After two years and four months with my compliant first-born, I had, I thought, certain understandings about babies. One of them was that when people want to hold the baby, that said baby would entertain those people in an adorable and engaging manner. Another expectation was that I would have ten minutes a day all for myself.
In the early 1990’s there was a TV show called Dinosaurs where the baby dinosaur was attached to his mother. His response to any other people was “Not the Momma.” Though we were still in the 80’s and the show debuted in the early 90’s, I am convinced that Susie was the prototype for the show. She had no time for other people, but she was a real cuddle bug with me.
I fell in love with her in spite of the lack of time alone. After she was crawling, I tried to get a solo stint in the “necessary” one night. I snuck out of the living room and tiptoed down the hall. I didn’t turn on the light or close the door. She missed me and began the trek down the hall and passed the bathroom saying “Mama, Mama………..” in time to the sound of her knees.
Sweet as she was in her devotion to me, it presented certain challenges. Her “fussy hour” coincided with time to cook dinner. I could nurse her until she fell asleep and before I could open a cookbook she was singing her “I’ve been abandoned” song. I tried putting her in the “Johnny Jump-up” over the doorway. The idea was that she could be able to see me. Except she was crying with her eyes shut.
One day I remembered the front carrying baby tote I had received when Bethy was a toddler. I looked at the gas range and the length of my arms and decided that if I was careful, I could bundle her into it while I made dinner. It worked! Susie slept and I knew she was fine. Bethy lost her worried look because Susie was not crying and Daddy came home to a peaceful house with dinner on the table.
And the summer and the winter were the fifth year…
I love coming here, especially in the Holiday Season. It’s always snowing!
Your stories of the trials and tribulations of raising your sweet children, not just raising them, but raising them in Lusitania, are always fresh and wonderful to read. Never stop writing.
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Thank you, Mr. Spencer. Walking down memory lane is a bitter-sweet experience. And I seem to find too many whatifs. You know. If I had done this, or that or hadn’t done the other…But overall I’m enjoying it.
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I used to watch that show as a child. Loved it! The children in my classroom often call me mom and follow me around like that, as well. Not to the necessary room, however. 😉
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Thanks God for small favors!
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It’s a shame no-one has realised the marketing potential of soundproof cages… 😉
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Ah well. She’s got one of her own now. 😀 My mother used to tell us that she hoped we got one just like ourselves. Apparently, one does not need to put the mother’s curse for it to come in any case. My beautiful granddaughter is very like her mother.
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Did you know the professor never crawled? I could only imagine taking care of two kids and trying to cook!
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I’ve heard of children like that. Mine took their sweet time getting to walk. Then there was sleeping.
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Does it take babies a long time to sleep lots?
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Now, you see, there is no easy answer. Middle daughter is the only one of mine who was difficult with sleep. She is also a highly sensitive person like her mother and we both can get easily overly stimulated to where we find it difficult to get right to sleep at night. My son was sleeping through the night from the time he was born.
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That, I’m told, is what I did. Just like your son.
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Aren’t you proud of yourself? 😀
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I know it’s funny, but yes!!!
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Aww, she’s your Mama’s Baby! My son was mine…and he, too, reminded me of Baby on “Dinosaurs”. It was a big difference between him and my Little Miss Independent daughter. LOL! ❤
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She still is in some ways. We have a special connection. Now she has a replicate of herself and I get to baby sit once a week.
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Aww, that’s so sweet! ❤
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Thank you! I love babies. Especially ones that I can hand off to their parents at days ends.
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LOL! I have officially entered that stage of life as well! 😀
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I love them all, mind you, but there are reasons why women my age don’t have babies.
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Yeah, I’m even ready to give up the occasional babysitting. It makes me glad I had my kids young, for sure.
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Awww. I was so touched by her connection to you! Love the jumper!
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I loved that connection, too. We still have it, it just manifests differently. I was blessed to be able to spend so much time with my children, and I LOVED them then and now.
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Oh, and I guess those 10 minutes….well, I guess you had to put those on hold! 🙂
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Indeed. Now I have Waaaaaaaaaaaaay to much time on my hands.
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