Sometimes my motherly instincts don't kick in fast enough. This past weekend was one of those times. We had a baby shower to attend immediately followed by my colleagues retirement party on Saturday. I knew I would be in trouble when my little
Sidekick got messed up with his nap schedule (he's always been a very scheduled baby and he messed it up himself). I was so excited to "show off" Sidekick at the retirement party because several people hadn't met him and a few hadn't seen him in a long time. I was even thinking that this party would allow me to have a bit a break because people would want to hold him, and I could enjoy an alcoholic beverage and some food.
When I was pregnant, I kept telling people that I "ordered" the perfect baby (they always laughed at me). After his was born, I was convinced that my order was correct because he really is a perfect baby. For some reason, my perfect baby disappeared at the retirement party! When we got to there, he was so crabby and upset and was literally inconsolable. I had no idea whose baby I brought, but I immediately wanted to do a "switch out". He is beginning to get shy around people, so I thought it was that, but when I couldn't even make him happy, I had no idea where my perfect baby was! I was embarrassed that my child was behaving that way (even though it didn't phase anyone at the party).
We left the party after about an hour and when I got home, I quickly put him in his PJs, gave him a bottle, and laid him in his crib, and he immediately began screaming. I was so frustrated that I couldn't do anything "right". I realized at that moment, I had lost control of my baby. I let him cry it out for a bit, all to no avail. I finally went to him and rocked him to sleep (which I've never done because unless he fell asleep while eating, I always put him in his crib awake). I realized that he is growing up so fast, so I just held him for a long time and savored his sweet smell and the warmth of his little body.
He woke up every hour on the hour for several hours. This made me crazy because he started sleeping eight hours straight when he was four weeks old (I know, lucky!), so I don't know what to do when he wakes up in the middle of the night. He got himself back to sleep all of the times but the last one when he was sitting up in his crib, sucking his two fingers, and crying. It broke my heart. I went to him and brought him into my bed (another thing I don't do) and just held him. On a side note, I don't know how people can let their kids sleep with them in the bed. I was so terrified that I would drift off to sleep and somehow something bad would happen to him.
I finally got him into a deep sleep, so I transferred him to his crib. When he woke up the next morning, I went into his room and was overcome by an awful stench! My sweet baby had the nastiest diaper ever. And so began our two days with some horrible stomach bug. Poor little guy was so miserable at the party because he was getting sick. I should know that because last time he wasn't himself, he was sick. Ugh! Why can't I remember stuff like that? Come on, Motherly Instincts, be more obvious!
As if having a sick little guy wasn't enough... he shared his lovely germs with me, so I had to take care of both of us for two days. I just wanted to lay on my sofa all by myself in misery. Instead, my little Sidekick's needs came first, which is the way it should be, but man, it's tough being a single momma when I am sick! (I'm making a mental note in my thick skull about this so that if/when my little Sidekick behaves unlike himself again, it might be because he is getting sick!)
We are on the road to recovery, and while his staple food has been Puffs because that is all he would eat, he must relearn that that is not the one of the necessary food groups in order to survive. He already fought me on that today when I begged him to eat some bananas! Stubborn little guy... must get that from the Donor... hahaha!
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