Daycare Change!

James has been at daycare since he was just over 11 months and now he's 22.5 months so he knows the routine. He started his previous daycare in mid November and he left on Jan 31st. Initially we really liked it except for the high price tag and the fact that it didn't have a kitchen. The kitchen was one requirement that I wasn't planning on giving into however I made a sacrifice and allowed him to eat the catered food. The catered food was good as I got to pick his meals daily and they made things like chicken nuggets made with cauliflower to hide the veggies. When I did the tour I was sold on the center itself. It was so spacious and clean, plus there were multiple playrooms for James, along with a huge playground. I call it a playground because there was a slide, sandbox, bike track, and open grassy area. This daycare was well planned out and was NAEYC certified.

After some time there, I realized that it wasn't as great as I thought it was. The teachers were good at teaching the kids, but I didn't find that they were as focused on feeding the children. I say this because they didn't give James any milk or water to drink one day. We inquired about it and there was no acceptable answer. It seemed like everyone was pointing the finger at someone else. This was extremely disappointing and heart breaking because James wasn't able to express himself even though he was thirsty. After much talk with the staff we decided to give them another chance since James was already adjusted there and enjoyed it, but in the back of my mind I was looking for another center. Believe it or not, the same situation happened again! I was horrified, it occurred on the night that I was at a company event so I couldn't yell at everyone there. Adit called me on his drive home and told me about it. I left an urgent message with the site director, however to this day I haven't received a call back.

So the next day I heard nothing from management. I did speak with James' primary teacher because she heard what had happened. I showed her his daily sheet from the prior day that stated that he was given milk and drank it, yet we knew he had none. The reason I know he didn't have any was because we supply the milk and when we picked them up they were full. She kept the daily sheet and brought it to the staff meeting. Upon pickup that day someone from management spoke with me and apologized for what happened to James. She suggested that James will be permanently assigned to one teacher so she can take care of him. I asked what would happen when she's sick, on vacation, etc. They said that they will work on that, we all know what that means. I preferred that James was exposed to everyone and didn't think that I was asking for anything special. After this ordeal I knew we had to leave. I had a another daycare in mind but they didn't have their licencing yet or else James would have been there from day 1. They had an open house after the holidays so we attended and Adit and I really liked it.

The new daycare was a 2 minute drive from home, had a kitchen with homemade food, and webcam access. This was just what we needed so I gave notice at the old center and enrolled James for Feb 1. It's been a couple weeks and James is adjusting well. As they are new, enrollment is low and James is the only permanent child in his class. I thought he'd be lonely sometimes, but he does a lot of interacting with his teacher. Just the other day I heard him counting in spanish to himself and he showed me a heart today. I think we made the right decision, but only time will tell.

Hope your childcare needs are working out for you and that you never have the experience we had.

Happy reading!

Rachel

Long Time No Write!

Hi everyone,

I have been busy with a touch of lazy and haven't written to you lately so here's a update on what's been happening. I am happy to inform you that James is drinking milk! His allergy is not affected when I give him boiled, organic whole milk (or homo) milk for you Canadians! I read that there are two proteins that make milk difficult to digest: whey and casein. When milk is boiled is reduces the allergenicity of whey but not casein. The whey must be what James is allergic to because he can tolerate boiled milk as well as foods made with milk, like cheese, pizza, etc. This is great news because now I don't need to pump milk for daycare anymore and because it increases James food options. Now if only I can get him to eat fruit!

Second big news is that James started daycare! He's been attending almost 2 weeks now and he loves it. I was so worried that his transition would be difficult, however on the first day he cried for 5 minutes after I left the room, and didn't cry when I picked him up. The second day he didn't cry at all and went straight to eat breakfast and was fine with me leaving. On pick-up he hopped over to me and took my hand to show me the classroom, then he cried when I picked him up to leave! That was a perfect sign to show that he's happy there. Also these teachers write a daily sheet of his meals, diaper changes, naps, and write about his day. It's so nice being able to know how he did in detail, especially since there is no webcam here. The only con to this daycare is that they don't provide meals, but have an outside caterer that we have to pay in addition to monthly fees, thus this is more expensive than Toronto. However we have a larger and nicer facility that's located on a farm rather than the busy city streets we were used too. I loved my old daycare, but I have fallen in love with this new facility too!

