Baby goes to nursery

As usual we did the nursery drop off in the afternoon, but today was different as I would be returning with baby for her first settle in period.

I’d been looking forward to this for like forever and planning what I needed to do with my spare time however at the same time was feeling a bit strange about the whole thing. Toddler going to nursery was easy she was already walking and went straight into toddler room, whereas baby was starting off in the baby room and that felt ever so strange.

Off we went back home for a quick lunch and returned to nursery. As I parked up and took her out of her car seat she was beaming from ear to ear as if she knew she was coming to play.

She would always have this huge smile whenever we came here, that was the advantage thought she was already familiar with the surroundings and for me it was reassuring she was going to a place I was comfortable with.

We entered the room to be happily greeted by the carers and a group of babies that had just woken up from their naps, just staring at me, the stranger in the room.

Baby looked around and at me a few times with a happy face and we found her a place to get acquainted with her surroundings. She sat and watched everyone and assessed the items in the room for a while and occasionally looking over at me and waiting for positive encouragement to go play (she does that sometimes) within 10 mins minutes she was crawling around playing with things and checking things out.

She seemed comfortable and happy to get on with things so I decided to leave the room and see how she would get on. I didn’t know how she would react seeing me leave, although at home she’s fine unless she needs something, this was a new place. As I went I said “see you later” she looked at me turned around and crawled off!
Oh! she seems fine so I carried on to the reception a little happier that she was OK but still maybe feeling a little seperation anxiety. Obviously one sided!!

I watched her on the montior as she played and then crawled off at super speed through the door to get into the garden where some of the other babies were playing. I couldn’t see her anymore so I finished off the paperwork and went in to see what she was upto and as I turned the corner she was happily messing around in the sand box.

I had a quick chat with the carers and grabbed baby’s coat telling her we had to go. She did in fact ignore me, so I repeated myself, this time she looked up and crawled off in the opposite direction. She was truly ignoring me and wanted to stay and play.

Eventually though we got our coats on and left for home…she did cry, well actually it was more of a shout in protest, indicating she wasn’t happy about this but I reassured her we will come back.

It feels so weird and slightly strange that baby is going nursery already but fingers crossed she’ll continue to love her new journey just like her big sister and I can look forward to some me time.

Must be a bug going around!

MummyKaur: Hey!
Another mum: Hey
MummyKaur: How are you?
Another mum: Got a cold/flu? Been awful, so and so has been ill, then the children and then me too. How are you?
MummyKaur: Yeah been ill too, had a really bad cough and cold and then the kids vomiting too!
Another mum: Must be a bug going around? Everybody seems ill!
MummyKaur: I know so and so has been ill too…
Another mum: Really? Oh no.
MummyKaur: Yeah, must be a bug going around!

Daily mum conversations.

St Patrick’s Day: A random memory

Today is St Patrick’s day and it reminded me of my trip to Ireland back at uni for my mates 21st birthday. A group of us girls decided to go. I personally knew I probably won’t be allowed so one weekend I went home to somehow inform them I was going. This was a couple of weeks before the trip my mum was busy in the kitchen over the deep fat fryer. So I decided that this was best time to tell her that I won’t be coming home for that weekend as it’s Nikki’s Birthday and we are all going to Dublin for a weekend to celebrate. My mum not really listening said that is fine and so that was that really and I went back to uni with my passport.

Come the weekend my mum rang superstitously questioning why I wasn’t coming home. She must have known she didn’t hear properly and went off on one for me taking advantage of the situation she was in. That wasn’t really the case in my defense i thought and after that 20 minutes phone call she hung up and i carried on withbmy assigbment ibhd to finish before going. She then rang back after 10 minutes querying my passport and that I can’t go without it, to which I informed her that I already had it and not to worry but of course that brought on another telling off, including one from my dad. You see we kept all of the passports together in one place in them days and all knew where they were if needed but my parents weren’t impressed on realising I took it with out “permission” even though it’s my passport and my legal right to do with what ever I wish, It was more of the principal.

So off we went to have an awesome weekend and came back to my family acting out some hostility, which was short lived upon them realising that it wasn’t really a big of a deal, I hadn’t actually come home a rebel and after receiving a few presents (of course) I was having parathas. Haha.

For me this actually highlights the importance of building trust and a level of confidence with your children so that they are able to comfortably come to you when they have something on their minds. With kids of my own I would like them to be able to tell me whatever and share their experiences knowing that I won’t be giving them a very desi reaction.

Fun times though.

