Both Mommy and Tommy have survived the first few days of work and daycare. I think the anticipation leading up to it was worse for me, since I am SUCH a worrywart! I would break down in tears randomly just about every day leading up to this past Monday. I tried to keep myself busy, and actually was pretty busy, as I had to put TJ's name in all his clothes for daycare, on the sheets for his crib, bottles, etc. My parents came down for New Year's Eve and my mom stayed til Sunday with us, so we did a little shopping. John and I actually went out for a big TWO hours on New Year's Eve to a house party but we were home by 12:30am. I had a very small cup of champagne as I did not know how it would affect me...first drink since finding out I was pregnant last January! I've also included some cute pics of TJ with his Grandma and Pop Pop from New Year's weekend here.
John and I both went to do the Monday morning drop off at daycare. Tommy's teachers are Miss Kelli, Miss Robin and Miss Heather. There are 10 kids in the room right now on 3 of the days, and 9 on 2 days. 2 of the kids are getting ready to transition to the next room up as they just turned one. The room Tommy is in is called "Baby Buds" as the school is called The Growing Tree, so they have cute names for each age group. When we arrived, they showed us Tommy's crib, which has a drawer underneath to store extra sheets, bibs, clothes, etc. We prepare the crib every Monday when we drop him off, and on Fridays, everything comes home with us to be laundered. Bottles go in the fridge, along with any food. I sent in rice cereal already prepared on Tuesday, but they told us we can just send the box in and they will make it for him. I tried to feed it to him on Monday before we took him, but it was too soon after his bottle and he didn't take much. On the Baby Buds sheet we get at the end of the day, Tuesday's and today's sheets said he ate ALL of his cereal! He has NEVER done that for me!!!
On Monday John and I both met at the daycare to pick him up as well - John was off and I left work early. He was sleeping when we arrived but was going to be hungry so they had the bottle ready to go when he woke up, which I gave him before we left. It was good because we got to talk with Miss Heather, who "closes" the room, and see how his day went, and also got to meet some of the other parents when they picked up their kids. Miss Heather said they love him already - he is so cute and funny on the changing table because he LOVES being clean and dry...even the anticipation of it makes him happy, usually, unless he is very hungry, I've found!
Yesterday and today, John did the drop off and I did the pick up. He was wearing different clothes when I picked him up than what we dressed him in both yesterday and today, as he had some small blowouts...nothing too crazy like I've gotten at home...or that one time at church!
As for Mommy, I am very proud of myself...I admit that I did tear up a few times on Monday when we were at the daycare, as well as while I was in the car driving for an hour to work, but I never actually broke down crying. And I was pretty good all day at work too. Like I said, I think the anticipation leading up to the day was worse. I miss Tommy like crazy, but I feel like I've gained some of my identity back being back at work too - though I do feel guilty about that, because being a MOMMY is actually a part of my identity too. Everyone tells me to get used to the mommy guilt because it doesn't go away! John was off on Monday and said he missed Tommy too because the three of us were always home together when John was off on Mondays. I've left work by around 4pm so far every day this week - I am very fortunate to have a great boss and great co-workers who are letting me ease back into things.
By the way, that white thing I thougth was a tooth coming in a few weeks ago...haha...joke's on me. It was a milk deposit, confirmed my my Aunt Mary Joyce...at least now I know what it is not going to look like when the tooth is ready to start coming in!
And since I spent sooooo much time going on about the nursing and the transition to formula, the update on that is that I am down to one pumping session a day, which will definitely finish up by the end of this week...I feel like I should do it until Sunday, when Tommy is exactly 4 months old, but I only got 2 ounces total tonight when I pumped so I may not make it to then! I decided that pumping at work was going to be rather difficult, as I was struggling some days to do it at home with all the running around I was doing. I decided to decrease my pumping sessions each week by one (5 a day, to 4 a day, etc.), and I am finally down to just one session a day this week. Tommy has done fine on the formula, and while there are reasons that made the breast milk easier there are also reasons I feel the formula is easier too...tradeoffs to both. But I still have to wash the bottles every night! My goal for nursing was 3 months, so I did surpass that...again, feeling a little guilty that I'm stopping but since I made the decision to gradually decrease the pumping sessions and go to formula once that's done, my stress level has gone down dramatically. I mean, should I be stressing out about not drinking the special mother's milk tea that I don't think was even increasing my milk supply? Tommy does not need to be around a stressed out mommy!
We have our next appointment on January 12th with Dr. Nito. I am thinking TJ weighs around 13 pounds based on how his clothes are fitting. He is still in the 3 month sizes right now, but all the 3-6 month stuff is in his drawers/closet and ready to go any day...I've been holding off because the 3 month sizes are still fitting, though I can see some of them starting to look like they are getting too small, and I feel like we haven't gotten as much wear out of some of the outfits as we should! of course, that's because I was rotating the MANY Christmas outfits the past month as much as I could!
So far we have been fortunate that Tommy has continued to sleep through the night with the change in our daily routine; he occasionally wakes up after we put him in the crib up until we go to bed. Tonight was an early night - he had his last bottle right before 8pm and I put him down around 8:30. But he is obviously adjusting to a new routine so the earlier bedtime is to be expected. He was still awake, but that's what we want - tired though not cranky/overtired, but awake, and relaxed enough that he is able to put himself to sleep. I get up at 5:30am, which is impressive to read to me as I have never been a morning person. But I have not hit snooze on the alarms (yes, alarms) yet. The worst part is that I am a night person and it takes me a while to wind down, so falling asleep is an issue. I'm told my body will adjust eventually though.
I wanted to include a photo of TJ smiling and happy, since it's so hard to capture that on camera...he stops performing when he spots it! Fortunately we make sure the bath time photos are G-rated! Until next time, enjoy this precious little smiling boy!
Im with you about the mommy guilt! It sounds like things are going great though for you back at work. I am as well and DO like the other dimension to my life. xoxo
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