We also flew to Toronto a couple of weekends ago to celebrate a second birthday party! It was so great seeing the old gang and the kiddies. Everyone is doing great and we really enjoyed ourselves. We also visited some friends for brunch and met their puppy, Eli. This was James' first real interaction with a dog. Eli is a dachshund and about a month old. At first James and Eli were scared if each other, but after some time James was petting him and talking to him. It was fun watching the interaction.

We also celebrated Thanksgiving recently. We were invited to my brother's in-laws for dinner which was nice. Their family is big into ping pong and they had a tournament which was fun. My sister-in-law made an amazing turkey and her gravy was a big hit! After eating the huge meal, we headed to my cousin's house to meet up with everyone there. They are into football so were watching the game. Instead I enjoyed catching up with everyone. James feel asleep on the drive over so we put him in his cousin's crib until it was time for her to sleep. He was good and slept on the way home too. We got home really late, but I was still up so I went to the mall for my first Black Friday shopping. It was not really worth it. I just got some clothes for James. I think shopping in Manhattan would have been better, maybe next time. Lol!

While James is in daycare, I've been spending my time cooking, settling in and preparing for Christmas. I am really excited about getting a real tree! We weren't allowed real trees in the condo, nor did we ever put up a fake one since we were never home then. I look forward to starting this Christmas tradition with James!

Lastly my 2 months off of work is coming to an end and I start on Monday. I can't believe how quickly my life has changed. Life is so different here in the suburbs. What's funny is that the driving that I've done this past month is probable more than I've ever done in my lifetime before!

Hope you have a safe and happy holiday!

Happy reading!

Rachel

We are here!

Hi everyone,

Oh how I've missed writing to you all. It's been a busy week for us so I'll start with the move last Wednesday. Adit and I were looking forward to the movers arriving on Wednesday morning until we learned that 2 of 3 elevators were out of order in our building. Therefore we would not have a dedicated elevator. Apparently there was an issue with the motor and the building was waiting on the part and the technician to arrive. In the meantime the movers were scheduled to arrive at 8am. This was a nightmare. However the movers were late and the part was fixed before a load was taken down, so we were lucky it worked out in the end.

The movers were really good and helped to pack the last minute items that we didn't know how to pack. They were also very patient and it was nice knowing that the same guys who packed the truck were delivering and unpacking the truck too.

After they loaded the truck and left I felt a little sad that we won't live there again. We had so many great memories there with so many people. I would always look up into our window when I'd pass by and it would be weird seeing someone else there. So I took a minute to enjoy our last view of the city, aka traffic and started doing last minute prepping for our flight.

Before I knew it, it was time to pick James up from daycare. It was an emotional time as I love his daycare and all the teachers and kids there so how do you say bye. I could tell the teachers were sad too, in particular his favorite teacher who called him "little ducky" because of his hat. We said our goodbyes and headed home so that we could meet Adit and head to the airport.

My flight was at 7:30 but we wanted to get there early in case I got questioned when moving. James was sad to leave Dada and I was not looking forward to managing James and luggage on the flight. James refused to have dinner and managed to only have bread at the lounge. He was so overtired and slept during the flight. When we arrived a nice gentleman passenger helped me with my bags all the way to baggage collection. He was so nice and wanted to help me as he was a dad himself. He even paid for my cart and was about to get my luggage when my brother arrived. If it wasn't for him I would have struggled with the bags and James. In return all he asked was that when I see another person in need was to help them however I can. This was a pay it forward attitude that I will honor. I was so touched by his kindness and he helped end a hectic day on a happy note!

As for James, he was wired when we got back to my mom's that night and didn't sleep again until 10! I was exhausted and feel asleep while nursing him. So the following day my mom and I took James around the city. He loved Riverside park and didn't want to leave. He walked the streets of NY like a proud NYer and said hi to all the dogs and pigeons!

Well that's the update for now, I'll share more about the unpacking, settling in, and the storm!

Miss you Canadians and I'll send you guys my contact soon!

Happy Reading!

Rachel

Got Jinxed!

James has been doing really well lately. He's enjoying daycare more and more everyday. He's also been feeling well, drinking his milk, eating lots of food, and playing non-stop! However a lot of people have been inquiring as to how he's feeling. The answer was that he's great. This was the case until I got the phone call from daycare late this morning. Of course getting jinxed is not the reason why James is sick, it's just a coincidence.

