Tomorrow, she walks

An apple for her teacher

Today is Izzy’s first official day of day care. It has been a gradual process and I’ve left her to go to work many days since she was born. But this feels different. This feels official, formal, the real deal. We’ve been lucky to put this day off for almost 6 months. Charlie went to day care much earlier, at only 8 weeks. That was really hard to send him when he was so tiny and I wanted to try to avoid that this time around. Between my Mom and a great baby-sitter that used to work at C's daycare and is now a pediatric nurse (score, right?), I found a way to make it work. I can’t say my work hasn’t suffered as a result, but I wouldn’t trade it. Izzy has been a regular around the lab and slept in a corner of my office many afternoons. She made it easy and seemed to enjoy hanging out with me on a blanket while I worked on my laptop next to her. (See our recent conference call as an example of her cooperative spirit. No one even knew she was on the line). I’m going to miss her company.

Bright-eyed for the first day of school after sleeping all night, 9pm - 7am. Way to go, Iz.

I’ve been looking forward to this day and also dreading it. It will be nice to have a set schedule again and to not have to scramble each week to cover meetings and appointments or try to time her nap to the minute. I feel like I will be able to focus at work in a way I haven’t since the last few weeks of my pregnancy. But this also feels like a turning point from her being a baby to soon becoming a toddler. And that makes me sad. I’ve enjoyed spending time with her and soaking up every moment of this baby stage. I don’t want her to keep growing bigger and older. Today she goes off to daycare and she will interact with new people, sit and wobble on the floor with the other babies, and start learning new things on her own. In no time she will be trying real food, learning to crawl, starting to talk. I will blink and it will be time to plan her first birthday, she will be learning to walk. I know all the days to come will be just as amazing as the past 6 months and I can’t wait to learn her thoughts, watch her personality develop, and help her explore the world. But I want to slow it all down and make sure I don’t miss anything. I want my baby to stay a baby.

Posing for first day of school pictures

Thanks to her big brother, Izzy should be able to handle anything the other babies throw at her.

Charlie has been very excited for Izzy to start going to his school and he talks about it all the time

Izzy had no idea what all the fuss was about. As usual, she was a good sport.

Not sure what I was saying to them, but it wasn't hitting the mark.

Time to go, Mom! Enough with the pictures.

I gave Charlie instructions to check on his sister and make sure she was ok. I can't wait to hear how the day goes. I will resist the urge to go pick them up til the afternoon. I can do it, I can.