Cooper is at daycare (right now)!

OK, I did it! I packed up my precious baby boy and dropped him off at daycare this morning. I was so happy when I got there to find they made a special space sectioned off in the big playroom for the two littlest babies (Cooper, and a 5 month old baby girl that just started) to make sure that the older babies that are crawling and just starting to walk are kept away from the little babies. In the infant room, they go up to 12 months or older if they're not walking steadily - when they can walk they move them to the toddler room. In this special space they put their glider chair for rocking the babies, a couple little play gyms for the babies to lay in and play with, and a couple Boppy pillows to prop them on so they can be inclined and look around. =) I'm going to offer to donate a brand new portable swing for infants - it's low to the ground and very safe - I bought it for upstairs but Cooper didn't really like it all that much so I replaced it with a duplicate of our big swing. I was going to return it to get my money back but before I do I'll ask the center if they'd like to have it for the little babies since they don't have a swing and Cooper might like it better in that environment since they don't have an alternative swing to use.
So I briefed Cooper's teacher, Miss Patricia, on his new info from the doctor, reminded her of the need for him to be upright while eating and for 30 minutes after, etc. I asked her to remind the teachers that they need to sanitize their hands before handling him since he's only 3 months old and we've already had a cold and a trip to the ER (presumably from contact with the other babies and teachers the week prior) and she agreed it was important and told the other teachers in the room while I was there. I showed her how to use the miracle blanket for swaddling him for his naps, and then I said goodbye (for now) and then I left.

From there I went to run a bunch of errands - drycleaning, Target run for diapers and stuff, and then home to do some yard work - the bushes in the front were way overgrown.

While I was at Target I remembered that I had wanted to ask his Miss Patricia to write down the amount of formula Cooper drinks if he doesn't finish a bottle so I called her. While on the phone she said he had a one-hour nap, then drank a full bottle and is now sitting in the bumbo seat looking around at all the activity and things and smiling and laughing while the teachers talk to him. So relieved to hear that!

So I just sat down to have a bite to eat and check email and update the blog and it just occurred to me that I haven't cried since dropping Cooper off! I didn't even cry as I walked out the door of the center! Does that mean there is something wrong with me since I didn't break down? I'm feeling guilty that I'm not really upset about leaving him there but then part of me feels proud that I'm able to feel good about him being there since I really worked hard and did my homework to choose the place I felt would be best for him.

In just over a month he'll be there every weekday on a full-time basis so maybe the fact that I'm just around the corner right now and will be picking him up around 2 or 3 this afternoon helps me to not feel so bad. Hopefully though, my lack of upset is more related to how good I feel about that place and the knowledge that this is the way it has to be for us since we can't afford for me not to work. I sincerely wish that was not the case. Maybe I should try to invent some super cool product to patent and sell for millions so I can stay home with the poopmeister. I'll work on that! Until that unlikely event happens, I will be proud to go back to work at a wonderful place with wonderful people and the knowledge that I'm doing a great job providing for my family - the way my parents did for me and my brother and I turned out OK :) (alright, my brother turned out ok too LOL).