When my baby cries, it's one of two things that are going on: a) something has happened and it needs to be fixed (ie., he dirtied his diaper and it needs changing, he's gotten hungry and needs to be fed, etc.) or b) he wants to be with me (regardless of whether or not he actually, truly needs me).
Well, yesterday was a rough day for me (for both of us, come to think of it). He didn't really nap well in the morning. When it was time for his second nap, all hell broke loose. Remember the other day I wrote about how he cannot, by no means whatsoever, stay awake for longer than 120 minutes? It was totally my fault. He was up a bit longer than he was capable of withstanding and he lost it when I put him down for his nap. He screamed and cried. The first 15-25 minutes I can handle. I can try to soothe him by "shushing" in a repetitive, soft, white-noise kinda way. I can try singing to him, adjusting the temperature of the room, circulating the air, play music, not play music, and if all else fails, I am good at walking away for a few minutes here and there. Once we hit the 30 minute mark, though, I realized this was going to be a long one. I caved. I picked him up and walked around with him. I put him back down and so it began again... All the windows and doors were open because it was blazing hot in our house and outside. I was sweating, the dog was barking, the baby was crying, and then I proceeded to cry, as well.
When it gets to that point--I'm done for. All negativity creeps into my head. I start to think things like, "Why can't I help him? What's wrong with me? I can't do this alone! What if people can hear him outside? They are going to think I'm not a good mom!" I called my husband at work and cried to him, "When are you coming home! He won't stop crying and he's been crying for an hour! I don't know what to do!" His response was, "Well, what's the problem?" Are you freakin' kidding me? Obviously I wouldn't be calling him for answers if I knew the answers, myself. Whatever. It's fine. All I really needed to do was take out my frustration on somebody else, anyway...not the baby. After I hung up on him (because, yes, I hung up on him after he asked me oh-so-casually, "what's the problem?"), he waited a few minutes and called me back. "All babies cry, Babe. Don't be so hard on yourself," he said in a very calm voice. And that was it. He was right and that's why I love my husband. He's not always right, but when he is, it leaves me speechless. It was that simple--I need to remember that ALL BABIES CRY!
I guess I just associate a baby crying with bad parenting. I don't mean to, nor do I honestly think that it's a reflection of how parents handle their children. Think about it, though--how many times have you heard a baby cry at a grocery store or on an airplane? A lot. And the expression on people's faces are always the same. It's that look of, "Ugh! Can't that mom shut that baby up!" It's sad, but true. Even at the movies, during the previews, an example is made of a baby crying and it being disruptive to the rest of the audience. For instance, the other day I was at a store and because my baby started crying, I almost ran a lady over with the stroller while trying to get out of there because people were looking at me funny. Nothing was wrong with my son--he was just over being in a freakin' craft store! I get it. Those stores can be overwhelming. I still felt super anxious, though.
So, when your baby cries, do you feel this way or is it just me?
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