Yesterday, Miss O got her transfer papers.

And no, she’s not off to Manchester United for a record fee (although they should give it some serious consideration – she’s got one heck of a left kick and can throw herself dramatically to the ground with the best of them).

No, in a couple of weeks time she’ll be moving up to the big group in nursery; the group before pre-school, the ‘bloody hell when did she stop being a baba?!’ group. And even though I knew it was coming, I’ve been really emotional about it (or ‘grumpy and ridiculous’ if you favour my husband’s take on it…)

I’m anxious. Which is silly I know, because there’s so much she’ll like about it once she’s settled in – being able to run out into the garden whenever she likes, reuniting with her cousin, who moved up a few months ago, the music classes (good luck ladies, my ears are still ringing from the tambourine overhead smash she dished out at Rhyme Time on Monday). But it’s SUCH a big change for her, and knowing how much she is going to miss her key worker, Miss A, makes my heart hurt a bit.

It’s a really big deal handing your baby over to someone else for the day. The first time I dropped her off, I went back to the car and cried my eyes out. But she and Miss A have such an amazing bond – if we come across a photo of the two of them on my phone, her face lights up and she covers the screen with kisses. When I go to collect her in the evening and peek through the window (it’s soooo strange catching a glimpse of this whole other world of hers that I’m not a part of) I can see her giggling away as she plays with her, or babbling excitedly about a toy she’s discovered, and I know that she’s OK there without me.

More than OK actually; I’m always mystified by what they manage to get her to do there! Whilst I was tearing my hair out about her absolute refusal to even try cows milk long after her first birthday, it turned out that she’d been downing the stuff with abandon at nursery for a fortnight! Last week, I completely caved after yet another dinnertime stalemate and she settled down with a Paw Patrol lolly and a bag of grated cheese… the following day at nursery she demolished an entire portion of Chicken Conchiglie Alfredo – I don’t even know what that is!!!

Anyway, whilst I know that Miss O is just one of many who will pass through those doors during Miss A’s career, to me, she will always be the first person outside of the family that my little girl loved; someone who helped her to discover that meeting new people and toddling into the unknown could be a great adventure. And that’s pretty special.

Blimey, she’s only going down the corridor; I’m going to be a flippin’ wreck when she starts school!

I better go and start calculating just how many bottles of wine will adequately express my thanks / embarrassment about all those biting-related incident letters she’s had to fill out on Miss O’s behalf this year…