Cupcakes' first full week at daycare

Cupcakes has been very easy to get ready in the morning. Since she's already changed and cleaned up the night before, she is ready to go with a diaper change. Wednesday morning she patiently waited for Mama as she pumped. Every time Mama looked over Cupcakes smiled. Ah-ma loves pictures of Cupcakes in her pink chair.

Vikki at daycare loves Cupcakes, and that makes it very easy to leave her in the morning. Vikki reads to the babies early in the morning. (That is Kirsten next to Cupcakes.) They take the babies out for walks during the day, and they have been putting on Stuart's blue coat on Cupcakes!

Cupcakes goes to bed between six and seven in the evening, so Mama takes pictures of Cupcakes when she can everyday because babies are always changing and growing. This week Daddy noted how Cupcakes' feet have grown!

Mama has to trust that care for the rest of the day is still good. Wednesday when Mama went to pick up Cupcakes, she was buckled in the swing. She limped over to one side, looking lifeless with a thin layer of snot dried up under her nose. Mama was heart broken. If Cupcakes had been home, Mama would have rocked her to sleep before she looked that tired. However, she was not at home! Then she got the report that Cupcakes only had 4 oz of milk the whole day - barely ate! Daddy asked Mama if she wanted to stay home with Cupcakes. Mama asked for a longer adjustment period for both Cupcakes and her. When Mama took a more thorough look at her report from the day, Cupcakes ate when she was awake but just napped a lot. That was okay that she didn't eat that much. Whatever she needs, she makes it up in the evening nursing.

Thursday Cupcakes looked better when Mama picked her up. Plus she drank 10 oz that day. She was still ready to be tucked in shortly after we got home. Over the week Mama learned that Cupcakes really just wants to be nursed and tucked in right after being cleaned up and that there are no "Friday nights" for babies. She's just tired from the day and would appreciate having the same routine everyday. She still needs to learn to nap at daycare. So far she's been taking naps of about twenty minutes in length most of the time. Canyon noticed that she doesn't drink milk when it's noisy - very true. She seems to take the bottle from Vikki with the least resistance. Cupcakes drank 9 oz on Friday - another good day. Mama told Vikki that she wished not to ruin Cupcakes for them over the weekend nursing. Mama will try to give Cupcakes the bottle during the day like they would at daycare to hopefully keep up the good behavior.

Cupcakes usually is done nursing when she is full. Mama noticed that this week she had been sucking a while longer after being full. Friday Mama learned that Cupcakes sucks on the pacifier almost all day at daycare. Mama got the pacifier in the first place to get Cupcakes sucking before they put in the bottle. Now pacifier has been used to quiet her when she is overly tired and can't sleep at daycare. It prevents her from crying too hard or sucking on her hand too hard in comforting herself. Her mouth looked for something to suck on as she was falling asleep Friday evening. Mama just rocked her a little, and she fell right asleep. While we would not want her to become attached to her pacifier, I can understand how it makes it easier on the daycare people and maybe Cupcakes, too.

By the end of the week Mama sees that Cupcakes is usually the second in the baby room and second to the last to leave the baby room. Ten hours is a long day for Cupcakes when she has not learn to nap in the noisier environment. She's a smart baby. She will adapt.

Cupcakes' hair is getting long. She may be getting her first trim sooner rather than later.