Earlier this week I waved bye-bye to my 11 month old daughter as she sat in Grammy’s car and for the first time, she waved back. This little moment made me want to cry as I stared into her big, confused eyes. But I did not cry as the jeep pulled away and Ayla peered out from behind the tinted window. “Get a grip,” I told myself. “It’s only for a week.”

My husband and I decided to go to San Francisco to celebrate our anniversary. It’s the first time we’ve ever left Ayla for more than a few hours. At first we thought we would take her with us, but after a few late nights one week, and a few sleepless nights as a result of a change in her schedule, we thought it would be best for all of us to leave Ayla with my mother-in-law.