Growing Up In Oz

There is no denying that Hannah is our little firecracker. She oozes personality & spunk. She’s a lover, a cuddler and a little ball of rage when you piss her off.

She is fiercely shy when she meets someone new and she is a momma’s girl to the core. Her favorite spot is on my hip as I walk around the house.

I tell you all of this because she has struggled at daycare. Really struggled.

She cries when we drop her off, she cries when we pick her up & most days she cries many, many other times.

It has torn me apart. I’ve questioned going back to work, the daycare we chose, even the way we’ve raised her. Did I not socialize her enough? Did I hold her too much? Have I set her up to fail?

The answer is obviously no. Any of you who have two children KNOW that there is no way your second gets too much attention or held too much. In fact, I’m pretty sure Hannah got held about HALF as much as her older sister. So there’s that.

So this whole daycare thing has been a huge burden on us. I’ve talked with her teachers, I’ve talked with friends and other moms…. and I’ve prayed.

And then on Friday my phone rang. It was the daycare telling me they wanted to move Hannah up from the Infants 2 class into the Walkers 1 class. I’ve had my suspicions that a lot of her problems were boredom. Hannah walks, eats table foods & plays with her older sister every day so being in a class with some kids that still take bottles and playing with an arsenal of soft blocks and rattles is just not up her alley.

Then again, moving up meant sitting in a chair at a table to eat meals (something she’s never done), one nap a day (something she’s RARELY done) & napping on a mat (uhhh, yeah right?).

I know all of you who are daycare pros are probably laughing at me and saying that kids adapt so fast at daycare that there is no reason to be worried…. but I’m a newbie & I was terrified. I was getting what I wanted (more appropriately… what I thought was BEST for Hannah) and now I was suddenly terrified that it wasn’t the right move.

All my fears were put to rest today because Hannah kicked ass.

She napped on the mat on the floor like a boss.

She sat at a table & ate off plates like a civilized human.

She played with big kid toys, participated in circle time and held her own when the boys got a little rough & tumble.

She’s growing up before my very eyes.

She’s so different from her older sister. Not a talker, not terribly social and very attached to me and today she thrived.

I’m so very proud of my Hannah Banana.

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