Wednesday, May 26, 2010

PURPLE crying...AHHHH!


I've been warned about the lack of sleep: Not so bad! 1-2 hours here and there add up to a manageable amount. Besides, i'm not exactly running a marathon, right? I've been warned about the long breast feeding sessions: Kaleb latched on from day 1 and has it down to a science! 15-20 minutes of hard suckling and he rolls over like a drunk on a bottle, milk dribbling down the side of his mouth and all. I've been warned about the incessant diaper changes: Yes, i've been sprayed with both pee and poop and i find it to be just about hilarious every single time...the boy's got great aim! One thing i was never warned about, but which has turned out to be the most shocking to my new motherly system is the CRYIIIIIING. Kaleb is and has been an absolute ANGEL ever since he was born. He just stares at you with those deeply soulful little eyes and melts your whole world away. "Precious" and "sweet" do not even begin to describe his demeanor. Sure he whimpered, maybe even boo-hooed a little, when he was hungry, but that was it. As of the past couple of days i think he has cried more than he has in his whole entire life--LITERALLY!
Last night i hit a wall. I hadn't eaten in about 7 hours, Kaleb was crying even though he had just eaten minutes prior, his diaper was dry, had been sleeping off and on throughout the day, and Trav had just gotten home with our (hot) dinner. Why wouldn't he stop crying?!?! My normal soothing methods wouldn't work. Trying to rock him to sleep seemed to make him even more upset; so did trying to give him more to eat. Getting frustrated only seemed to upset me even more (look at that face...how could I be anything but completely enamored?!). Maybe i should've accepted Trav's request to take him but if i couldn't do anything to calm him down i knew he couldn't! I instead accepted that glass of wine he offered and Kaleb and I both sat there, he in my arms, crying together, eventually soothing each other to sleep.
There had to be an explanation for why my perfect angel just randomly started screaming his lungs out. I looked at the pamphlet of PURPLE crying that went along with the video they gave us when they released him from the hospital. PURPLE stands for: Peak of crying (usually around the 2 month mark) Unexpected, Resists soothing, Pain-like face, Long-lasting, Evening. Kaleb's crying fit the descriptions to a T. What a relief and a shame at the same time. So there's nothing wrong with my angel... but that face! I can't bear it! It's times like these when i long for my mother or grandmother or cousin's house to be around the corner so i can just go and vent and hand him off for a little while (and maybe even cry myself). Time to look up plane tickets! Parenting is not, in fact, as easy a job as it looks on the surface...they never warn you about the heartache! WHERE'S MY VILLAGE???

1 comment:

  1. As david & I sit here and read your blog, we both laughed at your quandary of motherhood; then I began to cry as I read the end only wishing I was around the corner to soothe you. I can't wait to see you....and help take care of little KC, if even only for 10 days. Luv ya!

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