The Rookie Mama

We had a great routine going! Her naps and sleep cycles were predictable, she mowed down food like a champ, and she loved every second of bath time. Then it all changed.  She must be teething.  Maybe she's under the weather? We probably did too much today; she's overstimulated.  Perhaps we didn't do enough today; she's under stimulated.  Too long of a nap. No, too short of a nap.  Or maybe, just maybe... SHE'S A BABY.  We're on the cusp of our panda becoming a toddler - when we stop counting months (eleven! What?!) and start counting years. And yet, we still play the guessing game. We'd love to have a reason for her crappy sleep and disgruntled mornings. For the whining and whimpering and out-and-out tears that we had rarely seen before. After an entire night of the little one needing parental soothing every three hours, I begged for a full set of teeth in that tiny mouth just to give me a reason for the madness. Alas, this was not t...

You rock her. Sway and shush, but to no avail. You wear a track into your living room carpet, and jog up and down the stairs with her but no...the shrieking, the wailing continues. So you strap her into her carseat, hop in the Nissan, and go for a late night spin around town. The cries turn to whimpers turn to sighs turn to silence. Ahhhh... Then you walk in the front door, set her down as gently as possible, and your husband sneezes. WAAAHHH! There are rough times. And the instances of unrelenting crying make up a large portion of those times. As we've gotten into more of a routine, and I feel more competent and relaxed with day-to-day baby care, it's these moments of gut-wrenching, ear-splitting crying that continue to grind my gears. That, like nothing else, will shorten my temper and bring me to the brink of my own frustrated tears. Rookie mamas like me, please know: there will be times when your beautiful little babe cries for minutes or hours on end and there is ...