Babysitting - Attempt #1
(Bethany with her aunts and my cousin on October 8, 2010.)
Today, I am letting Katie babysit for the first time. I'm not incredibly nervous because she is one of the very few people that I truly trust with my daughter. Katie has a naturally loving and caring nature and she is awesome with children. It's a little hard not worrying, but I know Katie will be just fine with her. Maternal separation anxiety is something that most mothers never kick, though, even when their babies are in college. Haha.
I won't be gone too long. I'm just going to the salon to get my hair cut. It's WAY overdue. During my pregnancy, I avoided salons almost completely. I didn't step into one until I was in my third trimester. The same goes for pedicures. I just was afraid to expose myself and her to the chemicals. Anyway, I'm excited about today's haircut. It will be so nice to catch up with sweet JoBeth who is cutting my hair. We both have daughters, so it'll be fun to talk about our experiences!
After the haircut, my friend, Megan, is stopping by to see me and Bethany. We haven't decided if we'll just stick around the house or go get some coffee. Who knows, I could make it a field trip and just take Bethany with us!
In the afternoon, I plan on doing some cleaning and decorating for Christmas. I know it seems early, but while Katie is here (Bobby and Katie are here becuase Bob is going with Marcus to see Dave Ramsey this afternoon.) I have to at least get started. I'm letting Katie "babysit" a little bit while I'm at home, too - meaning, I let her tend to Bethany - while I do other stuff. I read that this type of "babysitting" is good for moms who deal with separation anxiety. The mom visually gets to see that her child is being cared for and internalize that the baby and babysitter are doing well together.
All of this babysitting is to help me with going back to work. My dad's cousin is a working mom and she said one day a week before she went back, she would make herself let her husband or a trusted friend watch the baby for short amounts of time to help her and the baby with adjusting. She said her son was just fine, but that she struggled.
I know Bethany will be just great with her Aunt Katie during my haircut today! We'll see how I do . . .