Tough Transitions

The last couple weeks have just been hard. I hate to complain cuz overall life is pretty good right now, but it really hasn’t been the easiest lately. It started with Natalie’s teething – she’s cutting three molars at the same time. Oh, cruel world! She’s really been a trooper, but I know she’s hurting and there’s only so my Tylenol I can feel good about giving her. Then there was my labrinthitis – apparently vertigo is the symptom, not the cause – that knocked me out for about a week. (I still stand by my original statement that I would rather go through labor again than the three days I spent living on a virtual tilt-a-whirl.)

Now that we’re all back to excellent health, knock on wood, and Natalie’s getting used to this awful teething by eating clothing (hey, it’s relatively cheep and makes her feel better) she’s transitioning to the toddler room. She cries, and cries and then when your heart can’t take any more, she cries some more. Actually, it’s not THAT bad, but she does turn on the tears whenever anyone brings her to the toddler room. She adores her infant room teachers, friends, student helpers and even the parents. But everything is so new in the toddler room – even though she has several good friends in there. New teachers, new friends, new room, new students, new parents. We’re having a little trouble with “new.”

Her teachers tell me she settles right in after we’re gone, and after all the other kids are dropped off and playing, and has a good time with her new friends. She’s napping, eating and sleeping well at night too, so those are all good signs. I have a feeling by late next week she’ll hardly blink at being dropped off there, but in the meantime, it sure makes me feel like an awful person for subjecting her to so many overwhelming things all in the same week.

This morning Jason and I both dropped her off and she sobbed – you know, the silent-I’m-crying-so-hard-I-can’t-make-a-sound cry. I took her back from Jill, her teacher, hugged and kissed her, said goodbye and handed her back. Then we pretty much had to just boogie out of there, listening to her cries as we shut the door and headed outside. Not the best way to start out a morning, for any of us. But even now, I think about the days I dropped her off as a three-month-old. That was tough. At least now I know from experience that she’ll be fine. In fact, she’ll be more than fine. I have the highest faith and confidence in her daycare to take the best care of her. She’s loved daycare for months. We just need to get through this transition. I can see the day light at the other end and it looks pretty darn good.