This Makes Stainless Steel Look Goooood

Today marks the two week mark of Anna Jane's first days at daycare and my first days back to work. Last week seemed to breeze by with a million emails to go through, projects to get underway and work buddies to catch up with. This week, however, has left me a little less gung-ho to jump back into the workforce and a little more wanting to jump into the bed to snuggle with my little one.

I must be honest that I have a whole new respect for stay at home moms. Six weeks ago I couldn't wait to head back into work and get a break from my whole world revolving around bottles & diapers and diapers & bottles. It was exhausting, frustrating, and exceptionally more lonely than I had ever expected. This week though, I'm missing my baby girl during the day. I want to know what she's doing; if she's smiling; if she's babbling on the changing table. I want to watch her giggle at something on the wall and I want to hear her little sighs after a bottle and the cute one after every sneeze. Thus, I also have a new respect for working moms too. It's hard to trust the most important thing in the whole world to you to someone else from 7:30 to 5:30. But, I'm most positive that it will get easier every day and for our family situation, the benefits definitely outweigh the drawbacks.

I absolutely LOVE the daycare we chose and couldn't be more pleased with Anna's teachers and how much she has developed in the short time she's been there. I appreciate their advice for a novice mom and I love that she's sleeping through the night (knock on wood) after a busy day with her new play-friends. And just when I needed the encouragement the most that I made the right decision, I got to bring something special home; Anna's first arts and craft project. Tell me I'm not the only one who calmly made it to the car and then cried/smiled/cried when they first had that special paper to proudly display on the fridge from their little artist.

Let the frivolous flaunting of my daughter's talents begin:

Yes! Those long, skinny yellow ducks are actually Anna's feet. Cutest little chicks I've ever seen!