I decided to become a choice mom after spending a year dealing with vertigo - the kind I have is called Vestibular Neurontis. Three years ago, I got a cold that turned into one very awful dizzy spell. After finally getting seen at a dizziness clinic I was diagnosed correctly. Vertigo is awful b/c it's an invisible illness - no one can see on the outside what is going on inside. An ENT and a neurologist both told me I needed to see a psychiatrist. I'm so glad that the testing proved that I had lost 60% of my balance in my right ear. It was after being sick for so long that I decided that there was more to life than going out dancing and having a good time and although I wasn't looking for a spouse, I was ready to have a baby. I was very active at that time in my life as I knew that it took away many of my vertigo symptoms - the more active I am the more the left ear sends the signals to my brain.
Once I returned to work this year, I quit the gym b/c I knew I couldn't get there anymore anyway. I've been doing little bits of exercise several days a week in my condo, but I know it's not enough. Anyway, today was a bad vertigo day. Plus, I have a new trigger with the vertigo that I didn't have before recently - I can't bend my head downwards - for example, if there is a newspaper on the table and I want to sort through to find a certain section, I have to either sit down beside the paper or lift it up to me. I'm not complaining, just explaining. So, I should have been aware that my heavy eyes were telling me I was going to have a vertigo day.
My appointment went fine...a little cramping and then I was finished. No more procedures. Now I wait for a period to arrive so I can start my transfer cycle. If my period doesn't come on its own, I am to go back in a week to get things started. But, we both (the RE and me) believe that I will get a period based on my u/s and me knowing my temperatures are still up.
Before I made the 30 minute drive back home I called the daycare to ask if I could come in to speak with the supervisor. I got in to see her and spoke to her about getting a break in the summer. If I'm not going to send Scarlett to daycare, I can't justify spending close to $3000. She sympathized with me, as she knows my situation, but explained she doesn't make the decisions and that b/c it's a business, the owners most likely won't go for it. She said what will probably happen is they will give me the option of paying the toddler room price and not the infant room price - $2200. But she said she would call and plead my case - I figure why not play the "choice mom" card? It's not like there is any child support coming in. I love this daycare, but I know that I could save the money and be happy elsewhere too. Scarlett will no longer be in the infant room.
The supervisor called over to the next closest daycare in their company which is really just up the street. They let me drive right over to take a look. Their toddler room is only at half capacity. Why is it that at the daycare Scarlett is at, there is a waitlist of 6-12 months, when down the street the centre is half-full? Does that mean there is a problem with the centre? The place was clean and had the same meals as the centre where Scarlett currently is. The supervisor was very business like. I mentioned that since there is availability I don't need to decide right away, and maybe I could just call periodically to see if there are still vacancies. She did not like that at all. She said that wouldn't be fair and I should make up my mind. WTF? Fair to who? You have 7 spaces open. No one is banging down your door to get in.
Pros - same company and there is space for September. I save $3000. I just transfer her information and there is no extra deposit. I can get back into current daycare as soon as a spot opens as a transfer. They have part time so Scarlett could be there when I'm on mat leave.
Cons - room seemed cold (temperature), supervisor seemed cold (personality) and unapproachable, people don't seem to be banging down doors to get in when it's the same company as where Scarlett is currently and there is a long wait list where she is and it's just down the street.
Anyway, I'm waiting for Friday when I will hear if her current daycare will let us take a two month break. I'm not feeling overly hopeful. Another option is there is a lovely lady with a daycare on my parents' street, around the corner from my place. I have only heard good things. She is an unregistered home daycare and she has max. 15 kids with three adults in her small basement. I could stop Scarlett out of her current daycare and have her start up again in September at this lady's. I have always had such a wonderful vibe from this woman. Before Scarlett ever started daycare (if you recall she was supposed to go somewhere else...and actually they still have my deposit and so she technically still has a spot there), I kept thinking that Scarlett should be with this other woman.
So many decisions. If I moved Scarlett to the other centre and then she gets back into her current one, I can transfer her....BUT, if/when I go on mat leave again I want Scarlett in a part time program. The location she's at doesn't have a part time option...so therefore, I'd have to move her yet again! I know, it will all work out!
Oh vertigo, how I hate thee!!! I have had issues with this ever since I had mono back in college (about 12 years ago), in fact that is how I found out I had mono. There was even a point years ago in which I'm pretty sure my students thought I was drunk while teaching. I will say it hat gotten better in the last two years, and oddly almost nonexistent during my pregnancy. I never did get an official diagnosis, though menier's disease was thrown at me. Hope you feel better.
ReplyDeleteSo much to worry about with daycare choices. Maybe it's the supervisors cheery disposition at the 2nd centre that explains their vacancies. Hope it works out.
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