James has a fever of 102.7. :( As I wasn't available, they called Adit and he went to pick James up. First we suspected that it was teething so I called daycare to learn more. They advised that this high a temperature is unusual for teething. To learn more I googled it. Baby center advises that it could be possible to have a low grade fever, so temp under 100. Since James was higher, it must be something else.

When Adit picked him up his temp already started going down to 101. Adit took James home and I hear that he's already feeling better. I would have left work, but I had an important meeting that I couldn't miss.

Well I got home and James is ok. He's warm as he due some more Tylenol, but seeing that he didn't nap that's what he's doing now in my arms. This little guy will be just fine! He had a good rda with Dada and once he goes to sleep Adit and I can catch up on some work.

As I look at him cuddled up in my arms I can't help but think where did the time go. He use to be 2/3 this size and would fit on my lap, now he's legs hang over. James is 15 months today and the poor baby has a fever. Let's hope tomorrow is better.

Happy reading!

Rachel

PS: Don't forget to read yesterday's post called "Say Cheese to this Giveaway!"to win a year membership to Smilebox!

Sick Again :(

When will my poor baba get a break? Just when I thought it was all behind him fever struck on Friday. James tried goat milk for the first time on Friday. This was our attempt to transition him to a milk that's not mine. I wanted him via webcam as he drank his first bottle at 10:30. I checked back in around 11 and saw that he wasn't changed, so he didn't vomit! I thought 'Yay, small victory for us!'.

However after the second bottle around 2:30, James vomited twice. He was only given less than an ounce with 3 oz of my milk which was what he digested in the morning. So I went to daycare to pick him up. Once there the teachers said that he hasn't been himself and that he's moping around, putting his head down, etc which is uncharacteristic for James. That worried me because the last time he was like that he had HFM!

I immediately called his doctor and advised them that we needed to see a doctor. Then I called Adit to pick us up and take us there. Once at the doctor we were seen by a nurse, then the doctor. James didn't have a fever while there, but at daycare his temp was 99.5. Then of course as I'm explaining that James was mopey and wasn't himself today, James was running around the office smiling, laughing, the picture of good health. Lol!

I'm sure the doctor thought I was nuts, but I knew something was wrong with my baby despite how he was acting. No matter the discomfort or pain James is in, he wants to play and be independent so he tries his best to be happy and active. In any case the doctor checked his ears for an infection, his breathing was normal and so was everything else. The doctor asked us to monitor it because perhaps it was the beginning of whatever it was he has.

Saturday was busy, we visited some friends in Scarborough and went for a walk before that. James was content and happy. The friends we visited had a kids so James played with the older boy, Jacob. James like following him around. After James went to bed I want to dinner and karaoke with a few friends. It was a lot of fun and something we'll have to try again soon! We celebrated two of my friend's birthdays which was fun!

So then it was Sunday. The day started out well. We went to get groceries at Costco then went home. Once home, we realized that James had a high fever of 103.9! So we dropped everything and rushed to the emergency. He had a fever earlier that morning, but not this high. The reason we need to go to the hospital is because of fear of seizures caused by high fevers.

We were seen almost right away and James was given some Tylenol to reduce the fever. The doctor said that there is a virus going around so maybe he has that. They took a swab of his nostrils to run some tests and we'll get the results tomorrow. Then as a precaution I asked the doctor to check for a UTI by taking a bladder sample. The doctor agreed, but I asked for the bag collection method, rather than the catheter. The nurse put the bag on and I began to nurse him waiting or some pee. We walked around the hospital for about an hour and still no pee. Since it was past his dinner and sleep time we decided to head home and take the sample to our doctor. Of course once I picked James out of the car seat, I felt a squishy bag full of pee! Since the pee is only good for a short window, Adit rushed it back to the hospital. They determined the results to be normal, so at least we knew it wasn't that.

James slept as normal and woke up at 6:30. I stayed home with him since he still had a high fever. The fever wains once he takes medicine and climbs back up once it starts to wear away. I'm nursing James to sleep now and hopefully he'll feel better tomorrow.

Happy reading!

Rachel

Pumping...Nursing....Pumping...

Recently I feel like this is all I do and think about. I remember not long ago I'd pump a couple ounces and send it to daycare and James would refuse to even have a sip! Now he's drinking from his bottles and so much that I can't keep up! While I'm at work I pump, then at home I nurse, when do I get a break!?!? I'm a milk machine that doesn't have much milk. :(

I asked my mommy friends for advice and they suggested oats, teas, going for a all nursing weekend to jump start production! I have been trying to drink more liquids and I think that's helping. I know stressing out about it doesn't help, but it's a natural feeling. If it wasn't awkward I'd pump at my desk every hour for about 10 min intervals. Lol! I could just imagine what that would be like. Of course I'd cover myself with a shawl, but everyone would wonder what that pump sound was!

