The First Day Of The Rest Of His Life

The tears came easy and fast as we stepped out of the door at home and I could barely see where I was going with them streaming down my face. I told him he was going to be okay and that Mamma was also hopefully going to be okay. I told him how this was going to be a great learning experience for him and us. I took Noah to his first settling in session at his nursery/crèche today. I knew it would be hard, but I wasn't prepared for the belly blow it turned out to be. 

I sat in the same room watching him play, and be a friendly, smiley, sociable person, and marvelled at how much of a personality he has begun to show. I watched in amazement how he functioned as a little person, independent of me, and it filled my heart with great pride and joy. 

His father and I have been his primary caregivers since he came into the world, and here we are now, ready (or wanting to be) to hand over his care for a large part of his waking hours to someone else. I feel a huge mixture of emotions - excitement, apprehension, wistfulness, guilt and happiness. It hurts more than I imagined it would. I know he'll thrive with all the stimulation, develop great relationships, and learn things we couldn't possibly teach him all by ourselves. I know we'll have good days and bad days, but I hope and pray that, overall, it will be a positive experience for him and us. 

Here's to you and nursery, Noah. Mamma will miss you sorely during the day, and she is very, very, very proud of you!