Harvey's First Day

Home after his first day at daycare

Yesterday I experienced what every new mom dreads, the first day of daycare. I can't complain because we are blessed with an incredible situtation. I have a flexible work schedule, so Harvey is only going to daycare two days/week PLUS his daycare is at Matthew's work. Matthew is only a few feet away from our baby boy and can feed him his bottles, be there if he cries, or change a few diapers if he should be so inclined!

Before I had Harvey, I told everyone he'd start daycare at eight weeks and was considering three days/week. When I was pregnant, I tried to be practical about everything. It was frustrating having people tell me how I was going to feel after the baby came. It was hard for me not to be able to emotionally prepare myself for how I would feel for Harvey when he arrived. Some people told me that it took a few days or even weeks to feel that real connection with their baby. Others it was immediate. Some said they were ready to go back to work at eight weeks. Others quit their jobs to stay home full time. It was very difficult for me to not know how I would react.

Harvey will be 11 weeks tomorrow. Time is flying by, and I now know what kind of mother I am. I pick him up, even when he's happy in his swing. I put him to sleep in my arms, rather than his crib. I get anxious when other people hold him. His cries startle me, but they also make me determined to fix whatever is upsetting him. In the beginning, I took too many pictures and lost moments behind the iPhone lens. Now, I'm trying to put the phone down. I love to nurse him. Right now, it's not a chore or inconvenience in the slightest.

For all you soon-to-be new moms out there, don't get discouraged by the unknown. You will get lots of advice from people trying to be helpful, and I've found there's only one thing that everyone has been right about. You will never know a more powerful, gut-wrenching, innate love than what you'll experience with your baby. Harvey has completed our lives in ways that I didn't know need completion.

Now, I just need to figure out how to make time go by more slowly.

Glad to have my baby home

- Melina