When it comes to James I really don't care about being somewhat of an exhibitionist. I never show any skin, but I do nurse him in public. It's his mealtime so what's the big deal?

What are your thoughts about nursing in public and what do you recommend for increased milk production? Give me some advice please! Also remember you no longer need to register to make comments, so there's no excuse now! :)

Happy reading!

Rachel

Monday blues!

When we dropped James off at daycare this morning he was doing his normal crying. The teachers asked if he slept well and he did so I wasn't concerned. After getting to work I checked in on the classroom. I saw James playing, walking around so all was normal.

Later on I saw there was a new kid with his mom and dad there since he was transitioning. I was thinking to myself, glad that part is over! However I noticed that James was being carried around or on someone's lap. At one point I saw him balling while a teacher was holding him. This is what James will do to Adit or I when we take something away that he wants. So maybe that was the case I thought.

Soon after I got the call from daycare. They said that James has been clingy and cranky so they checked his temperature and it was 99.9 so slight fever. This was around 10:00 am so I asked if I should get him. They said that we don't have to but they were just letting me know. She also said she'll give him a bottle and see how he feels. So I saw them give James some milk, then I didn't see him anymore. It was a long time, so I called to see how he was doing. As I suspected he was asleep. They said he fell asleep right after the bottle, he missed lunch but they will feed him when he wakes up.

James woke up after 2.5 hrs an then I saw him in this chair getting ready to eat! Today's menu looked really yummy. It was lasagna with meat sauce, garlic bread, and veggies. Since the school uses a soy based cheese I figured it was ok for him to try. Well soon after lunch I received another call from daycare. They said that he woke up and ate 2 servings of pasta, had bread, and veggies, then refuse the orange. But then he vomited up all the food. They checked his temp again and it was still 99.9. So James just easing feeling well.

Next I called Adit and told him that we needed to get James. I left work and went straight to daycare where I nursed him. Whenever James vomits I like to nurse him before he eats another meal. Then I called Adit and he picked us up and drove us home. I didn't want to walk as it was raining.

Once home James was playing around. We gave him some Tempra (Tylenol) to help with the fever, which worked. Then I heated up some baked sweet potato and he ate all of it. A little later I gave him some waffles and Cheerios. He ate that too without a problem. At this point I wasn't worried that he'd vomit again, so I decided to make his dinner and offer it early. I am glad I did that, because he ate all of it, my little boy was hungry. I also baked an apple which came out so sweet, but he didn't want it. Hopefully he'll eat it for breakfast tomorrow morning with his waffle. The waffle is dry so I'll use this as a jam for him.

After his sponge bath and change into PJ's I nursed James for over an hour. He just didn't want to let go of me. I felt bad putting him in his crib, but once he went in, he turned and started snoring. I was starving so I had my dinner. After dinner, I logged into the office and did some work! I am actually excited that I'm set up from home now, I will definitely use it to keep myself ahead. Now I'm a early person at work, but before James I'd be there much later and stay late to finish up. Now that I pick up James I can't really stay late, so at least I can finish up what I was doing from home.

Ok, enough talk from me tonight, I'm off to bed in case James decides he needs me again.

Happy reading!

Rachel

PS: This is your last opportunity to enter to win the Boogie Wipes! Tomorrow's draw will be at 9pm!
Click here to find out how to enter!

Last day of my Twenties!

It's official, I will be 30 at midnight! Where has all this time gone. Now I understand why people say that the years sneak up on you because they do!

We had a great day today just hanging out with James. He was in bliss with mama and dada's full attention on him. He ended up sleeping in our bed last night so that I could get some much needed rest, however I think he felt a bit cramped because we found him close to the foot of the bed at one point. Soon after I nursed him and put him back in his crib where he gave us an additional hour before waking at 7:30.

This is a typical day for us now and it made me think about my life over the last 10 years. At 20, I was in second year university where my priorities were myself and school. After graduating my life revolved around myself, work, family, travel, and socializing. As I kept getting older my priorities kept growing. However now looking into my 30's my priorities are James, family, friends, work, and a far distant me! It's funny that once you become a mom it's not about you anymore. Most people ask about the baby then ask about me. I think that's absolutely fine because I love talking about James.

