At Least He’s Normal and My Feelings are Natural

This weeks has been particularly frustrating when it comes to Baby Brother and he sleep habits and crankiness. One day he was awake for 6 hours straight. I could have killed the kid. A few nights this week, Dad has come home and I have just handed the little guy off saying “I’m done.” This prompted Dad to pull out our favorite baby book from the bookshelf for a little help on the subject.

“Many parents find this time particularly frustrating, since many babies reach a peak of fussiness and wakefullness at about six weeks. Your baby may irritate you and exhaust you. He may give up napping all together, and to make matters worse, when awake, he may appear to me grumbling all day. You may feel battered at the end of each day; you may be at your wits’ end. This too is natural…”

Hallelujah. At least he’s normal. And I’m not the only parent that has ever been annoyed with their “bundle of joy.”

The book goes on to say that as the baby’s nervous system matures, things will start settling down. I think I remember this same thing with the first two kids. My, how easily I forget. (I also forgot about the whole growth spurt thing at 3 weeks and I was like “Why am I nursing all day! I can’t live like this!”).

I have to keep reminding myself that each day (good or bad) is not setting the pattern for the rest of my life – or even for the rest of the week.