Off to Daycare

Monday was supposed to be the official start of our teacher's school year.   With Hurricane Irene on the horizon, my school department postponed the start of school.    One more day with the little man is like gold!!!   Daddy did the drop-off on Tuesday since I had to be at school earlier in the morning than I had anticipated (read "in past years with the previous superintendent").   On Wednesday, I chose to bring Nolan in.    At 7:10, about 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours prior to his normal, summer wake-up time, I went in to wake him up.   He was on his belly, with one of the many stuffed puppies' ears shoved in his mouth.....grumpy and not used to being woken so early, he was slow to rise.    I snatched him up in my arms and settled into the glider.   I rocked him for a few minutes, enjoying this quiet, solitary moment.   Soon it was time for the diaper and wardrobe change.   After getting dressed, we chose a couple of puppies from The Nest  for naptime and headed out the door.  On the quick drive to Nolan's new daycare, we sang a few songs  (I tried so hard NOT to tear up during "You Are My Sunshine.").   I could see in the rearview mirror, his face grinning as he snuggled with one of his puppies.  We pulled into the driveway at daycare, and I snapped a quick picture of this boy:

He's ready for his day and he didn't need a cup (or 3) of coffee like his "Mum-mum" to make that happen.  His daycare provider refers to him as "happy go lucky," but we're the lucky ones.   So blessed to have this child who goes with the flow, makes adjustments as needed, and doles out the hugs and kisses when requested. 

Just this afternoon, I picked him up from daycare - he was playing with a ride-on car toy.  I scooped him up, ultimately pulling him away from this preferred activity.   He gave me a hug, said "Awwwwww," then pulled my face towards his, gave me a smooch, and demanded "DOWN!"   So sorry I interrupted......    

As we start a new school year, and a new daycare, I realize there are so many changes.  Nolan is not the 4 month-old infant who began daycare last year.   While an infant requires more care, supervision, attention, etc., here is a boy who knows very much what he wants and what he needs while not always being able to communicate that.   And I'm not the stressed-out, exhausted, post-partum, ready for someone else to take a turn, mother-of-a-newborn I once was.  After nearly 11 weeks at home or on the road this summer visiting friends and family, and making some wonderful life-long memories together the question is....So who is having the separation anxiety here??????     My guess is not the child in the back seat, grinning and ready to see which friends are waiting for him at daycare....

"You are my sunshine,

my only sunshine.

You make me happy

when skies are grey.

You'll never know, dear,

how much I love you.

Please don't take 

my sunshine away." 

- Oliver Hood, Jimmie Davis, and many, many others....