The rest of the day went by fast. James did his typical routine then we took him out for a long walk. It was supposedly 16 degrees (Celsius) but I don't trust the weather here so I still bundled James up and wore my winter coat. I know James was comfy because it was windy and I know I must have gotten some stares because I was the only person in down. Lol! However like I expected the weather did change and it got cold on our way back. I was warm and those people in shorts weren't.

Once home we tried to get James to have dinner, however he was more interested in fasting. So I let him hold the spoon to help feed himself and he opened his mouth. Adit and I started clapping and cheering so I think he only ate to hear that. Lol! Soon after he was done, he raised his hands above his head to sign 'all done'! Daycare has been teaching him signs and we have reinforced it at home so now he's signing a little with both of us! I am so excited that he'll be able to communicate with us now!

After dinner Adit massaged him and got him ready for his bath. We finally put him to sit in the bathtub filled with water. Since he outgrew the infant bath, Adit's been bathing him with the hand shower as he stands. So this was a new change for him. James was excited since there were new toys and because there was a spout with running water that he wanted to touch. I think the tub was a success and James will enjoy it from now on! Next Adit got him ready for bed and I nursed him to sleep.

So it's 8:30 on a Saturday night and all I can think about is going to sleep. Lol! This will give you an idea of how I plan on spending my birthday tomorrow. Initially I did want to do a girls night or a couples night, but it didn't work out since I forgot about all plans when James was sick. Now that he's better we will probably do lunch or dinner with some family and friends.

I'm looking forward to turning 30 and to see what this new decade has in store for me!

30 is a memorable birthday, how did you celebrate it? Please tell us your story on the blog!

Happy reading!

Rachel

Oh No, Blisters and Sores! :(

So it's confirmed, James has Hand, Foot, and Mouth (HFM) disease. :( I saw more of the little dots pop up and saw how they transformed into blisters. He has a few around his knee and some on his toes and hands.

The blisters don't seem to hurt him as far as I can tell but he does have some aches and pains from the fever. I thought the fever passed but he still had a temp around 6:00 this evening so we are back on Tylenol.

Poor baby still has a bad ear infection that hasn't really improved. Now he has some mucus forming in his eyes that I understand is due to the ear infection as told by a couple of my mommy friends who have been through this. My heart hurts when I see James screaming in agony over the pain he feels. The poor guy can't even sleep by himself. I have to physically hold him all night. If I dare try to put him in his crib or even next to me in my bed he's in hysterics. I can't imagine what he's going through right now. He's enduring so much pain and still breaks a smile when he can.

The Tylenol is helping but he's far from 100%. He's barely eating anything and it's because it hurts him to eat. I looked down his throat as he was crying earlier and I could see little white bumps around his tonsil and at the back of his throat. I read that it hurts babies to swallow so that is probably why he's not eating. I even see he has a difficult time drinking water.

As for James hydration, he is basically living off breast milk which is in lower supply as I'm working now. So I'm trying to supplement as much as I can with water. I know he's hungry and wants food but he keeps refusing it. Since I know his favorite food is rotisserie chicken and that he also has a sweet tooth, my mom got him a chicken and a blueberry muffin. Boy he loved that. He ate a decent piece of chicken and a small amount of the muffin. I feel so much better now that something is in his system besides milk and the occasional Cheerio.

I think James has slightly improved from yesterday. I only say that because he's basically traded the fever for blisters. He is uncomfortable and I find it helps when we massage his arms and legs. He's a pretty good walker but now he's really wobbly and falls a lot so my mom and I run after him all day.

I can't wait until he feels better. I've read mixed reviews on a time frame for him to get better. I've heard 3-5 days and 5-7 days. I hope it's the lesser and pray he heals soon. So this outbreak is due to daycare and I now it's easy to blame them but what can we really do to prevent it. Not being in daycare is not the answer as I have friends whose kids are not in daycare and still get HFM. It's a virus and can spread easily among children. I am sad that James has it but I stand by my decision of having him in daycare.

Otherwise I had about 1.5 hours sleep last night and am running on empty. I anticipate more long nights to come until he feels better.

Has your child has HFM? How long did it last? Do the blisters hurt? Does the baby scar? Please share your thoughts with us on the blog.

Happy reading!

