Moving On Up...

This week was Hayden's first full week in the 1 year old classroom.  She just moved in there from the older baby room, and it's been a big change for her.  For starters, there are no more cribs, and no more random naps.  They get one 2-hour nap, and they each have a cot that they sleep on.  She's been great on the cot, although staying asleep the whole two hours, and staying awake the rest of the day, has been a bit of a challenge so far.  She's still adjusting, which is clear when I pick her up at 5:15 and she is ready to drop.  She's been in bed all week between 6 and 7pm, and it seems like she's torn between eating and sleeping when I get her home.  I know she's ravenous, but she's also so exhausted, she just doesn't know what she wants.  That's been fun, by the way.

Instead of being corralled into one area of the room, they are free to roam the entire space, which is filled with big foam blocks and mats (like you see Hayden reigning from in this picture), push toys, rocking toys, and shelves for many other toys.  They also have 'craft' time, which in our brief experience seems to be mostly teacher-led, with a few crayon slashes across the page from a tiny hand.  It's a start, though, and we already have our very first refrigerator art (although my refrigerator is not magnetic, so we'll need to find another home for it).

Another big change is their eating arrangements.  They sit at tiny tables and tinier chairs to eat their meals as a group, instead of being fed from a high chair.  It's an interesting process to watch.  Hayden tends to be pretty particular about trying to stay clean as she eats (with varying degrees of success, but at least the desire is there), but some of those kids just don't care.  Fun times.

When the weather is nice, they get to play outside twice a day, so another big shift there, and instead of being corralled in by baby gates, they have the whole room to roam, so Hayden's getting TONS of excercise (thus the ravenous and exhaustion).

All in all, she's handling the changes pretty well - just like the 'big' girl she is.  While I am so proud to see her moving on to new and better challenges, there's a tiny piece inside that is so sad to see her move farther and farther from babyhood.  That's part of growing up, I suppose (for me, as much as her!)