Andrew had an awesome time playing Mr. Mom all week before daycare started on Thursday. Needless to say, the boys had a fun-filled few days reading, playing, and sharing lots of laughter. Although I had to work, I was lucky enough to share in their fun as they came to take me for a stroll downtown on Monday and picked me up for lunch at one of my favorite restaurants on Wednesday.
Then, the day I had been dreading had arrived - Day 1 of Daycare.
To keep it short, let's just say it was a very emotional first day for me since I am not completely sold on the whole daycare thing for our family just yet. It goes without saying that I shed some tears that morning (and for several nights prior) but all in all we agreed that the day went much better than we expected. Bennett, not to our surprise, was smiling upon arrival and throughout the day and was a hit in his room. I came back to visit during the mornings and he was always in good spirits with his infectious smile going strong.
He adapts well to most situations and is always just going with the flow in all that we do, so we were happy to see this trait carried over to his daycare introduction. His teacher gave us lots of pictures and updates throughout the day and he did great! Today he completed his first painting using his feet as a painting tool, making white clouds in a bright blue sky.
To make the first day better, I also heard relieving news that I have been approved to drop my hours to 32 each week. It looks like I will have Wednesdays off to be with my little guy and will work until about 3pm on the other four days which will also maximize my time with him. This makes me so happy!
It's been a big month of transition to daycare for all of us. To show our appreciation, Bennett surprised his teachers with bouquets of fresh Pike Place flowers, cards, and big hugs today. (It was hard to get a group photo with all the action in the room...) It was really fun to let them know how much we have appreciated their care, patience, and communication throughout the past month. His daily reports tend to show that he is "extremely talkative", happy, loves group buggy rides, nature walks, the infant playground maze, singing with teachers, and painting on mirrors. We are so thankful that Bennett seemed to adapt effortlessly to his new surroundings, and also relieved that I seem to be calming down a bit too! I realize now that we are lucky to be connected to a center that provides us with as much daily communication as we request, an active weekly cirriculum, monthly parent events, newsletters specific to our infant room, and just an overall sense of community. 
