First Nursery

When you walk into the room at 0715 with your arms lade with the things you might need during the day, the night girl is very happy to see you.

I walk into first nursery at 0715 on Tuesday, June 4 with my arms full of stuff I may or may not need during the day or even the year. But at least I have it. The night girl sleepily hands over whichever baby she is holding, happy to be literally and figuratively handing the babies over to me and heading to bed. The babies , Alexander (A) and Kressida (K) are playing on the floor, still kind of sleepy.
Alexander has been here all of his 6 months. He wasn't given a name when he was born so he is called by his last name.  I think his name means slim but he is quite the opposite. Typical. He's a soft, lazy baby. And spoiled. He has a hard time letting Kressida be held cuz he wants to be. He loves bouncing endlessly in his jolly jumper but he doesn't know what to do with his arms in there. It looks very awkward.
 Kressida is about 7 months old. She's very used to a cradle board and is consequently quite stiff. She has a very ready smile and laugh and is content to play on the floor or hold her own bottle ot fall asleep by herself in her crib. She has a strong dislike for carrots and a mild dislike for peas. Unlike her 1st nurse partner, she loves to eat but it takes her awhile to figure out how to open her mouth if you wait too long between bites.
 By 8 o'clock when the bell rings for breakfast we who are being fed are already at the table eating. Alexander has just started eating actual baby food and has yet to figure out how to actually open his mouth and eat. You can feed him the same bite about 6 times and still have a spoonful left over. Naptime is whenever we get tired (0930 ish) to 1145. (My break is 1030-1145) After lunch is over we load up into the bumbo seats in the wagon that takes us everywhere and go for a ride. Sometimes we ride around the kitchen and chat with Head Cook and Kitchen Assistant. Sometimes we go outside and play on the grass for awhile. Sometimes we just go back to our little room and play in our swings or jolly jumpers or on the floor till we get grouchy (around 1400) and go to sleep. I get another break from 1500-1530 and when I get back I wake them up and give them baths.
 Our room is all the way at the opposite end of the hall of the kitchen and dining room, across from 2nd nursery. Well actually it's two adjoining rooms, one with rocking chairs and many toys and activities and one with cribs and a dreaded changing station and a big sink that is our bath. Through the not-so-soundproof walls of our play room we can hear the big kids playing outside and the windows are full of handprints from the ones who think we are more interesting than their toys.
 By 1800 we are bathed and back in the dining room being fed again.  Or pretending to be as sometimes the case might be for some of us.
 After supper Papa takes control of the wagon's destinations for a few minutes and I use this time to dash back to first nursery and fix bottles and empty the diaper genie and get things ready for the night. Usually by 1930 when the others are finished devotions and are coming noisily down the hall, the babies are sleeping and my only duties left for the day are half hour checks till 2200.