First Daycare Trial...

Today was the boys' first day of school--sort of.  They start full time on June 1, but the daycare owner Sonia has them going a few times for a few hours before their official start day to ease them into things and also give the teachers a chance to get to know them.  I think this is a really great idea, and I'm grateful that Sonia does this.

Today they went from 9:00-11:30.  I dropped them off with their supplies: play yard sheets, bibs, bottles, extra clothes, diapers and wipes, and blankets.  On my way in, a father was dropping off his (older) son, and I talked to him about the center.  I asked him how long his son had been going to this place, and he said since he was an infant.  He raved about Sonia and the place in general.  I felt better since it was completely unrehearsed and spur of the moment.

I left two happy boys with the teachers and took off.  No tears from me.  I guess because this was to be a short visit.  I also have to admit that I think having to leave them in the NICU has something to do with it.  It's not as hard for me, maybe, as it might be for other mothers to leave them in the care of someone else.  I only wish it were Marcy and Judy I were leaving them with!!!  I wouldn't think twice about it.

They had set me up with camera access so I could watch them the whole time if I wanted.  I didn't watch all 2.5 hours, but I probably watched over an hour.  They did a good job of moving the infants around every so often to different positions with different stimuli to play with and see.  I think my two boys are the youngest in the infant room--or at least they were today--because they were the only ones not yet sitting on their own.  Yet they still got a good deal of play time and were held by the teachers the appropriate amount of time.  The only bad thing about the day was that neither boy was able to nap.  They just weren't having it.  They still aren't quite trained to sleep unswaddled yet (we are one day 2 of both arms out of the sleep sack, but they are still swaddled around the mid section).  Plus, it's very bright and noisy in there.  If they had gone directly from the NICU to daycare, they probably would have adjusted quite easily!  I had my hands full to teach them night and day after the NICU.  But they will learn to sleep there eventually I guess.

The poor things napped for me when we got home, although a bit fitfully they were so overtired.  We also took a nice long walk and they slept in the stroller this afternoon.  But they were fast asleep by 7:20 and they normally go to bed at 7:45 or 8:00pm.  I think we'll end up giving them an earlier bedtime once they are in daycare to make up for lost napping hours.  Right now on a good day for me at home the boys can sleep 4-5 hours during the day and 10 hours at night!!!  I don't think 4-5 hours of naps will be happening in daycare, even after they are used to the place!

All-in-all it was a good day I guess--as good as I could have expected and maybe better.  I just wish they'd slept a little...even 5 minutes so that I'd feel assured that they can do it.  Maybe next time.

They go back next Thursday and Friday for more trial runs and they get increasingly longer each time.  Hopefully by the end of next week they will be sleeping here completely unswaddled and unwrapped for naps. I haven't tackled nighttime unswaddled yet since I need them to sleep through the night so they aren't so overtired they won't nap!  It can be a vicious cycle!  When I see they can have good naps at home unswaddled, we'll try nighttime.  I am afraid to institute too many changes at once. Solids are coming soon too....

Rockin the usual pose