Yesterday was rough for both of us. I had called the daycare center at 12:45 to see how Summer was doing and it was not the news I wanted to hear. Apparently my normally sweet, happy baby had a tough morning and cried for hours until she basically wore herself out and fell asleep. 😦 Let me tell you, no parent wants to hear that their baby was upset to the point of exhausting herself and then crying herself to sleep on a strange cot in a strange room with a strange person patting her back. And here’s the kicker – I put her there. That’s the hard pill to swallow and it falls into the same category for me as having to kiss her forehead and pin her down while a nurse pokes needles into her thighs. Killer mommy mindfuck.
They said she took a quick 30 minute nap and was much better after that. She ate lunch like a champ – tuna noodle casserole with buttered bread and cooked carrots (it’s no Thai spaghetti-style noodles with ground chicken but it’s definitely something I would make), she explored every toy in the joint, and she even mastered the stairs and the slide which made me swell with momma pride considering until now she’s only ever tried to go down slides face first. And though hearing about the morning completely shattered my heart into a million little pieces, hearing what I heard next let me know that we had picked the right place – Miss P, the owner of the daycare, personally stayed with Summer all day after she noticed that Summer wasn’t comfortable with Miss R just yet. She was the one to pat her back as she fell asleep for her first nap ever not in someone’s arms. She was the one in the room with her when I got there and she spoke to her so sweetly like she was her own child. I was happy. Summer was exhausted.
Look at that – 4:30 on the nose! Where on most days I normally stay late at work and help people with last-minute issues and end up leaving 15, 20, 30 minutes late off the clock to help, I’m telling ya, yesterday I practically pushed people out of my way left and right to get out the door on time and if you listened hard enough you could hear me over the screeching of my tires peeling down the street yelling, “GOT. TO. GET. TO. MY. BABY!!!!” And when I made it there and she saw me from the other end of the room, my baby was happy. And when we pulled into our driveway, and I opened the car door, I got this.
I had the same exact smile on the other end of that picture.
Jaime
rabit stew 
I am so sorry she had a rough day! It will get better and its great that the center was so accommodating! I know what you mean about pushing your way out the door at the end of the day.
i’m sorry the morning was so rough for her, but sounds like it got better! that’s great that the center kept an eye on her to try and make her comfortable.
I hope things get better at the daycare! I’m sure they will as Summer gets to know the teachers and other kiddos and as you get used to her being there. It sounds like it will work out!
Glad the daycare is so caring!
My sister had a bad experience with daycare. My nephew was pretty much kicked out on the first day because he wouldn’t nap when the other kids did and squirmed when she tried to change him. They would have kept him for a couple more weeks while my sister found a new one but she got him out of there asap! Now he is much better in a different one.
That breaks a momma’s heart but I promise it will get easier. My son cried the first few days and then once he got used to it he’d go happily and willingly. I think they have an easier time adapting to it then we do. It’s good that you found a place you feel comfortable with and that they gave her extra attention when she needed it.
Congratulations to your husband on the job!