I don't know about you, but things around here have been BUSY! The holidays are over, we're packing up decorations, Anna is growing WAY too fast, and the kennel is keeping me hopping. I've finally started getting back to the kennel on a regular basis, and that has been wonderful in so many ways, but it's also exhausting. Unfortunately, one of the things making it extremely difficult has been the fact that Anna is getting so active. It would be one thing if it were just a matter of keeping her from getting into trouble, but Anna is hitting that age where she realizes when I'm not around and she wants me around...and she wants me to play with her...or hold her...or nurse her...all the time.
As much as I loved having Anna all the time, I really wasn't accomplishing anything at the kennel. I was lucky if I could get one task done in a 4 hour period, and I couldn't leave the front counter because that was the only safe place for Anna. I couldn't hang out in the yards, I couldn't clean, and if Anna was in a crabby mood I even had trouble answering the phones.
So, Hans and I discussed things, and we decided to start Anna in daycare. The idea was that I could accomplish some things at work, and Anna would start to learn that she didn't need to be near me all the time, and she'd get to socialize with other babies. It was the perfect solution. The problem? We had to find a daycare that was accepting infants.
Apparently most people register their infants while they're still pregnant. I knew this, but Hans and I hadn't planned on needing daycare. Mom was going to care for Anna. We hadn't planned on her getting sick or needing surgery or being unable to even lift Anna. So, when life threw us that little curve ball, we decided to try it on our own. It didn't work, and when we started looking for a daycare we were told that the wait would be until March at the earliest or, in one case, September!
I had just decided that we'd need to search for a private nanny and had started looking into nanny-share options when we just happened to drive by a brand new daycare. It was way out of the way for us, so I didn't think too much of it, but I was desperate, so I pulled up some info on my phone.
This daycare offered part time options. Check! They would handle cloth diapers. Check! They even have cameras in the room so we could watch Anna while we're away. Oooh! Interested! We scheduled a tour, fell in love, and signed her up.
It's been one week, and Anna has attended two mornings and one afternoon. There are so many things I could say about it (like I'm proud I haven't cried...out loud). I'm able to get so much more work done, but I miss my daughter. I worry about whether this is the best fit for her or if I should have gotten a nanny. I worry, due to the newness of the facility, that she doesn't have enough kids around her to socialize. And yet, I know she's healthy. She's safe. And for 3 half days a week, I have some time to be an adult. It's wonderful.
Yes, Anna has started daycare. We're still working out all the glitches, and we're still getting used to it, but it's a good thing so far. After a while, she'll probably go at least 3 full days a week, but I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to slowly get her used to it (and get me used to it). The staff is great, and I really think things will work out well.
Now I'm putting it out to y'all. Do you have any tips? Any advice?
