Daycare is so far off, right now I'm trying to help Owen learn and grow. It's pretty incredible to watch him change. He's a very active baby moving his arms and legs like crazy when he's on the floor with his toys. He get's this look of determination as he moves - as if he's got to prove to you how hard he can exercise!
Here he is at 8 am shaking a tail feather bright and early (happens every morning). He presses his lips together and stares in your eyes and goes to town. So I look at him and encourage him to work it on out. It seems as though he is the most active baby compared to all the other babies in his yoga & other classes. I'm banking on having Owen grow up to be a very active boy whom I'll be chasing around once he's crawling & walking. Good thing I'm in great shape!He also loves music! He catches a grove when we sing to him and smiles like crazy. I started searching my brain and came up with a bunch of songs from my childhood and all the lyrics snapped right back. His absolute favourite song right now is "The Grand Ole' Duke of York" since I'll wiggle my fingers from his head to his toes at the appropriate times. It's been very cool to watch in mere days his full recognition of the songs and how happy it makes him to hear them. These songs even pull him right out of a fussy time!
Good idea looking for day care this early... we started when Cooper was eight months and we're still waiting to hear back from every single waiting list we put our names on. Sigh. A bit stressful because I am returning to work at the end of March (luckily I got an extra month off as I carried all of my 2009 vacation time over, so I'm using that tacked onto my mat leave!) but we are hopeful something will work out. I am harassing two places in particular and they keep telling me they should have an idea if we'll get a space "soon" but so far... nothing. Our backup plan is licenced home daycare (licenced through certain child care agencies) which (because it is licenced) sits with me a little better than finding any random person to look after Cooper.. to be honest my preference is a daycare centre. It is the same here in Hamilton, very difficult to find places that will take 12 month infants... I think there were only four in our area. Same with licenced home day care, they are only permitted to have two children under the age of 24 months (!) so those spaces go very fast.
ReplyDeleteWhen I had Cooper enrolled in swimming, we sang The Grand Ole Duke of York every week! I had never heard that song before but Cooper also LOVED it. :) Isn't it great to see them react to music and have preferences... so amazing.
That is upsetting that it's hard to find places to take 12 month olds. What are families supposed to do when the one year mat leave is up? Yikes. Good luck to both of you.
ReplyDeleteLeslie - Totally. Doesn't make sense.
ReplyDeleteEmily - Oh man! Sounds like there just isn't enough decent daycares out there! I mean, it's a paid service, I'm surprised it's not more available. Like you, I'd be pretty bummed to send Owen to an in-home daycare. But if it's that difficult to get in maybe that's just the way we'll have to go. I wish you luck, keep me posted when something works out and if you have any advice!
I can't wait for Owen to take swimming lessons. I used to teach mom & tot swimming and I loved to see how much the babies love the water!
Erin - ironically enough, we found out this week that we have a space at our #1 choice! We have a full-time space as of April 1st and a part-time space every Friday in March (I kind of wanted to send Cooper a little bit more than that in March to get us both used to it, but I will take what I can get). So I will have to find alternate arrangements for three days at the end of March, although the woman at the daycare told me that they might be able to swing something to have him in the 29th-31st of March so that I don't have to worry.
ReplyDeleteI think that the key is to keep phoning... that is what I did, and each time I called to "check in" on the waiting list status, I stressed how this facility was our #1 choice, and how we really wanted our son placed there. You have to think, there must be so many parents who put their names on a waiting list, never to contact that facility again (I know we put our names on waiting lists for places that we had no intention of ever following up on, but we did so "just in case"). It is not my nature to be pushy or keep calling to nag someone so it was a bit hard for me to keep calling and not feel like I was harassing them - but this is pretty important and hey, I think it worked.
The whole thing is so stressful as it is - nevermind finding a daycare, but going back to work after spending over a year off all day every day with your child - and then handing that responsibility to another... and I do not understand why most facilities don't take infants under 18 months when you only have a year off for mat leave? Or what about moms that can't take a year off for whatever reason?
Keep us updated on how daycare goes for you. I am sure it will work out seeing as you put your name on a wait list this early! It is nice to know that it's been sorted though, I can tell you that I feel a big sense of relief. Not looking forward to the whole thing though (daycare - return to work - etc) but it is just a new stage that we will get used to!