"Maybe Hungry"
When I was pregnant I kept reading about how a mother becomes so in tune with her baby that she quickly learns to interpret its cries.
Ummm, not so much.
Me, in the middle of the night: "What's wrong? Are you hungry? Did you soak your diaper? Do you have gas pains? Why are you crying?"
After Henry was born my twelve-year-old stepdaughter, who has Down syndrome, asked why he cried so much. We explained to her that babies can't talk so they cry to let us know that something is wrong. He could be hungry, wet, in pain, tired, or overstimulated. So now every time Henry cries Madeleine offers up a reason.
"Maybe hungry," she'll say.
"No, I just fed him half an hour ago," I'll tell her. "I'm not sure what's wrong with him."
As he continues to cry, with nothing I do working to soothe him, I'll hear her muttering under her breath as she walks away, "Maybe hungry."
The funny thing is she's often right. And I'm left to wonder...did Henry's cognitively disabled adolescent half-sister end up with my mama instincts?
Ummm, not so much.
Me, in the middle of the night: "What's wrong? Are you hungry? Did you soak your diaper? Do you have gas pains? Why are you crying?"
After Henry was born my twelve-year-old stepdaughter, who has Down syndrome, asked why he cried so much. We explained to her that babies can't talk so they cry to let us know that something is wrong. He could be hungry, wet, in pain, tired, or overstimulated. So now every time Henry cries Madeleine offers up a reason.
"Maybe hungry," she'll say.
"No, I just fed him half an hour ago," I'll tell her. "I'm not sure what's wrong with him."
As he continues to cry, with nothing I do working to soothe him, I'll hear her muttering under her breath as she walks away, "Maybe hungry."
The funny thing is she's often right. And I'm left to wonder...did Henry's cognitively disabled adolescent half-sister end up with my mama instincts?
posted by True Mama at
9:04 AM
1 Comments:
Hey New Mama...
I read your post on MDC about trying to afford a new king size bed, and I wanted to tell you that if you're within a decent distance of an IKEA you should definitely check it out.
I bought a brand new king size bed for $249. That was just for the mattress, but that's all we use anyway, we just put it on the floor. It's more expensive if you need a frame and all that good stuff.
Good luck.
By
Lisa C., at 9:23 AM
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