Rachel

My Poor Baby! :(

We had a typical morning except that James woke up at 5:30. Eeekk for me! I nursed him in his room until around 6:30 then I brought him into bed to wake up dada. After nursing he usually plays with us, but today he wouldn't stop crying. I thought he was still tired and hungry so I continued nursing. After that he kept crying. So then I thought it was his diaper and changed that, but he was still unhappy. Our next thought was that he was hungry so we quickly made his breakfast, but he refused it. We even offered him an egg which he loves, but he also refused that. That's when the "something is wrong feeling" was confirmed.

I quickly got dressed and drove him to the doctor. Of course once we arrived it started raining. So I grabbed the diaper bag, my purse, an umbrella, and James and ran to the doctors office. After waiting 30 minutes, we discovered why James wasn't feeling well - he has an ear infection. :( As she was writing up a prescription for that I mentioned his experience with dairy. So far he's been vomiting after having less than a teaspoon of yogurt and when he tried cream of veggie soup at daycare he had bumps on his chin. I suspected that he has an allergy to dairy and she agreed so she advised that he should have no dairy for 3 months. Looks like I'll be pumping for awhile longer than I expected.

Once home I gave James his medicine and put him to sleep. He nursed until he slept so looks like our progress of him drinking 2 ounces of milk yesterday might be thrown out the window. I let him sleep in my arms because each time I put him down he kept waking up. Once he woke up I held him and tried to encourage him to eat by offering him a cheerio. He took it and once he put it in his mouth he puked everywhere. It was all over me and him. Plus this wasn't normal puke, it was medicine puke which reeked. I had to breathe out of my mouth when changing and sponging him so that I didn't puke too. However this was a turning point, because now he was hungry and he readily accepted food. I tried cereal and he ate it all. Then I made him some pancakes with steamed apples and he ate some of that too. I was just happy his appetite was back.

Since he was feeling better, we ventured to Dufferin Mall with Adit's mom. I had to run some last minute errands for the party. On our way home James fell asleep which was good since he didn't nap since noon. Once up he had a few bites of food, had a quick shower, and got ready for bed. It took me a long time to nurse him to sleep and even after that he woke up a few times. Luckily he's sleeping now as he needs his rest. I just hope he feels better for his party on Sat. He's in good spirits, but I can still see that his ear bothers him. I hope another day of medicine will help.

Well I'm off to bed now since I'll probably be waking up a few times tonight to comfort him.

Happy reading!

Rachel

Happy Birthday James!

Today is James' first birthday! We have been expecting this day for a very long time, yet it arrived so quickly. I feel as though he was just born yesterday. We are so blessed to have him in our lives. :) James woke up at 6:30 this morning and nursed until 7:00 then fell asleep again. He looked so peaceful so I let him sleep a little before getting him up for breakfast. Once up he started walking around the living room. He was so happy walking that he got really upset when I put him in his highchair for breakfast. He ate about half his oatmeal so we gave him his egg yolk too. Then we got ready for daycare!

I dropped him off today so Adit could work and spend more time with him in the afternoon. Once we got to daycare everyone wished him a happy birthday and then they prepared for a walk. I left when he was in the stroller. Once home I was able to have my breakfast then pick up my mother-in-law from the airport! We are so excited that she is here! James' daycare allows us to bring in cakes, so before picking him up we bought a cake and some party supplies. When we arrived at 2:30 almost all the kids were still asleep. James slept for 2 hours. I'm telling you, this daycare is amazing. James rarely sleeps like that at home, but he does all the time there.

Most of the kids work up a little before 3:00 and they had their snacks. Next it was cake time! I lit the candle and placed the cake in front of James. He looked at the cake and put his hand on it! Lol! That was funny. Then I just blew out the candle because I was afraid the kids would touch it. The teachers cut the cake and served it. All the kids enjoyed it, especially James, he had 2 pieces without frosting. The teachers had party hats and all the kids wore them. I took a few pictures, they all looked so cute. One girl enjoyed it so much there was cake everywhere, even in her hair! Lol! James was a pretty clean eater since he was sitting on my lap, my jeans however were full of cake.

After having the cake we went home. James opened some gifts from Grandma and Auntie Alaya then ate and went to sleep. He had an amazing day, I know he was happy. We were all very happy today.

Now he's sleeping away and I will head to bed too. Thanks for the well wishes everyone, James is so lucky to have so many people in his life who love him.

Here are a few pictures from today!

Happy reading!

