Entertaining Baby
Baby Bug has had a serious case of the Don’t-Put-Me-Downs lately. Or maybe this is just what two months old do. The second I start to drop my arms toward her crib or the changing pad or her blanket on the floor, she crinkles up her face and starts making the most awful crying face ever. This face is purely silent but the emotion on her face speaks volumes. She tweaks her face muscles like she’s going to let out the mother of all screams but by the time any sound actually comes out it’s more of a light grunting sound. It’s actually very anti-climatic but still very effective for her mom who is paying attention to every little eyebrow wrinkle. It’s so sad. I hate to see her get so upset. So of course I pick her up and then the cry face immediately disappears and turns back into happy baby coos.
She’s got me trained.
Yesterday it got so bad she’d start her “I’m-so-upset” face the second I walked into her room. So we walked around the living room until I thought I’d wear a path in the carpet. I turned on the stereo and we danced a little. She didn’t seem that enthralled with the dancing but anything was better than being put down. At least it kept me from going insane. There are only so many things you can do while holding a baby to your chest until your arms feel like they are going to fall off and then some more after that.
The sling is wonderful but it is murder on my back after a while. I put up with it though because the rewards of having two arms free far outweigh a little compression of the spine. I try and not put her in it too much though because it is the instant-sleep-machine and I feel bad when she spends the whole day asleep. I always worry that she’ll spend the whole night awake if she sleeps all day. So far my worries have been for nothing, thankfully. She magically falls asleep at seven-oh-one no matter what her day has been like.
Of course when Toby is around, it’s heaven for me. I get to stand around and take pictures and hover in case the crying commences. Toby has already started all kinds of games with Baby Bug. Her current favorite is “grabby hands”. She gets so excited when she can coordinate her fingers to grasp onto Toby’s hand and then she can squeeze with such surprising strength that Toby will make all kinds of funny Daddy faces at her. It’s great. These moments do my heart good and my tired arms even more good.
As you can see, we think up all kinds of ways to entertain Baby Bug. They all work for about a minute. Then it’s back to holding holding holding. Baby Bug loves to be held, especially over the shoulder like a sack of potatoes. I am going to be one strong supermom. I could probably beat you in an arm wrestling match.
I thought I’d introduce Baby Bug to the wonder of Teletubbies. Anything to give my arms a rest. Then I thought it would be super fun to take a picture of Baby Bug on my laptop as if she’s “checking my blog for comments” or something. But she’s still new at the tummy-time-holding-her-head-up business and she fell and hit her lip on the edge of my laptop. Oh the crying! Her cry of pain is so distinctively different from any of her other cries that it immediately rips my heart out and stomps on it for being such a bad mother. How could I let her get hurt like that?!! I felt so bad. And then Toby had to go and make me feel worse by accusing me of treating our daughter like a circus animal. What are you bored all day or something? he asks. Well, yeah. You kinda go insane after awhile when you have a baby with a bad case of the Don’t-Put-Me-Downs.
In other news: Today my friend Susan is driving in from Bakersfield and we are going to do all sorts of fun things! I’m so excited. She’s mentioned a pedicure and she has a car that she can drive me around town in. I have so many errands to run, my mind whirls at all the possibilities. She’s even offered to help me retrain Baby Bug to take a bottle! Fantastic! Especially since nothing else is working. She also said something about baby sitting and kicking Toby and I out of the house so we can go out to dinner. Ha! Fat Chance of pulling that off. She can try but I don’t think that’s going to happen. Not because Baby Bug won’t be okay with a sitter but more because I have a workaholic husband who’s allergic to eating out.
We’ll see what happens.
15 Comments
Leah
She’s getting cuter every day.
BeachMama
oooh getting out with a friend!! How exciting. It would be great if you guys had a night out too, but I know it is hard, sometimes just having a friend to keep you company or trade off holding Baby will make the world of difference :)
Lu
the fact you can use a sling is amazing to me. I could never use those things after havign my kids.
and she does have you trained. resist! YOU are the mother!!
ms. sizzle
she is really just the cutest!
Rachel
I watch my niece who is the same age as your daughter. All I can think of when I see the picture of her with your laptop is how are you going ot clean spit up out from between the keys?!!!
Jessie
You have one of those “won’t eat out” husbands too? My husband swears it’s because he likes my food better than anything we can get at a restaurant, which is very sweet of course, but I think it’s a “tight with money” issue more than anything else. Of course I love eating out, so he has to give in sometimes. Have fun with your friend and I hope you and Toby do get a chance to get out alone together, even if it’s just for a long romantic stroll or some such activity. I’m sure you both could use it.
ginger incognito
Please tell me your friend convinced Toby to get out of the house with you. . . . I’ll bet you both could use some time alone without Baby Bug. That sounds horrible, but it’s a great thing. Of course, you’ll likely spend 95% of the time talking about Baby Bug.
Texas T-bone
Baby’s are so needy! Geeze, order your own pizza. :-)
Clownfish
I agree with all above, you two should have dinner. Pick a quiet little place and have some good eats alone. What’s an hour-hour and half? I promise Baby Bug won’t take her first steps while you’re gone. – Say Hi to Susan. – Sorry, my free babysitting doesn’t start until the post diaper stage.
Jamie
She is so adorable! I hope you got to spend a wonderful day with your friend and maybe dinner out? The first night we went out without daughter #1 she was 5 wks old and we just went up the road about a mile to a little Italian restaurant. We talked about her the entire time we were out and we even stopped at the mall because I “had” to get her new pjs. Yeah…right. ;) Hope Bug takes a bottle again. I had to “trick” my babe #2 into taking a bottle of breastmilk by putting on a Baby Einstein video and wearing one of my husband’s T-shirts to I didn’t smell like mommy aka Boob. It worked!
Keely
The husband and I loved the pics of Baby Bug on the laptop…so cute. I take pics of our Pug and Boston Terrier sitting at mine sometimes.
Yay for friends from Bakersfield! (we live in Bakersfield). Is your friend a blogger too?
SillyCrazyMe
She looks adorable! Way to go spy girl! :-D
Jordansmom
Yeah, it’s a 2-month-old thing…..it’s tough, but try to enjoy it. If she’s anything like my son, by 2 years old, she won’t want to be held (running is more fun!). It’s kind of a balance…give in to it when you can, but be firm when you need to (i.e. naptime/bedtimes). She is such a cutie!
NMGirl
Just de-lurking to say that I love your site. It sounds like you are a really great mom. Enjoy the R&R. You’ve certainly earned it. :)
Lorane
I read your blog often. Just wanted to leave a comment… Your baby girl is so precious. I have a baby girl that just turned one. The first year goes by so fast so treasure every moment (I know everyone already tells you this!). Two months is a tough time because they do want to be held constantly – even while napping. I used a swing during the day and this worked like a charm. I was able to get some stuff done and my little one was able to get some uninterrupted sleep. Now, I miss the holding and cuddling because that ends pretty quickly, too! Enjoy motherhood. It’s such a blessing.