The Crying Checklist

It has come to my attention that I have grown as a parent. For the first several days of Eleanor’s life, I wanted to mitigate her crying at all costs. I didn’t even want to wait the couple of seconds to create a bottle while she cried. I’d like to think I’ve grown as a mother in five weeks. I now have some patience to hear her cry because I’ve discovered that crying may be beneficial.

Here is the list of remedies that has stopped Ellie’s crying

• She wants attention; just talk to her
• She’s wet; change her (Ellie is a bit of a princess about being wet – 0 tolerance)
• She wants a pacifier
• She wants a different pacifier
• Cover her feet or swaddle her because she’s cold
• Unwrap her a little because she’s sweaty up her back and neck
• She needs to burp or fart
• She wants to be held
• She’s hungry
• She’s in pain from gas
  – I have seen her arch her back or wiggle try to relieve her gas pain

I discovered the morning of Ellie’s day 30 that we have created a monster. It was silent in the house. Sara was upstairs, and I was downstairs with Ellie in her pod. It was silent because I was eating breakfast and not working yet. She started by cooing, then whining, then fussing, the yelping, then let out a cry. I went over and chatted with her, and the crying stopped. I took a bite and chewed it slowly. She started to fuss again. This baby needs noise! We were so concerned with raising a baby that couldn’t sleep through noise, that we created a baby that needed noise!

I know this is okay because Ellie is only a month old, but isn’t it funny how we are all the product of our choices regardless their best intentions? It all comes back around no matter what choices you make there are positive and negative consequences. If you haven’t read my realization of this, you can catch it in the Metrics of Mommyhood post from last week.

If I’ve missed any potential reasons for crying, comment below and I’ll add them to my rotation of “For the LOVE OF GOD I’ll try anything” list.