Now that I’ve returned to work full-time, I get to see my one-month old son in a nice long block from 6-10pm. It is therefore unfortunate that this is the time of day he reserves for his colicky meltdown. The moment I step in the door I am presented with an upset baby by my exhausted wife who’s been dealing with him all day, and until he finally wears himself out around 10, I deal with this kind of inexplicable behavior:
Is it upset stomach? No, since he’s not pulling up his knees as he does when his stomach hurts. Fatigue? Yes, he’s tired but will often erupt into full-on wailing after lying in his bed in a dark room for two minutes. Is his diaper wet? No. Is it too cold in the room? No. Did I—no. Wh—no. Every explanation, every logical cause-and-effect calculation has been run. When I attempt to understand the mind of an infant, I’m reduced to this:
Writer, architect, father, husband.
The nice thing with an infant is that they are changing so fast that most phases end pretty quickly or as a parent you work out the solution/routine that addresses the problem. Hard to accept when you are dealing with a fussy baby.
Yeah, what you said.
And there he is, looking like his big sister in his serene state.
Ah you are in the realm of “Go the F**k to Sleep”. Have you read the book?
http://www.amazon.com/Go-F-Sleep-Adam-Mansbach/dp/1617750255
Yes, I’ve read and listened to it, narrated by the lovely and furious Samuel L. Jackson. I have asked my son this question several times already but haven’t received any useful response.