Come here. Closer. Lean in, I’m going to say this in a very soft whisper.
It’s true. This baby? She is…. easy.
She sleeps! A lot. Her cries? Not bad.
No signs of colic. None.
::KNOCKING ON ALL PIECES OF WOOD::
Oh, I really, really hate to blog about this. I’ve waited over 5 weeks to reveal this to you all, because I’ve been TERRIFIED of jinxing it. But I feel like I owe this much to you, especially those of you who were so traumatized by all the stories I told about Kendall, and ESPECIALLY for those of you who went through something similar with your first and are searching for a tiny glimmer of hope when it comes to the 2nd.
Of course, I can’t make any promises that your second will be such an angel. As much as people like to soothe parents of colicky, high needs first babies by telling them the 2nd will be a breeze, I know it doesn’t always work out that way (and for those parents, I sob for you into my fat glass of wine).
It might have to do with the name. Leyna means “little angel,” you know. After dealing with a baby with colic, I pulled out all the stops, including a wishful name. I’m not really sure what Kendall means (something about a bright valley?), but it should be something like “he who will REALLY challenge you and drive you to drink more.” Clearly I didn’t research it enough before we settled on it.
So, how easy is she?
Well, she only cries when she actually needs something, and I can usually diagnose what that is and stop her not-too-terribly-loud-cries within minutes.
She’s really nice to my boobies. She had a small adjustment phase in the beginning with her latch, but, unlike her brother, she hasn’t sucked off any chunks of flesh from my nipples. Breastfeeding stopped hurting after about two weeks this time, not two months. And she’s efficient. She gets on and gets to business. None of these 45 minute, sip and sleep marathon nursing sessions. (However, my letdown this time is CRAZY intense. It feel like I’m sprouting samurai swords from my nipples every time. Is it supposed to be worse the second time around?)
The very best part? She SLEEPS. Folks, for the last week straight, if not more, she has slept at least one solid 4 to (get this) SIX hour stretch each night. Then she’s up to eat and for a diaper change and back down for another 3ish hours. I can usually manage 7-9 hours of sleep with only 2-3 interruptions. I couldn’t get Kendall to sleep this well until he was 7 or 8 months old!
In fact, she’s slept 4 hour stretches since she came home from the hospital, we just had to wait a couple weeks until she cycled these from day time to night time, but the only time I’ve ever been up every 2 hours with her at night were the first 3-4 nights until my milk came in.
I’m not saying she’s maintenance free. I mean, let’s be real, it’s not like I gave birth to a ficus tree. She’s still pretty needy and demanding. She only wants to nap snuggled close to one of us or while being physically bounced by one of us. She cat naps a lot during the day and eats a lot during the day (I’m guessing because she sleeps so great at night). She’s had rough nights, like after I had buffalo wings for dinner. Epic sad face for no more buffalo wings while breastfeeding.
But, I think this experience is much more in line with what a “typical” newborn experience is. It’s just that it comes off as really easy in comparison to the hellish colic nightmare that was surviving the first few months of Kendall’s life.
And speaking of colic nightmares, I feel that I have some residual PTSD from it the first time around. There have been a few times Leyna’s been fussy and I begin having flashbacks. I get sweaty and start freaking out.
“OH MY GOD. IT’S COLIC. IT’S STARTING. GET THE GRIPE WATER. GET THE VACUUM CLEANER. GET THE WINE!!” I run around screaming before I fall into the fetal position and begin rocking.
But then we figure it out (and swear off broccoli, which isn’t nearly as sad as no more buffalo wings), and she gets better and the next day is fantastic.
I don’t really know if I can give her all the credit here, though. Sure, she’s a “little angel,” but I am also a much more confident mom in a much less stressful place in life than I was 5 weeks in last time around. Some of you may remember when Kendall was not even a month old I flew to Texas with him by myself, drove all over the state of Texas, found a house, flew back to Virginia and then we packed everything and moved ourselves down here 3 weeks later. Oh, and we had temporary custody of our 4 year old niece. It was a clusterfuck of stress with a colicky newborn thrown in the mix.
Plus, this time I’m much better at relaxing and listening to my instincts. From the beginning, I haven’t stressed about schedules or “rules.” I don’t feed her every 2 hours. I feed her when she’s hungry, whether thats 15 minutes from the last feeding or 5 hours. (I eventually began feeding Kendall on demand, but it took me a couple months to really know what his hunger cues were… and it took a couple months for my nipples to not retreat back into my chest every time he came at me to latch on.)
I don’t log all her dirty and wet diapers, I don’t obsess about how many ounces she’s eating. She’s pooping and peeing and filling out her clothes, and that’s all I need to know.
