The search for a new daycare will hopefully be ending soon. I am so done and over with interviewing, filling out paperwork, and otherwise running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. The CDC* called on Monday and it appears our prayers might be answered: they have spot open for Rosie at the new facility. And get this, the director of the facility is named Rosemary! As someone who believes in omens, I think this is a very good sign for us.

We are going to head over today and get a little tour of the place. I have been to the old CDC which was amazing and from what Stephen has said the new one is even better. Yay! In other news, Auntie Aimee, Uncle Kyle and Cousin Spencer are visiting for the weekend which makes for a very happy baby mermaid (and parents too).

Aside from that, I got a groupon for bikram yoga and can I just say I am so psyched to try this! I have been curious ever since I first heard of it while living in Oakland a few summers ago. Wish me luck, I will have to let you all know how it goes. In the meantime, guess I better hydrate. :)


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For the non military folks, when I say CDC I am referring to the military's daycare aka Child Development Center. Promise I'm not shipping Rosie off to the Center for Disease Control in the mornings hehe.

That Terrible Word: Daycare

Most moms dread putting their child in daycare but it doesn't have to be that way. We have all kinds of fears ranging from the silly what if my child loves the careprovider more than me to the more troubling what if it's a bad daycare? Both of these concerns and ones like them are valid. It's okay to worry, take it from me, I am a professional at it. But hopefully I can help ease some of anxieties new mothers face when looking for the right place, whether it be part time or everyday while you are at work. I'm no expert but since the search for daycare has recently ended for me, the emotional-rollercoaster is still pretty fresh.

So here are some tips:

1. Start looking early. Most daycares will let you be put on the waiting list when you enter the third-trimester, I recommend starting the search earlier. This doesn't have to be a stressful process either. Begin by asking around, find out where your friends keep their children. Chat with other moms at the park, Babies 'R' Us. The cool thing about being a mom or soon-to-be-mom is that you already have a great conversation piece--your baby! So don't be afraid to talk to other moms.

2. There are resources out there, use 'em. Whether it be care.com, your state's list of registered providers (here you will be able to look up how they've done on inspections, or any of the other zillions of websites out there, make a list! I ended up using metrodaycare.com to find Rose's sitter but it wasn't easy! I made 60+ calls before finding the right person.

3. Have a back-up. Better yet, have a back-up for your back-up. Nothing sucks worse than being left stranded without a sitter when your first choice steps down. This happened to us. We had been promised a spot at the brand new CDC (child development center, aka military's daycare) on base. The coordinator strung us along for months saying it would be open any day now. Three months later and she still says it will be open any day. I found a back up in the meantime and guess what? Two days before Rose was to start the provider called and backed out. I was left scrambling. I don't wish that kind of headache on anyone!

4. Once you've found the perfect daycare, be sure to label EVERYTHING. A friend of mine who works at a daycare center told me one time a parent accidently took another baby's carseat because they looked similar! Make it easier on yourself and the provider and just get in the habit of labelling anything you send in your baby's bag. Inchbug makes some awesome labels for bottles, clothes, you name it.

5. Your provider will let you know what your baby needs to bring. But I recommend at least two outfits, diapers and wipes, and enough food (either formula or breastmilk) to last not just the time they will be there but a little extra. Leave the cute clothes at home, they won't stay clean for long and might get lost.

6. Above all, relax. Finding a great provider might not happen overnight but there are plenty of wonderful people out there who will take good care of your little one! In America we live in a society that guilt trips women who choose to put their child in daycare but the reality is that daycare can be an amazing experience for your little one. They get plenty of early socialization and are intellectually stimulated with activities catered to their age group.

Rosemary's First Day at Daycare

Today was Rose's first day of daycare & I felt like a kid again, anxious with anticipation for that first day of school. I had taken special care to pack her diaperbag all nice and neat, laid out her clothes with matching headband and socks. I know this is just the first of many first's. First day of kindergarten, first day of middle school, then high school and someday college. And I know Rose will handle every new first with the calm poise of the little belle that she is.

I got up early, far earlier than I needed to be awake. I made a cup of coffee, envisioning how I would fill my day off with a slew of selfish indulgences: pedicure, maybe a matinee, sit outside and write, do a little shopping. But really I was just brainstorming ways to keep busy and not dial up the daycare provider every fifteen minutes.

The sun was rising when I packed Rose and her arsenal of baby things (so maybe she doesn't need three extra outfits but you never know!) and it filled the sky with brightest shades of pinks and golds I have ever seen. It was beautiful and definitely felt like a good omen. We jammed out to some Adele on the way over and even as I dropped her off Rose was calm, content. I gave her a kiss on those big ol' cheeks and she grinned back as if to say, "oh mama! don't worry about me!"

My darling you are so awesome and your curiousity for the world is a constant inspiration. xoxo