Pre-pregnancy, pre-Liam, when I was idealistic and naïve surrounding all things baby related, I said I'll NEVER put my child in daycare at 3 months old. The thought horrified me and Lee...the costs! the separation! the germs! NEVER! We wanted to find a retired woman to come to the house to look after him but finding that person proved to be harder than we thought. So when I was 6 months pregnant I unwillingly signed him up for daycare at one of the top, most expensive, franchise daycares close to my office. It was my back up plan incase we didn't find that perfect personal babysitter. Even before I had given birth I was dreading the day I would have to return to work and leave my child in the hands of somebody else. That anxiety (the one of many) just got worse when he was finally in my arms. Many times I cried while nursing him during maternity leave knowing that day was coming. 8 hours without my child seemed like a living hell. They won't know him. He needs to nurse to fall asleep. They won't know what to do when he got gassy. They won't let him sleep on his belly. It was fear after fear slamming me as my maternity leave came to an end.
Then came orientation day at that high falutin daycare. We started off excited but I ended up crying in the middle of the daycare. I wasn't impressed at all with the caregivers. They didn't seem warm or even mildly interested in Liam and they had a bunch of rules like no blankets allowed in cribs. No blankets? WTF, he's a baby for crying out loud. Even Lee didn't get that warm, fuzzy feeling we were hoping to find. The caregivers just seemed to be on auto with no personality or warm touch towards the babies. There was no way I was leaving him there and I was days away from starting work. I would rather quit my job and take care of him myself than put him in that sterile institution all day.
A couple days later I decided to call this other daycare than was a close second runner up to the franchise one. I knew about it because I use to work close-by to it and Lee's girls are very actively involved in the church that runs it. I kept my expectations low knowing the chances of them having a spot at this 99th hour was very slim. But praise the Lord they invited us for a tour and the minute I met Izabela, the head infant teacher, I knew this was the place for Liam. She was so warm and inviting and all into Liam. Before the tour ended, she asked me to hold him and that sealed the deal for me. We've never looked back since and we LOVE daycare! He is thriving so well there. He loves each and everyone there and they love him back. The way he smiles at them and knows their faces is all the justification I need to fork that money out every month. It's a smaller daycare with 8 kids tops on a super busy day. The franchise daycare had about 15 babies and more babies equal more noise and less one-on-one time with my kid. I love so many things about Stepping Stones. I love how they incorporate the love of Jesus into their curriculum, how personable and sweet everybody, but most importantly how they love Liam to bits.
Our daycare routine is amazing also. Monday to Friday we are like clockwork and Liam knows what to expect next. Since he started, he sleeps 10-11 hours a night from 7 pm to 6 am on average. He just has so much stimulation and activity during the day that he's beat by the time I strap him in the car seat. The only thing I had to accept with daycare is that he would never nap in there the way he does at home. At best he would take a hour nap if it's quiet but most times its a 15-30 minute nap 4 times a day. At home on the weekends, he naps for 2 hours minimum. They also aren't so rigid with the rules at Stepping Stones. Yes, safety comes first but they also know it's babies you're dealing with and you do what you have to do to make them comfortable. All the babies there are around the same age, only weeks apart so it's exciting to see them do things the same time like rolling over and eating solids.
Everyday on my lunch hour, because it's only 8 minutes away, I go see him. See how his morning went and just love on him as long as I could. In the beginning I use to breastfeed him but now that that's ended I just go to spend time with him. I'm there so often that they should put me on payroll! Sometimes I wonder if they think I'm a nuisance, not that they have ever indicated so, but I just remind myself I'm there for Liam and nobody else. Because I'm there so often I've become close to his teachers and even the babies know my face now and I love that! They are his family during the day and that connection makes all the difference in the world. I value Izabela's opinion because of all her experience and listen to her advice. We raise Liam together and she loves him like he was her own.
You know what another plus of daycare is. It makes the time I have with Liam much more precious and enjoyable. When I was on maternity leave, some days I would get frustrated easily and be ready for Lee to come home so I could take a break. Now because I don't see him as often, I have much more patience and I lavish the time we have together. The hard times don't seem like a chore and I'm a better mom. Stay-at-home mom's really don't get the credit they deserve and really should be bronzed.
So newbie moms - don't be afraid of daycare. If you could afford to stay at home that's awesome and good for you. These years fly by and to have this time with your baby is precious beyond rubies and pearls. But if you're like me and enjoy your job and get cabin fever at home and need to work, daycare isn't as scary as you might make it out to be in your head. Look early. Look far and wide. Set your standards high. Listen to your instinct. If your gut tells you to run, RUN FAST! Your baby will also tell you if they like where they are or not so listen to them. There's no replacement for you but you sure can find a close second!
