Another Difficult Monday
Well Monday was another blow to my fatherhood self-esteem. Hallie went off to choir and 10 minutes later Jonah busted into some blood curdling screams. So I busted into action and checked all of the things that I have learned so far. Diaper, bored, clothing, cold, hot, hungry, too noisy, too quiet, rocking, jiggling, bouncing, swaying, Neglect-O-Matic...
He went on for an hour and 40 minutes and I thought I was going to lose my mind. He became so distraught that all that crying worked him into a serious frenzy of flailing arms and even a hot and clammy head. That's when I called Hallie and left one of the most pathetic messages of my life.
The most pathetic message being the time I called my dad from college bawling about my first girl friend cheating on me with her english TA. My dad rushed to my aid at 2 in the morning and brought me home. I spent the next 4 days at home with a broken heart and some good home cooked food.
I wish Hallie had saved the message because I would definitely have posted it for you to listen and laugh. It went something like this:
Babe? Babe. WAAAAAAAAAH. You have to come home if you get this babe. He is going crazy and WAAAAAAAAAH nothing I have done works. WAAAAAAH. Babe...please. WAAAAAH.. etc. etc.
So I stepped outside to hear the sound of 15th ave traffic and get some fresh air and he stops crying instantly. We wait outside a few more minutes for him to enjoy the break from crying and me to get my emotional strength up. 5 minutes pass.
We go inside and close the door and he busts out crying again. So I put him in the carrier and go for the second big walk of the day and 30 seconds into the walk he falls asleep.
I try to call Hallie to let her know that I got him to be quiet and that she doesn't have to come home but too late. I see a car. Our car, speeding up 15th ave at about twice the legal speed limit (shame on you Hallie). Hallie to the rescue.
I hand off a sleepy Jonah to Hallie and her "Ultimate Pacifier" and he slowly wakes, as if from a dream, opens his eyes and gives the biggest smile. Then when Hallie's attention is completely focused on him, he turns a bit to me, smirks not smiles, and flails one hand and flips me off. Well maybe it was just more limb control issues and completely random but the smirk he gave me was definitely there.
So, I don't feel quite the failure as last Monday but I definitely have a long way to go.
He went on for an hour and 40 minutes and I thought I was going to lose my mind. He became so distraught that all that crying worked him into a serious frenzy of flailing arms and even a hot and clammy head. That's when I called Hallie and left one of the most pathetic messages of my life.
The most pathetic message being the time I called my dad from college bawling about my first girl friend cheating on me with her english TA. My dad rushed to my aid at 2 in the morning and brought me home. I spent the next 4 days at home with a broken heart and some good home cooked food.
I wish Hallie had saved the message because I would definitely have posted it for you to listen and laugh. It went something like this:
Babe? Babe. WAAAAAAAAAH. You have to come home if you get this babe. He is going crazy and WAAAAAAAAAH nothing I have done works. WAAAAAAH. Babe...please. WAAAAAH.. etc. etc.
So I stepped outside to hear the sound of 15th ave traffic and get some fresh air and he stops crying instantly. We wait outside a few more minutes for him to enjoy the break from crying and me to get my emotional strength up. 5 minutes pass.
We go inside and close the door and he busts out crying again. So I put him in the carrier and go for the second big walk of the day and 30 seconds into the walk he falls asleep.
I try to call Hallie to let her know that I got him to be quiet and that she doesn't have to come home but too late. I see a car. Our car, speeding up 15th ave at about twice the legal speed limit (shame on you Hallie). Hallie to the rescue.
I hand off a sleepy Jonah to Hallie and her "Ultimate Pacifier" and he slowly wakes, as if from a dream, opens his eyes and gives the biggest smile. Then when Hallie's attention is completely focused on him, he turns a bit to me, smirks not smiles, and flails one hand and flips me off. Well maybe it was just more limb control issues and completely random but the smirk he gave me was definitely there.
So, I don't feel quite the failure as last Monday but I definitely have a long way to go.
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