Daycare Update : Weeks 2 and 3

These are the trees at daycare.

Week 2
We missed week two because he was sick! But he went the following week (his true 2nd week) and he still cried when I dropped him off. The best drop-off day that week was Halloween and I think it was because the teachers were in costume, so he was a little mesmerized. Because of that he didn't cry as much that day. It's interesting because I'll tell him that he is going to daycare and he'll start crying and saying, "I want Mama!" (Simultaneously the sweetest and the most heartbreaking sentence that he speaks) but then he is so cooperative and will voluntarily say, "Bye Bye, Papa!" through tears and say, "Drive!" and open the door and head out to the car.

Week 3
Day 1:
He cried and gave both Mike and I hugs at home. We did the only things we could do - tell him we loved him; remind him all the cool, fun things at daycare; tell him that I'd see him at 3:30; repeat that we loved him. He again voluntarily said bye bye to Papa and walked to the car. When we got to daycare he walked up to the door on his own without crying. He didn't even cry when we got in. But as soon as Ms. Shan asked if he wanted breakfast he started crying. When I picked him up they were all dancing (he was observing). Miss Brittany (who I really like) was squatting down trying to talk him into dancing. She told me that on Halloween he went up to her and said, "Cat! Meow! Meow!"

Day 2: 
Gosh, daylight savings time always sucks. His sleep is all thrown off. He went down at 6:30 pm and woke up at 3:52 am. Luckily I was able to nurse him and he fell back asleep. We woke up for the day at 6:30 am. Unfortunately it took me awhile to wake up from the initial 4 am wake up. I didn't mention daycare until a little after 7 am. When I did he whine/cried a little and said, "I want Mama!" but he was very cooperative in getting ready, as usual. We walked out to the car without crying. He had his monkey and two dinosaurs. When we got to school I told him to leave the dinos in the car. He walked in by himself. I told him to put his monkey in his cubby - which he did. I gave him a hug and kiss and he said, "Mama work." "Yes, I'm going to work." (2 special ed. jobs again!) I walked out the door in amazement because there was no crying! I took about 10 steps and then I hear a knock on the window. When I turned around Ms. Shan was holding him and they were waving goodbye. Still no tears! Success! When I picked him up that day he was observing other kids in the dance room - still no dancing (which is amazing, because he loves to dance.) I spoke with the director and she had a lot of anecdotes to pass on and she showed me pics of him squishing the inside of his pumpkin.

Here he is after Day 3 - the first drop off with no crying!

Day 3:
When I mentioned to him in the morn that he was going to daycare he maybe said a big NO! once but I think it was more because he didn't want to put his clothes on. Then once it soaked in he was as cooperative as ever - diaper changed, clothes and shoes on in under 5 minutes. When we got there we were walking to the door and he says, "Shan?!" and I told him, "Yes, Shan will be there." and he smiled. When we got inside he shows Ms. Shan his mittens. When I leave Just say, "Bye, bud!" and bend down to give him a kiss. As I stand back up he says to me, "Hug!" Duh. Of course. So I give Huggy Bear a hug goodbye. No crying. He and Shan wave at me through the window. It was glorious. WHen I picked him up he was oserving in the dance room. Jessica, who is usually there in the afernoons said that he really opened up that day and that he talked a lot. She siad he is usually a little shy but will break out of his shell once in a while. We get these daily slips each day and one day the slip said under the part that says,  My teacher especially liked: "When I wallowed in brown upside down at circle time, like the pig in our book." Haha! I can totally see him doing that. I think he has fully adjusted to daycare. Now if we can get him adjusted to the stinkin' time change.