Nurseries

Ever since Mia was 3 months old and I went returned to work, she's been staying with Michelle aka Nanny. Nanny, her family and her home are so much a part of Mia's life, I think she thinks it's just her 2nd home. I know she thinks of Michelle's daughter Jazzi as her own big sister.

The last few months, as we became aware that Mia needs to experience new environments and socialize more with children her own age, we've started to introduce her to nurseries. Twice at my parents' church in Houston and once yesterday at our new gym.

We're 0-3. All 3 times, she had a melt down as soon as we left. All 3 times they called or came looking for us.

Never mind that we got there at 5:55 and I waited in line until 6:15 to drop her off. That I warned them she's not very good with these scenarios and to feel free to page/call me if she cried too much for them to handle. I would come get her right away. That I was careful to take my phone with me the whole time I left her and that I was too afraid to waste my time getting on a machine in fear that the call or page would come at any time. Or that I'd miss it if a machine was too loud. That Mark and I returned to the childcare line at 6:45 to wait another 15 minutes to pick Mia up. When we got there, they told us they had paged us but couldn't get a hold of us. Yup. She was in the back in a care giver's lap with tears coming down her eyes. What the heck??? Never mind all that. Because I know it's just logistics. That although it's not a perfect process, that the people there were taking the best care of her they could. She was not being neglected.

But how do I get her to get more comfortable with this process. To actually enjoy going somewhere and making friends sans Mommy and Daddy in the room? Our hope is to transition Mia to daycare later this year. Our greatest fear is that we end up losing a lot of work time due to tantrums at drop off.

So back to Mia and the gym experience yesterday...

When we picked her up, she came out sobbing to us. Fingers in the mouth, tears and boogies streaming down her face. Mark had grabbed her shoes, jacket and bag while I carried her. As we left the child care area, she whimpered for her shoes. Of all things. So we stopped at a table in the gym to put her shoes on. Then her jacket. At which point she demanded that her jacket be buttoned up and her "bow" (hood) be put on. Yes. We were still inside the building. As soon as I did all those things, she stuck her fingers back in her mouth and layed her head on my shoulders. Whimpering. Poor baby.

Going outside, I asked Mark to hold Mia while I put my sweat shirt on. She immediately broke into tears but Mark was determined that he had her and that she would be fine. She cried a little but then settled down when I asked her if she wanted to go home to see Bubba. She smiled when I told her she could have fruit salad when she got home.

When I unloaded her from the car, she was hanging onto this baby doll and did not want to let it go from her grip. So I let her take it in the house with her. This was the picture of a girl after a rough evening with all her soothing items about her. Jacket with hoodie on. Baby in one arm. Bib on, fruit salad. All was well in her world again.