the "t" word

i guess there's no avoiding it now. last week marianne graduated from the infant room at daycare and started in her new classroom - the toddler room. i've had a pretty hard time with this transition. i had become so accustomed to our routine of the infant room and loved everything about it. mostly because her teachers in that room were so amazing and put my "going back to work" worries at ease almost immediately. they loved her from day one and she took to them so quickly. and i guess the the other part of it was that she was so young that she didn't know the difference. really this transition has been easy for her - she loves the new classroom and teachers and seems to be thriving on all of the new activities, schedule, and environment. i know my struggle has more to do with the effects that this change has on me than it does on her but it doesn't help that she's at the stage where she reaches for me when i drop her off and cries when i walk out the door. it rips me up. today i almost cried - which would have been only the THIRD time i would have cried after dropping her off since she started at day care: the first being day one (a given) and the second was a few weeks ago when her A.M. teacher was on vacation and she had a meltdown when i had to drop her off in a different room one morning (hers was a confused and hurt cry and i couldn't even make it out of the building before breaking down. i had to run into the daycare bathroom to dry my tears). i know it will become the usual routine soon and i won't even notice anymore but, darn it, i feel like my baby is practically all grown up.

here's some highlights of marianne at 15 months:

• she can feed herself with a spoon
• she makes associations...when she sees the lotion bottle she rubs her palms together and says "rub rub"
• she shakes her head when her answer to a question is "no"
• she (sometimes) correctly responds with a "yeshhh" (read: yes) when you ask if she poopied in her diaper
• she follows directions - will sit down to drink her milk when asked to
• she LOVES to be outside and will patiently sit to have sunscreen applied
• she hugs her stuffed animals, dolly and pets
• she thinks it's so much fun to bounce
• she runs away when it's time to get dressed, get a diaper change or get in the carseat
• she's a big fan of cheese, bananas, cheerios, rice krispies, black beans, peas, quesadillas
• she will "cheers" you...tinking her cup to your cup
• she says "momma" much more often now
• she is into pull-toys, trucks, ducks, books and swings
• she laughs a lot and has become a jabberbox overnight
• her hair is finally starting to grow and is at an awkward, fluffy, sticky-outy stage
• she gives hugs sparingly and has only doled out two kisses (both to momma)
• this saturday will be our last day of the spring session of music classes with her friend desmond and our first day of parent-tot swimming classes for the summer with her friends ryan and hannah

her last day of "school" in her infant classroom:

her first day of "school" in the toddler classroom:

(only five days later but, is it just me or, doesn't she look older/bigger?)