Walk-in Centres: A Time Warp

I’m walking slowly from the car to the Walk-in centre at 11.05am pushing the baby in her pram whilst saying “waheguru waheguru” as I know too well what’s waiting for me inside that building. The automatic doors open and as I step in the blanket of illnesses wrap around us like a black hole sucking you in. All 5 senses suddenly are awake and aware of every cough, sniff, grunt, and runney nose in the room.  Everyone looks at you with that same look; the look of illness, massively fed up and silently running out of patience and thinking “oh here’s another one to add to the queue, how ill is she really?” “Will she get seen before me?”.

I’m helpless, i can’t turn around and go back out into freedom of fresh clean air and as I turn to check in at the desk the automatic doors slam shut. It’s too late I made my decision and now I have to stay. 

I fill in that form praying the wait won’t be long even though I saw the sign “Aprox 2 hours wait” and the receptionist tells you the same preempting your question. She knows everybody does it, the signs right there but you just have to ask slightly hoping the answer will be a shorter time. Nope it really is 2 hours, could be longer or shorter for the blessed ones. You just don’t know.

Looking around I realise I’m stuck standing against a wall with a room full of helpless prisoners, sorry I mean ill patients just like me. The baby is the lucky one I thought as she is in her comfy pushchair commanding her space and sleeping soundly and just then she briefly frowns and twitches her nose. I’m sure she is thinking the same because she then wakes up looks around and then stares at me asking me “why did you bring me here?”. The poor thing, nothing wrong with her but had to bring her with me so I just hope the tea tree oil I dropped all around her protects her like an invisible magnetic shield just like in those space movies. I then imagine to my own amusement those bugs attacking the baby and hitting the invisible shield and exploding into fireworks all around the pram. Yep, have to keep the imagination and sense of humour going! Even if it’s in my own head. Honestly I’m not insane.

Baby and I started to play peekaboo, catch or some form of it anyway. She also cried and wanted to get out of her pram but luckily nothing a bit of a sing song couldn’t resolve. Yes, I sing nursery rhymes in public and we do all the actions too!
Finally though I got a seat and gave baby some milk.

Whilst she was drinking that and dosing off I pulled out my phone, thinking surely it’ll be my turn soon. We’d been there for ages playing all these games so looked at the screen and to my disbelief it was only 11.18am. What?! 10 minutes! Surely not! I glanced at the date, don’t know why, but yeah it was the same day. Tapped my phone, locked it and then u locked it again as if there must be something wrong with it and then realised this place is a time warp.

My sense of time obviously got confused and clouded in this germ cell that acts like a black hole hiding inside of an innocent looking brick building. Beware people. Beware!!

I put my phone away and looked around and started to people observe, (as one does):

Any one with out a child was on their phone trying to look busy or simply day dreaming towards the doors, most probably of that life before time stood still in a germ cell.

Mummies with preschool kids with toys and other Mummies with out the toys desperately trying to keep their kids calm and content.

That sporty mum with baby in arms already in her jogging gear, swinging her baby side to side. Obviously warming up for that run.

Young baby couples.

The random taxi driver.

The men standing with their legs apart and arms crossed, increasing their personal bubbles, as if they think they are some sort of body builders. Sorry mate that beer belly isn’t helping your cause!!

The funniest of all the teenage mum all done up with fancy nails and personal phone cover. Tapping away at her phone and flashing dirty looks up at anyone passing by or even glancing. I was just about to say you had lovely nails. But I won’t now!

The children watching cartoons on their tabloids WITH headphones. Now that’s an organised and considerate mum I thought.

The children without headphones. Who cares anyway, everybody can listen to Peppa pig right? “…Bingley Bongley boo”

The patients that walk in after you but get seen before you and you hear the opinionated patients expressing their views on that matter.

After a long wait though we finally hear the ping and everyone looks at the same screen hoping it’s their name…the correct person jumps up and no matter how casual you make it we see it and feel it. It’s always obvious and everyone knows the joy and relief of knowing the wait is over and act like we don’t care but we do. We do care. We DO care! HURRY UP!

PING PING PING AND AGAIN PING….Seriously the same name?! Come on, Mr Freddie got fed up, Miss Ashleigh wasn’t actually ill enough to wait and My Rory obviously ran off but the doctor kept calling him and that got the room talking.

…Ping. Mr Freddie!
Oh Move on! said the patients

There’s an increase of people going in and out and baby wakes up so I move to the side and pick her out of her pram. She desperately wanted to crawl around but I kept hold of her and sang nursery rhymes probably to the annoyance of everyone till finally we get called. Yep, I leaped forward with the pram and I’m sure I shouted yippee!

On way back out we walked past the patients with the same faces and you know they hate you. You’ve been released and they’re still waiting and no matter how long it’s been, 2 minutes or 2 hours we all hate that feeling!!

I walk out and take a deep breath of fresh air and head to that 1 chemist that everyone was saying is open today and going to. oh no!