Tuesday, January 29, 2008

all hail the queen

now there may be a small faction of viewers out there who are tired of hearing me go on about my daughter, but i can’t help it folks, she rocks my world. watching her become a person is the most fascinating and wonderful thing i’ve ever done: it must be shared.

along those lines, i think that maybe summer has received some bad press. i read the other day that the average baby cries one to four hours a day, and i just want to go on record as saying that—assuming we do not travel in the car—summer cries for well under 30 minutes a day.

one might be tempted to say “what a good baby!” HOWEVER, even though i hate to toot my own horn (me??), a truer statement may be “what a good mommy!” as keeping the screams at bay requires constant vigilance on my part (the correct term for her particular temperament is “high maintenance”).

nearly every effort i expend all day is in the sense of “how can i keep her from crying?” left in the arms of another, she would probably cry all day (just ask bryan). i will say this, though, for summer’s contribution: she has never been inconsolable. she never cries for no apparent reason. thus, from experience (we do spend an inordinate amount of time together), i can coax the sobs and screams to an end—and rather quickly at that.

but what about those 15-20 minutes a day of wailing? those are the times when i try to assert my position as group leader. when i unwisely attempt to impose my will upon hers, and my noncompliance is punished forthright: “insolent fool!” then we both end up saying things we don’t mean, kicking, screaming, storming off angry, pouting…only to rush into one another’s arms minutes later and kiss and make up, professing our undying love.

for the majority, summer is a very happy baby: she loves to smile and laugh and talk and play. she is so smart and strong and funny. she very much enjoys socializing with others, and she wants to see the world. but heed my warning: she wants to see it on her own terms. and she must be obeyed.

summer baby is nothing if not a force to be reckoned with.


2 comments:

Susanne said...

"a force to be reckoned with"...just like her mom! Summer sounds like pure joy.

Stephanie said...

Our baby has the same onesie. She wore it today in fact.