Month Three. This was the month I decided to start a sleep routine (after it was suggested to me by my sister 😂). Little did I know, it would be the best advice. I found out in month three that I had a pretty good sleeper. I was getting 4-5 hour stretches each night which for me was perfection. It’s kinda how I slept when I was pregnant anyway. Month three brought first smiles, a steady flow of breast milk, and an actual routine for daytime sleep which helped with nighttime sleep. I started a new full time job with amazing benefits, and it was a remote position so I got to be home with Aus.
Month three also brought about the daycare debate. Probably one of the most intense disagreements I have ever had with Austin’s dad. The debate: mom wants Austin in a daycare center where he can learn new developmental skills & get uninterrupted care; dad thinks Austin is too young for daycare because he’s only three months old (cue eye roll from every working mom on the planet). I feel like I fought really hard for this one. Anyone who knows me knows that I hate confrontation and will try to avoid it. I’m a peace keeper. I tend to be able to see all sides and take all things into consideration when it comes to conflict resolution. But this was a hill I was willing to die on. Having been a kid in daycare myself for years (to attend school in a different district), I was not willing to budge on the benefits of daycare. Plus, I felt better knowing that my child was safe in a center that was only accessible by staff and parents. If I ever needed to go meet a client for work, I didn’t have to find last minute childcare. The place was 20 minutes from my house. It was a win-win for me & Austin. It was expensive and although I could afford to pay for it on my own, I still asked Austin’s dad for help. That didn’t go over so well. I really have nothing nice to say about this entire exchange because the whole conversation was so unbelievable and it still gets my blood boiling every time I think about the messages I received 🙃, so we’ll skip to the good part…
In month three Austin started daycare, which I’m sure was harder for me than it was for him. He adjusted very quickly. He loved his teachers and I was so grateful for the help. It also brought me peace of mind knowing that he wasn’t watching Miss Rachel all day, even though we love her. The convenience of the location made it all so much easier. I could literally go play with him on my lunch break if I wanted to. If I forgot something at home or if he messed up his clothes (which happened a lot thanks to reflux), I could bring extras that same day. It was the absolute best decision I ever made. By this point, we were settling into a routine and it was great. By month 3, I was finally feeling like I could do the mom thing.