the cutest crafts. I love it! These were crafts made to go with the beach theme the school had for the summer.  I brought them home and set them on the table.  That evening when I went into the kitchen to clean up, I discovered that daddy had posted them on the fridge.   She's a total daddy's girl. 

Day Care!

Leah started day care this week.  It has probably been one of the most stressful things I've had to do since giving birth to her.  It took me about 2-3 months to finally find a day care I was happy with.  When I was still looking for places that were on my route to work, these places seemed dirty, unorganized, and too small.  One home day care only used this tiny living room area as the "day care" section.  When I asked to tour the place, the girl said "Oh, that's it."  I was thinking "Seriously? Do you expect the kids to sit in one place all day?"  Another place had a big sign that said "Please take off your shoes."  At first I had walked in and didn't notice the sign, then when I saw it I said "Oh, sorry!  Do you need me to take off my shoes?"  The lady said "Nope.  Don't worry about it."  Hmm okay another red flag.  I was getting pretty discouraged.

Once I made the decision to resign, I broadened my range and found one.  I was happy with the administration, cleanliness, size, and amount of activity they provide for the kids.  I was also really impressed with how happy the babies seemed to be.  They all greeted me with big smiles and waves, kept giving hugs to the day care workers, and were excited to see Leah.  The mothers I called for references all gave me raving reviews.  I finally found a place I felt comfortable with.

I was anxious the entire week leading up to Leah's first day.  I showed up the day before her first official day to ease her into the new environment.  We stayed for a couple hours, introduced her to the care givers, and let her observe her surroundings.

Finally, the big day came.  I opened the door and was greeted by all the cute kids.  Leah stared intently at all of them.  One of the care givers took her from my arms and Leah didn't flinch.  She gave everyone a big smile and continued to look around.  After about 15 minutes, I kissed her good-bye and left.  I broke down in tears the minute I left the building.  I even got on the wrong freeway because I was too busy thinking about how bad I felt.  The entire day I felt uneasy.  I didn't want to be one of those mothers who called every 5 minutes, but I did call once at noon to see how she was doing.  They told me she was doing great, drank her bottle, and took a nap.  When the time came to pick her up, I was expecting to see her crying, but nope!  She was happily hanging out in the swing.  When she saw me, I got the biggest smile ever.  Yay!  The first day was a success!  I'm so proud of her.