Well, here it is, the evening before my last baby starts his first day of daycare. A day to which so many of us are filled with emotions. Am I sad? Yes. But this blog isn’t to post about how sad I am or how I wish our government gave us 100% for 18+ months, or to put stay at home moms down (hell, you are really super moms! I seriously don’t know how you do it!) it’s to celebrate what has happened over these past 11 months – and let’s be real, I am THAT mom who LOVES daycare!

I love that I trust a group of women (yes, there are men in the field but my son just happens to be with women) to be like a “second” mom to our child while I go to “work” every day. I love that I can get all my weekly errands done while he’s at daycare (or school) so that when they are home my time is completely devoted to THEM. I love ALL the amazing skills daycare will teach him: he will thrive in a structured environment, he will learn to sing songs, dance with friends, socialize with many children from many cultures, he will learn to sit for story and continue to rock his sleep skills. He will learn to take turns, make friends and playing well with them, learn how to resolve conflict (because apparently “because I said so” isn’t a good line), respect & listen to others, and miss the hell out of me while he’s gone.

He will also grow up knowing and learning that yes, women can contribute to a household financially (he clearly already knows I’m not cut out to be a domestic goddess). That a woman can grow her business and still maintain family-work-life balance. That planning is key to our family success. He will learn that HIS mom wants to work and this is OK! He won’t have to see me on my phone (because apparently that makes me a “bad mom”) while I’m there coaching another family to sleep success or giving some extra time to that mom with postpartum depression who just needs an ear to listen.

These 11 months couldn’t have been successful without all my amazing family, friends, partnerships and clients. To my husband who truly is an amazing husband and dad. Supportive, loving, dependable are just three words to describe you. You have been the rock to this family during this past year (cause really, who sells and moves out one house, has a baby, buys and moves into a new house, sends the first human off to school and helps me begin a new chapter with Tiny Sleepers Big Dreamers) all in 11 months? Mine. All Mine! To my friends and family who cuddled our littlest human so that I could “work” – I don’t call it work cause if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life. You guys made it so comfortable for me to leave him knowing how much he was loved and cared for while with you. To the moms who donated breast milk for Lincoln at 9 months I had to begin to take care of my health and you all generously supplied him with enough to make it to 12 months. To my partnerships, thank you for believing in me and continuing to support me. Finally my clients; this year you have all been amazing, truly. From the late night consultations, early morning follow-up calls, adjusting to take calls between naps, trusting me to help your family get the sleep you all deserve, coming out to my seminars, sending me gifts and cards of congratulations, and supporting me while starting my own company, words cannot express my gratitude. Thank you.

To Lincoln, this is your turn to shine my sweet little boy. Go tomorrow with a smile on your face, arms ready to cuddle, a heart ready to love more, friends to make and show them how amazing you truly are. Captivate them with that sparkle in your eye. You have been a blessing to our family and I couldn’t have asked for a better baby as our last baby. I have cherished our time together more than I could have imagined. I knew after your brother how the years are short, but you made me make every minute count. I didn’t want to miss a thing. You completed our family and cannot wait to watch you grow into a little boy full of life and curiosity.

P.S. Pull daddy’s sunglasses off tomorrow at drop off, he will be crying too.