Today is Day 4 with the new nanny, Missy. She seems more independent and confident than Jayne, and handles Allie well. Allie appears to love her. She’s able and has been doing everything with Allie that is a part of Allie’s routine, only the timing was off the first 2 days and Allie was taking her second nap pretty late, so I’ve had to make her bedtimes later to balance between her routine sleepy time when she’s rubbing her eyes and her being yet physically not tired enough to go down easily. Turned out Missy didn’t read the notes I’d left for her about Allie’s routine. When she did on Wednesday (yesterday), the day was picture-perfect and Allie was in a great mood, not hungry nor overtired.

I’d been offered 3 days off last week, the first 3 days of Jayne’s absence, and took it. Allie and I got to hang out, she got half of her flu shot (half-dose for babies on first shot, then the second half-dose 30+ days later), I nursed exclusively didn’t have to pump/wash pump parts or bottles for 5 days straight. It was nice, except for Friday, when the stepdaughter wanted to go out for lunch together when Allie and I were planning to get some fall jackets for her, so it was a rushed lunch out with the errand. I gave the stepdaughter time to walk around with Allie while I finished my lunch, and when we were making our way back to the car, suddenly Allie threw up all over her new jacket and my arm. In looking at the splatter of vomit on the ground, most of which were the last course of pears she’d just eaten for dessert, I pointed to a bright red and green area and said, “She ate flowers?” The stepdaughter leaned down, looked at the intact petals and leaves, and said, “Oh! I didn’t even know she did that!” Yeah, you have to watch the kid when you watch the kid these days. Allie was fine, though. The worst that came out of that is that she lost her pears. She didn’t throw up her first two courses of chicken with spinach, or her beets.

Things have been going pretty well, so when my supervisor offered me this week and next week off last-minute (I’d been on the wait list), I declined. It’s a good thing to let Allie get used to a new nanny, in case Jayne is unavailable again for whatever reason. Jayne had always wanted her friend Missy to be her “backup” in the rare times she may be sick or unable to start her car or something, and Missy lives 5 minutes from us, and has always expressed a willingness and interest in at least part-time or as-needed care of Allie. Plus, the more who love Allie, the better; it keeps her flexible and secure in the knowledge that her world is full of people she could love and trust. The stranger-danger lessons can come when she’s just a TOUCH older. 🙂

Jayne comes back next Thursday. I hope things stay as uneventful as they have been. I know Jayne’s been in contact with Missy, checking on Allie, and she’s probably still terrified that Allie’s not gonna remember her or want her when she comes back. She said she’s already mentally prepared herself not to take rejection personally. It may take Allie a minute to warm back up, but I don’t expect there to be any issues. I had been told not to take it personally if Allie wants the nanny over me sometimes since her daytime caretaker spends more awake time with her, but that hasn’t happened, either. She’s always ecstatic and excited when we come home, giving a little gasp and stopping whatever she’s doing to clammer over to the edge of the gate, looking out toward the garage entrance to the house when she hears the garage door and house door open (according to Jayne, and I’ve seen this myself when Mr. W comes home if I’m with her already), then giving us a big smile and reaching her arms out to us.

I can’t wait for her to be big enough to enjoy things like traveling, but at the same time, I’m loving this age and don’t really want it to pass that quickly.