Make-Over {part 8}

On the last two days in Smith Center we helped give the daycare a make-over.  We weren't sure we would be able to finish but we got it done and it looked great.

kitchen with the primer started

see the dark paneling?

 before shots of the living room

yes we have to still put everything back but don't the walls look great?!

 so pretty and clean

 all done in the living room

the walls were still wet when I took 

these but it was time to get on the road

it's hard to tell the color but it looked great.

i hope everyone loved it

The Big Transition

This might be a shock to most people out there but I am one of those moms who absolutely loved Gracie's Daycare. The ladies there have been so supportive of Gracie and me from the first day. I would refer anyone to them.

When I first took Gracie to daycare, like any mom I was worried. I wanted her to have the best care and get some good attention. I went there everyday during lunch to feed her and once I stopped nursing there were days I showed up just to see her. The ladies there were so good with her and loving. They were the ones I was constantly asking advice from. They kept me up on her daily activities, even what she ate. Most of the kids in Gracie's class are the some ones that have been with her from the beginning. I have gotten to watch them grow and watch Gracie make little friends.

When Troy and I decided to take Gracie out of daycare, it was a very hard decision and one that I postponed over and over again. If it weren't for the cost I am sure she would still be there, that is truly how much Troy and I both loved it. Although, I knew Gracie would never be affected by it, I sure was. I even cried when I wrote up her 2 weeks notice, I know I am such a sap sometimes.

None the less Gracie has made the transition from daycare to her Aunt Kristen's. Of course for Gracie this has been much better. She takes longer naps, which I love, it makes for a less grumpy evening and it has relieved us of a huge financial burden. In the end the big transition was not big for anyone but me.

From a Crib to a Nap Sack

Although I do not always recognize that my baby girl is growing up there are always situations or people who always seem to point it out for you.  Example while shopping at Target I relized I seem to head to the same section, I then relized that none of the clothes I was looking at would even fit her.  I had to move up to the over 12 month section...I have a toddler, no way.  Two weeks ago I was informed Gracie was ready to start transitioning into the next class.  I had not even noticed that half her friends had been missing and had already made the moved on to the other class.   This new class also means her naps will be taken on a cot instead of in a crib and each child has his or her own nap sack.  Gracie's teacher raddled off a couple of places to obtain a nap sack; the daycare can order one for me, target or even some mom's have made them.  I was hooked.  A new craft to try to conquer and it was for Gracie, even better.  Just a great reason to buy fabric.

I found a great tutorial on line from the Moda Bake Shop, although I did not follow it very much at all it did give me the basic tools I needed to get the job done.  The tutorial's sack ends up being close to the size of a twin and the cots are much smaller.  I also was not up for making a quilt, I wanted something much easier, so I just did 2 fabrics, it far less complicated that way.  I did make a couple of short cuts to make it easier, but it seems the first time making anything always takes much longer so it did not seem all that short but if I had to make it again it would go much smoother. 

Enjoy the pictures!

Nap Sack inside & out

I was going for something girly & funny

an aerial view

All rolled up and looking pretty

The Big Transition

Gracie has been going to daycare at Wonder World since she was 3 months. Those ladies have made me feel so comfortable with leaving Gracie there. They love her to pieces, have given me great at advice and love on her when she has not felt good. Now that Gracie is one she will be leaving those ladies that I love and will be gone into a new room. I am sure Gracie is very happy about that all of her friends have been moved over in the last couple of months. She stands at the little door and yells over at them. Miss Natalie went over last month and Lo goes over next week. Gracie will be the oldest in her class and it seems a lot of new infants have come in and she has been on the move. Monday will be her first transition day. This means she will go over to the other class room for maybe an hour in the afternoon to play and then will come back over. This will continue until the end of November. Each time she will stay for a little bit longer to get use to the teachers and to get familiar with everything, so that they are no over whelmed. I think I will have a harder time then she will. Dodie, Nancy, Brandy, Marie and Barb are the ladies that have cared for her and loved her and I love them. The have been such a blessing, and I will miss having them with her everyday.

This picture is really old, all those trees are much taller now but isn't it cute!

Back to Work

The Question: How is work and daycare going?

Well, honestly I was a little scared before I went back. I really wanted all of it to go well and it was hard leaving her with someone else that was not her mom. Troy and I went together the first day and dropped her off, it went much better then I imagined. She did not even notice I left the room, which was great, but honestly I wanted her to kick and scream and say mommy don't leave. That was not the case at all. I did well leaving the building and it was not as hard since I knew I would see her at lunch. I go to the daycare a couple days a week and feed her lunch. It is just nice to be able to go over and see her and have some time with her. It has also been a nice time to get to know the ladies that work there. That has helped a lot being able to get to know the people that are with Gracie everyday. Gracie has now been there for 2 weeks. When we walk into the room and those ladies start talking to her she just lights up and smiles. She really likes it. I look at the positives of the daycare, she gets lots of attention, they read, sing, play peek-a-boo, practice rolling over, tummy time and no distractions of needing to clean the house or running errands. It is a Christian based daycare so they read bible stories and sing a lot of Sunday school songs. I really love that they do all the things that I wish I could do in a day with her. Plus the ladies think she is so good and love all the cute outfits she wears. As, for work it is not bad. I do not mind going back to work in general but going back to Graphic has been a little interesting and trying. That really has been the hardest part is not enjoying where I am going back too.

Just a little side note.
I was talking to a friend, who has not yet had kids, about how freaked out she is to start trying. I guess I just want to say that I was very scarred to say, let’s change our whole lives right now. It freaked me out to the point it made my stomach roll over. She asked, if I knew then, what I know now would I have had them earlier. Not that I would ever give up that time I had with just Troy and I because I loved it and it was fun it just being the two of us, I would defiantly not have been scarred and I would had kids more when Troy was ready then waiting. Really, my life has changed because I care for another person but I love it and it is not as scary as people make it out to be. I just thought for those of you that the thought just makes you want to turn and run, don’t, it is wonderful. I do encourage you to first enjoy the married life before kids. And, that is a whole other thing that I could write on and now is not the time.