Daycare Day 1

Well, we started “transitioning” to daycare this week. DS stayed at daycare from 10-3 on Wednesday and Thursday this week. He was perfectly fine, but his mommy was a nervous wreck!

So the first big hurdle is getting there. We live in Brooklyn, but the daycare center is in Midtown, near my office. Both are pretty centrally located, and we have several different options on the subway. I have been a little stressed about taking him on the subway – crowded, dirty and germy places aren’t great for babies. But it really is the most efficient way to get from A to B. So my baby had his first ride on the subway this week. I carry Purell and try not to touch anything.

On day one (Wednesday), we left the apartment a tiny bit late, and headed out with DS in the stroller/carseat combination. As luck would have it, a taxi pulled up and I grabbed it in lieu of the train. Thirty minutes and $25 later, we arrived right on time at 10:00. Yeah, we can't afford to do that every day.

DH met us there, since we had an “intake” meeting on our first day. They showed us around and asked us questions about his schedule, health, etc. Although there are older kids there, DS will stay in a room with 7 other infants. Three adults are assigned, and two are always in the room (one at a time can sign out for breaks). He has a little cubby with spaces for his diapers, bottles, extra set of clothes, etc. There is a common area where some of the kids are crawling around and he’ll hang out, but he has his own crib for naps. Every day I get a sheet with a record of the times he ate, slept and had his diaper changed. Nothing’s perfect, but I do feel like they know what they are doing, have systems in place, and really like kids. Sigh … I stayed and fed him and rocked him for a while anyway; it was hard to leave.

He was sleeping when I came to pick him up at 3, and we took the R train home to Brooklyn. He slept like an angel, but taking the stroller on the subway is a bit of a nightmare – very few stations have elevators. So you have to either rely on the kindness of strangers to lift one end of the carriage on the stairs or pick up the whole thing yourself. I did both on our way home, but this is not easy, and will be even worse in work clothes and God forbid, high heels.

On Thursday morning, I carried him in the Baby Bjorn. DS rode the subway strapped to me, face out to the world. He likes to look around (and there was plenty of exciting things to look at), but it was strange for me. Some people smile and ask me how old he is, but others says nothing and just kind of stare at his face/my chest. Having strangers just stare across the aisle at your baby for an entire 30 minute train ride is a little disconcerting. He is just so darn cute, strangers can’t resist him! Unfortunately, the most direct route between the subway stop and the daycare center is basically right through the set for the Today Show. It wasn’t bad at 10 am (although there were still a lot of tourists milling around), but at 7:30 am, the time I will typically come through, I think it will be a problem.

I got my haircut, did some window shopping, ate lunch and went to the gym. He was awake and pretty good-natured when I picked him up at 3:00. We took a different train home, an option which tends to be more crowded, but is faster and is in the opposite direction from the Today Show crowd. Someone gave me his seat – I guess I look like I need one even more now than I did when I was pregnant. He slept the whole way – I think he was worn out from all the excitement.

We are still working out the kinks, but it is going to be OK. I am actually looking forward to going back to work, and he is close enough that I can visit during the day.

PS. One more piece of news: he started sleeping through the night – the whole night, from 7 pm to 6 am – this week! I guess our baby is almost all grown up …

Walking, thinking ...

Just got back from a 90-minute walk sround Brooklyn. I love walking ... it's definitely my favorite form of exercise, and I've been doing a LOT of it since I have been on maternity leave. I've also had a lot on mind, and walking around with the stroller is a great place to think. Kind of like the shower. Anyway, on my mind:

- My return to work. I go back in 2 weeks! I will have been out for ~3 months. The time has really flown by. I love spending time with my little buddy, but I am looking forward to returning to work. It's hard not to feel a little guilty about this.

- The pounds. Yeah, I guess most new moms have this problem. This is related to my 90 minute walk and my return to work, because guess what? my work clothes don't really fit. I still need to lose 15 pounds to get back to my pre-mommy weight. And I had wanted to lose 10 back then, so really I'm setting a 25 lb goal. That's a lot to fathom ... I feel relatively skinny in my sweatpants, but I guess the scale doesn't lie. And let's be honest, I did not gain 25 lbs of muscle.

- Daycare. We start "transitioning" this week. I'm going to bring him for a few 1/2 days this week and next. It's a good idea; My first day back at work will be hard enough without adding the stress of daycare drop off. I'm nervous!

- Breastfeeding. Still doing it, but I introduced him to formula this weekend. Again, feeling conflicted and guilty. My plan is to breast feed in the morning and night, and let him have formula during the day at daycare. Theoretically, I could could pump enough milk to provide enough for the daycare, but this would require pumping at least once, probably twice, during the day at work. I don't want to do that ... which of course makes me feel a little selfish and guess what, guilty. (Side note: I thought this was going to help with the pounds, but so far has not. I think the breastfeeding/weight loss connection is overhyped!)

There are certainly perks, but also a lot of guilt in this mommy business! Getting it off my mind and onto the page (screen?) usually helps me.

This is my first post in a while, and this blog never really got off the ground. The obvious thing that happened since then and now: I had a baby! Our son was born in April and is practically perfect in every way. I'm sure I'll have plenty to say about him another time.