And I let the girl sleep where she wants to sleep. 99.9% of the time that’s either in her bouncy chair (set inside the co-sleeper next to the bed) or in bed with us… on her side. I don’t stress about making her sleep on her back in the crib or the co-sleeper. That’s not to say I let her sleep curled up in a ball in a pile of laundry and stuffed animals, we practice safe co-sleeping, but I’m not trying to force her to sleep in a cold, vast crib or Pack & Play. For US, it’s been the best choice. I also mastered side-lying breastfeeding from day one this time around and it has saved me MUCH sanity and plenty of sleep.
Now that I’ve shared all this with you, I’m sure she’ll wake tomorrow as challenging as her brother ever was. Hell, she’ll probably start teething next week as a result of this little bit of bragging. I’m so screwed, I know.
Kendall is 2 years 9 months and Leyna is 5.5 weeks
Available now: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
- 7Shares
54 comments
regarding the buffalo wings.. i had something spicy in the early months on breastfeeding and i could tell it affected my baby.. but now (hes 16 months old) he can take anything I eat, and has for a while..
so dont worry about spicy food.. it will be back on the menu in no time
My 1st daughter was a ball of sunshine, but highly sensitive and higher needs. She still is. I eould wake rocking her cries and she was hard to nap. Pisces
Second daughter was born grumpy. This firey Lro still is a mean, aggressive, boss baby. Screams vs cries, hits, pouts, crossed arms at one. But she slept a tad better and was on a military schedule on her own which was a life saver.
This 3rd surprise daughter is a Saggatrius. Sge is 7 weeks old today and I feel like the universe said ok give the dog a bone. She is easy, happy, laid back, only cries to tell me wet diaper or come on lets sleep mommy. I feel totally relieved.
Ah yes the easy babies. I had one of those. He was my first. I thought “no wonder people have 10 babies.” Then I had his brother. 6 months straight colic. There will be no third. So happy this one is an easy one for you. Enjoy.
you made me laugh today! thank you! my first, like yours, was a colicky one too. I LOL’d at your “get the gripe water!”. I can see myself doing the same thing with the next – due in August! Happy to hear that the second one is :sometimes: easier!
My daughter (baby #1) was a reflux-y nightmare that required me to wear a nipple shield for the first 4 months of her life and she didn’t sleep for more than 3 hours at a time until she was 14 months. My son (baby #2) slept for 5 hours the day he was born, latched like a dream and slept through the night within the first 2 months of his life.
Of course once he turned 9 months old that all went to hell but it was glorious while it lasted 😛
Enjoy your angel and all of the laidbackness that comes along with second time mom-hood!
“I’m not saying she’s maintenance free. I mean, let’s be real, it’s not like I gave birth to a ficus tree.”
That is my favorite line on the internet today.
She’s saving it all up for when she turns three. Trust me.
What TheNextMartha said. My 2nd, who will be 1 in a few weeks is still a big ball of crabbiness. She is making up for how easy #1 was.
First of all, she’s *absolutely* beautiful… so happy for you & your ::whispering:: easy baby.
Also, I’m on baby #2 (he’s 3 months) and my letdown is crazy painful this go-around too. Never had this problem last time!
By leaving this comment, I risk being hated by you and all mothers who have or have had a super fussy newborn. But?
I only have child. And he was a fucking happy camper from Day ONE. He slept like an adult, day in and day out, much like Leyna. 4-6 hours of sleep between feedings? Easy. Whimper a little? Side-lying momma’s tit in mouth and lo and behold! Silent, blissful sucking ensues. I change nappies once a night and feed on demand twice a night. I clock it a full 8 hours of sleep every night, waking up once in between to feed. I sleep at midnight, wake up at 4am, sleep again and wake up when the sun is up when he starts to whimper and asks to be fed. The hospital nurses told me to feed every 2 hours and for the first 3 days I set my alarm clock so I don’t miss it but he lay there so peacefully that I didn’t have the heart to disturb him. After a while, I realized that if he wanted it he would let me know – and he did. I never blogged about this or told Twitter because every other mom I knew was crying and pulling their hair out from stress. I was terrified. But Jaeden was awesome. And now that there’s one other mom in bloggyverse who can attest that this is possible? I think it’s safe to put it out there.
Congratulations! I hope we don’t jinx it. *high five Leyna!*
I found the second the biggest adjustment when they began to be mobile- but up until then- the best experience ever. Honestly with each one you become more of a pro. I think relaxed is typically better than scheduled. But having two was tougher than three when my 2nd reached about 9 months. But it had many benefits of watching the kiddos start to become best friends too:)
This! Fletcher wasn’t colicky but he was a terrible baby. I cried, a lot.
Everett slept great from Day 1. Naps suck, but I am thankful for that long stretch and the 2 hour intervals after. I could have written much of this myself.
Enjoy your easy one!
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Jill Krause, Jill Krause. Jill Krause said: New blog post: The Rumors Are True. I Have An “Easy” Baby. https://www.babyrabies.com/2011/02/03/the-rumors-are-true-i-have-an-easy-baby/ […]
My first and only baby was a very easy baby. He slept like a pro, ate like a champ, and cried so rarely. I never came out of the easy baby closet because I was afraid that 1) I’d jinx it, and 2) Everyone would hate me.
