The end of an Era

Well folks, just when we were just getting into a groove, the honeymoon is over. The Parenting From Work honeymoon, that is.

Apparently, the new building that my office just moved to is not as baby-friendly as the previous building. So, along with a commute that has jumped from 10 to 30 minutes, I also have to adjust to my babeh being wrenched from my overly-clingy hands. It took a couple of days, but I'm coming to terms with the fact that I will no longer spend 24/7 with my precious, perfect, wonderful daughter.

Well, there's still a chance that we might be able to stick things out a bit longer. The building manager will allow the Company to continue allowing its employees to bring children to work if the Company amends its liability coverage. My boss is looking into what this would cost, and apparently it will take the underwriters a couple of days to get back to us. So, there's still a chance and I'm crossing my fingers. But, if we don't hear by 5 pm on Thursday, then, we're signing the papers for a daycare near B's work.

We ruled out in-home daycare -- Mia's too old for that now and would do much better in a structured, group setting. She'll be one soon, and two seconds after that, she'll be 18 months, and then, turning 2! I'd rather put her straight into a place that she can stay until pre-school. I called around, drove around, and the one near B's work just worked. It had reasonable rates, accepted less than a year old, and... had reasonable rates. With my hours being reduced, we just can't make too much decisions without that being the #1 factor at the moment. We visited, we liked it.

He'd be in charge of all drop offs and pick ups. I'll get up earlier, get her ready to go, and get myself ready once they're out the door. Then, I get home early, prepare dinner, and by the time I'm done, they'll be home. It'll be pretty sad for me not to see her until 30-45 minutes after I get home, but it just doesn't make sense otherwise. Maybe I'll finally get to squeeze some after work exercise in.

While it makes me sad not to be able to spend so much time with my daughter, I'm trying to remind myself that most people don't get this long. I got almost 11 months of nearly uninterrupted time with Mia, of never leaving her with strangers until she's now at an age when I feel 90% more confident and comfortable. She's turning into such an active, curious, and playful little girl. Hopefully spending time with other babies and toddlers her age will make her more independent, too. And, we'll have all weekend together, and I'll appreciate those limited hours that much more. Instead of trying to "keep her entertained" all day, I'll just be with her as much as possible. And maybe push her bedtime back to 8:30.

PS: 100th post!