Why are some babies easy, while others aren’t?
With my high school friends. Renee is on the bottom right.
I recently wrote about attending the wedding of a high school friend. It was great to catch up with old friends, people I only see on special occasions such as this one. A few of my friends are married now, but only one has a child. Renee’s son, John Michael is 8 months old. We talked much of the cocktail hour about our babies.
Maeve and John Michael are close enough in age that we were able to compare the two babies. Now, I know every baby is different, deserving of an individual identity, but I’m sure you know what I mean when I say, some babies are just more difficult than others.
Renee and her husband were so excited to be out for the night with their son being cared for by relatives. Despite knowing that he was safe and loved, Renee could not relax and here’s why:
John Michael doesn’t take a bottle. Despite Renee’s efforts, he just won’t do it. As we spoke about our babies, she disclosed that even at 8 months of age he won’t even eat baby food. All he wants is his mommy! He plays with the food when it’s given to him, but doesn’t want to eat it.
The previous night was a terrible one for Renee, her husband, and John Michael. Their stay in a hotel room was disastrous. John Michael screamed all night in the hotel’s portable crib, encaged by wooden bars as he looked on at his parents wondering why they wouldn’t pick him up. I remember those days with my son Michael. Stressful, very stressful… and tiring. For the wedding, he was again in a foreign place with strangers, a recipe for complete disaster.
Sure enough, Renee received a call from her mom telling her that she needed to come home because John Michael was one unhappy baby without her. She and her husband left the wedding reception early, disgruntled yet sympathetic towards their baby’s needs. Charlie and I enjoyed the reception while Michael and Maeve were in good hands with a family friend. Maeve took two bottles, ate her cereal, and slept through the night. I’ve been in Renee’s shoes before. My Michael would have behaved much like John Michael.
One night, two babies, and two very different experiences.
Can you relate..to either experience?
I can definitely relate to both experiences. Nathan and Emily were great, easy babies. They slept wonderfully, were generally really happy, and were so easygoing. Joshua, on the other hand, barely survived the first six months of his life. He had one cry for everything, and it was loud and awful. Thankfully, he’s starting to settle down, but he had a really rough start. I can definitely sympathize with both you and Renee.