Happy Birthday, Mr. P!
Today is Mr. Personality's 4th birthday. I wanted to avoid the old cliche of "it's all gone by soooo fast" but I'm going to be cheesy and say it anyway. If you like, and if you haven't read it before, I posted his birth story last year.
It seems like just yesterday we were dealing with his colicky self.
If you have never had a baby with colic, get down on your knees and say thank you right this second. Are you up? Ok.
This baby, who pulled a big switcheroo on us by developing his colic almost three weeks into his life, was all that both Hubba-hubba and I could handle. I used to joke that he really used those two weeks to his advantage, because that was just enough time to fall madly in love with him and not go back to the hospital, demanding an exchange. It is not an exaggeration to say that he screamed almost constantly when he was awake, often until two in the morning. Around midnight, desperate, we would get in the car and take an exhausted drive around the neighborhood, which only had a fifty-fifty chance of working.
He didn't like the swing, he didn't like the stoller, he didn't like his crib, feeding didn't calm him, he didn't like his bassinet, and sometimes even holding him wasn't enough to calm him. We tried everything all the books said and then became creative with a few things of our own, all futile. I carried him contstantly, which reduced the screaming to a bearable level, if such a thing was possible. I will be totally honest in saying those months were an absolute nightmare. I wondered why people had children at all, if this is how they acted. We rarely went anywhere but to family outings, afraid that we would disturb everyone else. We were stretched to almost the breaking point of stress and lack of sleep and concern that we were hurting our child, because the only time he would stop crying would be when we turned on the vacuum cleaner. I wish I could say that I was kidding, but I'm not.
Then, about five months later, the crying stopped and he became the alert, intelligent, and curious child that I have the pleasure of living with every day. I then thought, aha, this is why people have children. And he became the joy and light of my life, a child that never ceases to amaze me. Sometimes, he is so smart and perceptive that I am a teeny bit frightened, but that could be just me. I have already chosen the bat with which I will beat the girls off, because he is going to be one tall, dark, and handsome man, just like his Dad.
Now I am off to stuff the pinata that is Lightning McQueen (from the Disney movie Cars, for those of you unfamiliar with children's movies) for his big party tomorrow.
I can't wait, it's gonna be a blast.
It seems like just yesterday we were dealing with his colicky self.
If you have never had a baby with colic, get down on your knees and say thank you right this second. Are you up? Ok.
This baby, who pulled a big switcheroo on us by developing his colic almost three weeks into his life, was all that both Hubba-hubba and I could handle. I used to joke that he really used those two weeks to his advantage, because that was just enough time to fall madly in love with him and not go back to the hospital, demanding an exchange. It is not an exaggeration to say that he screamed almost constantly when he was awake, often until two in the morning. Around midnight, desperate, we would get in the car and take an exhausted drive around the neighborhood, which only had a fifty-fifty chance of working.
He didn't like the swing, he didn't like the stoller, he didn't like his crib, feeding didn't calm him, he didn't like his bassinet, and sometimes even holding him wasn't enough to calm him. We tried everything all the books said and then became creative with a few things of our own, all futile. I carried him contstantly, which reduced the screaming to a bearable level, if such a thing was possible. I will be totally honest in saying those months were an absolute nightmare. I wondered why people had children at all, if this is how they acted. We rarely went anywhere but to family outings, afraid that we would disturb everyone else. We were stretched to almost the breaking point of stress and lack of sleep and concern that we were hurting our child, because the only time he would stop crying would be when we turned on the vacuum cleaner. I wish I could say that I was kidding, but I'm not.
Then, about five months later, the crying stopped and he became the alert, intelligent, and curious child that I have the pleasure of living with every day. I then thought, aha, this is why people have children. And he became the joy and light of my life, a child that never ceases to amaze me. Sometimes, he is so smart and perceptive that I am a teeny bit frightened, but that could be just me. I have already chosen the bat with which I will beat the girls off, because he is going to be one tall, dark, and handsome man, just like his Dad.
Now I am off to stuff the pinata that is Lightning McQueen (from the Disney movie Cars, for those of you unfamiliar with children's movies) for his big party tomorrow.
I can't wait, it's gonna be a blast.
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