Rachel

Snack Attack!

James had a good day at daycare yesterday. As usual he did not drink his milk, but he did eat and drink lots of water. James loves Cheerios and Gerber Graduate Puffs so I asked the teachers to give him some after each meal. So I just happened to watch the webcam as James was having his snack after lunch. He was sitting into his little chair with his tray and eating by himself. Once the screen refreshed I noticed that James was a popular boy and that 3 older kids were around him. It was a Snack Attack! They must have been eating his food. :( I looked to see where the teachers were and one was changing a diaper, one was bottle feeding a kid, and the other had her back to them as she was at the sink. Even though the screen was a little blurry I could see that James started crying because he probably wasn't getting enough. Then the teacher came over and gave him more, but same result. I know they are kids and this'll happen, I just feel bad for James. He doesn't have to fight for food at home so he doesn't know what to do. I guess he'll figure it out soon. In any case he was having that in addition to his lunch so I know he wasn't hungry. This is an issue that I don't think can really be resolved. Kids loves snacks and how can we stop them. I don't mind them eating some too, I just want to make sure James gets as much as he wants. 

In any case my day went by quickly. I went to the gym again! Wohoo! I lost the baby weight pretty quickly, but I still have about 10lbs that I'd like to loose. After that I had my lunch and made some dinner before getting James. The weather was so nice yesterday, it was sunny and about 13 degrees so I had a nice stroll over to the center. When I arrived James was asleep for over an hour. They could have gotten him for me, but knowing James he needed his sleep so I left him. In the meantime I collected his stuff, took the stroller down, and discussed his day with the teachers. I didn't mention the snack attack as I didn't know how to find a solution or want to risk sounding crazy to his teachers. Lol! 

I didn't want to disturb James, but I wanted to sneak a peak! I went into the room and looked into his crib and there was no baby! My heart dropped, I checked the cribs around him and I saw a baby. Since it was dark I couldn't see his face so I checked the other 9 cribs and he was the only one there. I touched his head and knew it was him from the curly hair. Phew! That was a relief. Then I went back out and asked the teachers if they changed the crib positions. They said no and I said James is in another kid's crib and covered with his blanket. It happened that this mistake was made by James' favorite teacher. She was suffering from a migraine and put James in the wrong crib. I let it go because there was no real harm done and James was fine. Besides you don't want to be too critical with the people watching your child for over 8 hours a day! So just like marriage, you pick your battles and this was not a issue at all. :)

James woke up at 5:00 so he napped for 1.5 hours! He never used to nap that long with me in the afternoon. I'll have to ask them what they did so I can try it at home on the weekends. Lol! When I picked him up he was still sleepy so I nursed him. It was so nice to hold him as I missed him all day! Then I dressed him and we walked home. James was so happy to be home, he looked around and couldn't get out of his snowsuit fast enough as he wanted to walk around. Then da-da came home and he was really excited, too bad Adit worked late today so he only had about an hour with him before he went to bed. 

Before we went to bed Adit was looking at James's pictures on Facebook. He was doing the "look at this one" that I always do. I could see him smiling from ear to ear. It was sweet to watch him flip between pictures and I could see that he felt the same way that I do ... James is growing up too quickly! Do you feel the same way about your child, how do we keep them from growing up! Lol! Let us know if you have found a way! Haha!

Happy reading!

Rachel

Reminiscing Already!!

We had a nice day yesterday, James was up early and I drove him to daycare. Once there I gave the teachers his schedule. They said that they will try their best to follow it because it is the opposite of their schedule. For example at 2:30 James is ready for a second nap, but it's snack time for the other children. In any case I dropped off my food, etc and headed home. I did some planning for James' birthday and went to visit a bakery about James' birthday cake.  I discussed the cake with the owner and we agreed upon a price. Since I've never tasted their cakes before I decided to purchase a few cupcakes for Adit & I to try. I got the mango, vanilla, chocolate, and raspberry ones. They were all very yummy!

Afterwards, I headed home to see how James was doing. He was fine. I saw him playing and earlier Adit saw him having his lunch. However I missed James, so I started reminiscing about the fun summer we had and all the new friends we made. Then I kept thinking about how fast he's growing up. Since I was already on the laptop, I pulled up some of his pictures. I couldn't help but smile looking at them and my heart was full of love for him. I really miss him and wish he was home with me, but I know he needs to get used to daycare so I can't be selfish and do that.

