The hardest decision I have had to make thus far as a parent was who would watch Mason when I went back to work. We are not fortunate enough for me to stay home with him, we do not have a relative close by who doesn't work to watch him, so what do you do??
This was extremely hard for me. I mean I never really went to daycare, my mom was always home with my little brother and I. I also read a lot of studies showing that daycare is actually exceptionally beneficial for babies. Regardless of how I was feeling, the decision had to be made because I was going back to work.
We learned that you can't wait around when it comes to really good daycares because they fill up fast. Nick and I choose a couple to go and visit and speak with. We liked them both but didn't LOVE either. To be honest, I don't think I was going to LOVE any of them. However, after much debate (i.e. stalling on my part) we made a decision!
Well, when we called to sign Mason up, they were full. We were going to be put on the waitlist. My heart sank. Luckily, we had a good back up in another place we had visited, but I still wasn't thrilled about the situation. We went ahead and got Mason registered for a daycare near Nick's work in the Galleria area.
A few days later we were pulling into the drive and saw our neighbors outside. They are really nice, and they have the cutest little blonde, curly headed boy named Thomas who was 3 at the time. In making conversation we asked if they had a good babysitter for future reference. Holly, our neighbor, misunderstood and thought we meant daycare type person. We didn't correct, took the name and number, and went inside baffled by what had just happened.
We figured it couldn't hurt to call and see what it was all about. We trust our neighbors, Thomas is still alive and wonderful, and this may be an answer to a prayer we didn't realize we both had. So, Nick called and Ida agreed to meet with us. Funny thing, she called Holly after she talked to Nick to ask about us. She wanted to make sure we were ok, just like we wanted to check her out. We went to her house and met her and her husband Steve. This was the most amazing experience ever! I instantly knew Mason was in the right place. At the time, Mason was only 6 weeks old, and she picked him up and he smiled and seemed so happy! From that point on we have never looked back!
I am writing this because, while so many out there are luckily enough to be with there babies everyday, some of us are not. Those of us that can't be there every minute of every day need people like Ida to love our babies, take care of them, and treat them like their own. This is exactly what Ida and Steve do for my wonderful baby. Mason is lucky enough to have an extra set of grandparents who love him as their own. I am also writing this because Ida asked us to bring Mason over once he got his hair cut. We went over there and as soon as we opened the door and Mason walked in he walked right to her arms up and gave her a hug! She was so excited to see him, and the joy on both of their faces melted my heart. Ida and Steve, better known to Mason as MoMo and PoPo, are the best people I could have ever asked for to take care of my baby. Ida also has her grandson, Jacob, and even though he is 4, he adores Mason! I love that Mason already seems to have an older brother to take care of him, play with him, and teach him things! In home daycare has worked for us, and I highly suggest it to any parents that have to work and put their babies in some type of daycare.
If you made it through all of that, here are a few pictures!
He is learning Spanish, has an entire other family, and is spoiled like crazy. Also, Mason comes home with dirt on his clothes, food in his hair, and most important of all a smile on his face!
