Breaking (in) the Girl: Do Talk to Strangers?

With the release of the Lullaby Renditions of Red Hot Chili Peppers, I couldn't help thinking about their song "Breaking the Girl" and how it relates to my family's life this week. It comes down to one line from the song: "Our lives rearranged." With my usual trusted babysitter, aka "Mom!" (I never call out to my mom softly), out of town for much of August, this week for the first time in my baby's fairly new life - Little D will be put in the care of people who aren't family a couple days a week while I'm at work. I've been losing sleep for days leading up to this, when I have to leave my child in a stranger's care, save those sweet nurses at the hospital (seriously, a thank you is in the mail some day.) To make sure we find the best place for D, we've done our research, called references, made some visits, met with various folks and settled on trying out two courses of action this week: a home daycare and a part-time babysitter. Which one will she/I like the most? I will let you know next week! In preparation for "Breaking (in) the Girl" week, I've provided both caregivers with diaper and wipe stash, breast milk, extra clothes, in case of emergency numbers, etc. And then there's the really important list: the things that make D...D. • Loves to smile. • Doesn't like pacifiers, just sucks on fist. She looks much tougher doing the latter. • Is a barracuda when it comes to feeding, so expect warped nipple tops. • Spits up quite a bit (goes through 4 bibs a day), not just because she has gas. Sometimes it's because she thinks it's funny to create a milkfall from her mouth. • Loves to smile. • Takes epic liquid poops that'll make you question what she eats. • Likes vibrating chairs. Really, who doesn't? • Generally naps not long after feeding. (Please keep her on her back, by the way!) You'll see that she grins often in her sleep. Her dad thinks it's because she's dreaming about milk. • Likes running and dancing in place. When she starts, please accompany her. It's a great workout. • Loves to smile. • Is not into tummy time. Blame Daddy. We'll get there. While writing my Getting to Know D list, I realized that I should be pretty thankful how short it is right now. It's not to say that D isn't a complex little girl, but as an infant, her caregivers have to fulfill the most basic of her needs to keep her content: Feed, burp, change and hold her. (Sending parents an occasional pic message wouldn't hurt, either.) And maybe, because of D's smile, whomever she is with can't help but want to love her, too. If not...they're fired.