Daycare Day 2, Continued...

Continued...

When I got into the car after leaving Rhys at the daycare, I called Warren from the parking lot. "I'm coming home now", I said. "What? Why? Is the daycare closed?". "I'm coming home WITHOUT RHYS", I replied. "Whaaat? Oh.".

Walking through the front door was so strange. I made myself a bowl of cereal and a coffee and checked my blog list and Facebook. The phone rang. My heart jumped. But it wasn't the daycare, it was Warren's mom. "Thought you & Rhys might want to come to the Britannia Pancake Breakfast at 10:3oam. Rhys would love the music!". Nope, Rhys is at daycare. Ugh.

I used the time alone to clean up the house and backyard as there was still a bit of mess from the party. I found homes for Rhys' new toys & books & clothes. I found myself wanting to check his video baby monitor, only to remember seconds later that he wasn't home. Then I had this urge to tidy up his room really nice, and I hung some items on his walls that were gifts that I hadn't gotten around to hanging until now, and I folded all his clothes really nice and rearranged his closet. It was like he'd been away at camp and I was preparing his room for his return. Or something.

I had a glorious shower and even blow-dried my hair. Then off to the bank and then to pick him up.

When I got there Rhys and the other kids were sitting in there booster seats having their snack of banana & watermelon. Rhys looked up and saw me and pointed. Aida took him out and changed his diaper and handed him to me. Rhys smiled and pushed his face into mine and then squeezed his arms around my shoulders. He really squeezed me. It was lovely. That's not something he does. It was as if he was saying "I love you mommy! I remember you! You are still my favorite!".

"Tell me everything!", I asked Aida "How was nap time?". "Well," she said, "he only slept for 40 minutes". She's right. That isn't very long, especially considering he usually has two 1.5 hour naps at home. But at the same time, I was impressed that he slept at all. The kids nap on little mattresses on the floor, with a blanket on top of them. At home, Rhys sleeps alone, in his crib in a sleepsack. The concept of him sleeping with others around him, not in a crib, seemed so odd to me.

She said he was very confused when the lights went dark. He refused his soothie and tossed it aside. She washed it and then he took it. She stroked his leg and he pushed her hand away. She stroked his chest and he pushed her away again. She sat beside him and eventually he lied down and fell asleep. She was eating her lunch in another room when she heard him babbling (very LOUDLY she said). Him and one other girl were awake and she wasn't sure who woke up first. He sat on her lap after that playing with a book. Despite his lowsy nap he was in a good mood, and after a minute or so in my arms he wanted down and ran to the barnyard toy thing again.

When we got home we played for about half an hour and I put him down for a nap. He slept for 2 hours (and so did I). So I'm really hoping next week he slowly gets the hang of napping longer at daycare because he doesn't get a second nap there once I'm back to work. For now, though, I'm around to pick him up early so he can nap at home if needed. That's why were doing it this way.

Last night was one of the best nights with Rhys we'd had in a while. He woke up from his nap at 5:30pm and he was really hungry. Ate a lot of dinner, then the 3 of us hung out in the yard playing, splashing, wagon riding, digging in the dirt, chasing dogs, until bath time at 7:30pm. He was out like a light after that.