Adit made a beef roast for dinner last night and I prepared all the sides which took a long time. After my prep work I went to get James. We were home by 5:00 since I decided to nurse him before leaving since he didn't drink any milk. :( They said that he was so stubborn that at one point he didn't even open his mouth. I'm not surprised because he's thinking that he'll just wait for me to nurse him but he doesn't realize that I won't be there for a long time. It's also partially my fault since I haven't been bottle feeding him on the weekends either. I'll have to start this weekend. I've been good at pumping milk while I'm home so I should have enough supply in case I don't want to pump over the weekend.

What's sad is that James goes to bed between 7:00 and 8:00 so when you think about it we only get a few hours with him before he sleeps. So I told Adit that we need to make these hours count and make sure he gets all our attention. So we've been taking him for walks around the building since he enjoys using his walker. Here are some pictures from that adventure!

Also please share what your after work routine is with your child by leaving a comment on the blog!

Happy reading!

Rachel

Daycare Day 5 + Transition Week Summary

Yaay! James has completed his transition week at daycare and I think he had a great time there. Friday was his longest stay from 9am - 3:30pm. As usual I dropped him off along with his food, milk, etc then went along with my day. I had to run some errands on my way home so I didn't get to see how he was after I left. But while I was there, he was enjoying himself and waved bye-bye to me. Once home I logged into the webcam and searched for James. He wasn't in the shot so I realized that he was napping.

So I had all this free time now (right Adit, lol!), I made some breakfast and watched the end of the Nate Berkus show. Then I decided to rearrange the kitchen and de-clutter. This took longer than I expected and was a far larger task that I had hoped. I checked the webcam to see James from time to time and I could see that he wasn't really drinking any milk but he was happy and playing. At around 2:00, I pumped some more milk and then got myself ready to get him for 3:30. I didn't see him on the webcam so he was probably taking his second nap, but I raced over anyway. At 3:30 he was still napping. I checked in on him and he looked so peaceful in his little crib. 

In the meantime the teachers were filling me in on his day. James didn't cry at all for me today which was great! He fell asleep on the morning walk and when he woke up he had some lunch. He didn't have much of an appetite and ate about half of what I prepared. Then they offered some fruit which he refused. Later they offered him milk and he also refused that. He played and went for his second nap. I then asked about his water intake, they showed me his cup and he hardly drank any. This was odd to me since he didn't drink much milk or water. They said that this happens when children transition and that some days are better than others. In any case James woke up and I was excited to hold him. He was crying of course so I prepared him to be nursed. He nursed and I was happy he finally had some liquids in him. Afterwards we gathered his things and headed to the grocery store.

But after leaving daycare I got this nagging feeling that kept bothering me. It was unusual for James not to eat or drink so little water. I started doubting the teachers and wondering if they offered him enough food and drink. I know they give him bottles, but when do they offer him water. It actually bothered me all weekend. Last night I determined a solution: instead of following their schedule, they will follow mine. This way I will make sure he gets enough food and drink. Also I'll ask them to record how much he drank/ate so I know. Taking charge of this situation makes me feel a lot better. James can't ask for things on his own so it's my responsibility to do it for him. 

Overall I am pleased with James's transition. I believe that it went so smoothly because ever since he was a few months we went on many play dates, walks, etc with other mommies and babies and I believe that he feels he is on another play date. I am guessing that he thinks the teachers are moms to some of the kids he plays with so maybe that's why he feels so comfortable. Plus James is a great kid that hardly cries, is very independent, and loves to be played with. James has also taken a liking to his teachers which makes me very happy. They are always holding him and playing with him so I can see that he is genuinely happy.

So over the weekend I got my answer as to why James wasn't eating/drinking. He had a cold and a slight fever. As expected he got it from daycare. Apparently kids can still go with a cold, congestion, and runny nose. It's only a fever, vomiting, and diarrhea where they send them home. So it was inevitable for James to get sick as most kids had a fever the day before or were there with runny noses. This is the only part I don't like about daycare. I kept James at home today since he's still suffering from a runny nose and since he doesn't have much of an appetite I'll need to nurse him. The cold could have been why James didn't want to eat or drink on Friday, but either way I'm still going to have them follow my schedule.

Hope you enjoyed reading about James' transition week. Has your baby transitioned too? If so, share your experience with us in the comment section below! Also any advice on upcoming weeks is appreciated!

Happy reading!

Rachel