Way to let your easy baby freak flag fly.
Also? I’d love to have another baby, but I’m terrified that I’d get the colicky mess this time. You can’t strike oil twice, can you?
“Well, she only cries when she actually needs something, and I can usually diagnose what that is and stop her not-too-terribly-loud-cries within minutes.” This! This is exactly how Sebastian was, and it’s only changed as he’s teething and fussy now at four months. I’m a first-time mom but even I know that he’s an easy baby.
I don’t even know how you do it – I am looking forward to posts on dealing with two children and getting anything else done.
I have also been scared to admit that I have an easy baby. I remember looking at my husband one morning and saying “I think this whole newborn thing is supposed to be harder than this…” She’s been an absolute dream from day one, and while yes we’ve had a few fussy days here and there, for the most part it’s been smooth sailing.
So now I’m terrified to try for #2. haha because there is no way j can get this lucky twice!
I’m so glad Leyna has been an easy baby for you! She is absolutely beautiful!
I have the easy first baby and feel like I’m the one who still can’t admit how easy we had it. She slept 8 hours straight for the first time when she was 4 weeks old. The Soothie pacifier is the greatest invention in the world; it saved us when we knew she wasn’t hungry but just wanted something to suck on. And it still is pretty easy to keep her happy now that she’s 19 months old, although she’s realized that tantrums are fun and get a rise out of us! I worry about having a second one because our first is so easy and mellow (she’s been sleeping for 12 hours straight for over a year now). I really, really worry. I was a horrible, horrible colicky baby, which is why I’m an only child, and I know my mom was expecting payback big time.
But anyway, all that to say, that I’m glad you have such a sweet, beautiful little girl. I’m sure that helps with the toddler tantrums Mr. Kendall has been pulling lately.
Can I just copy paste this over to my blog? Because the universe MUST feel bad for us about the horrible first (boy) children by sending us these angels. Caroline is the same way.
Oh, but I’ll have to change the part about how she only likes to sleep near you during the day – Caroline sleep great literally anywhere. I have to make a conscious effort to spend time holding her when we’re not nursing.
Hmmmm, well, it’s official. I now hate you.
My first was the easy breezy baby. My second, yeah, not so much.
I knew it was going to be like this. I knew it from the time I found out I was having a second baby. The universe is NEVER that kind.
So you just enjoy your sleep for the both of us. Lord knows I haven’t slept in 9 months.
You can just go ahead & label this post “HOPE.”
please, please, please let my second be a “better” newborn.
It’s crazy, my 2nd son just turned 16 weeks and I’ve has such a similar experience. My first son was a colicky, didn’t gain weight or nurse well, never slept, spit up tons and just seemed difficult. This one is a dream and while I think some of it is a reflection of lower stress about everything, he’s also just a different baby – nurses well and efficiently, has gained weight great, loves to sleep, hardly spits up and always seems to be smiling! I’m loving side lying nursing and have confidence in my mothering this time around. I’m glad we are both getting to have a pleasant newborn experience!
You lucky dog, you! Jude was a super easy first baby (he STTN early and then stopped and never returned – bah!) Anyway.. Noel is definitely more “high needs” but things are becoming ok now 5+ months later.
Going from a regular old gal to a mama of one was a piece of cake for me. Going from one to two was much more challenging than I anticipated. Now I feel like it’s controlled chaos daily and I’d be cool with throwing 1, 2, or 19 kids in the mix and it’s be the same level of semi-crazy!
Bless Leyna’s little heart. So glad she’s such a easygoing little gal!
I have to say, colic traumatized my husband. We would probably be expecting again now if it weren’t for colic. DD slept at least one five our stretch each night, but then would be awake all.day.long. Would not take a pacifier, but insisted on being latched on to me instead. Hospitalization for dehydration from a virus, hospitalization for RSV, and two sets of tubes before 18 months. Multiple Allergies requiring us to get rid of our dog ( just when DH was looking to get a hunting dog), asthma and nebulizers. Yeah! Life is good now. I am hoping to have an easier second baby. As you said, mommy is calmer with a little bit of experience.
Thanks for HOPE!
Not to jinx you but I had one of those easy babies too. He started sleeping 12 hour stretches (yup twelve, 6pm-6am) with no wake up’s at around 12 weeks. That lasted until 6 months. Then he decided that sleep is for suckers. Now we have to sleep in his room on a floor bed with him. Because heaven forbid we put him in our bed, he just thrashes around all night. I miss the days where he used to sleep. I would kill for a 6 hour stretch these days. And he is now almost 11 months old )-:
Duuuude, I know! Paige is on a similar schedule at night. In fact, the past two nights she’s slept for twelve hours with only getting up once.
Gotta love 2nd babies! My O is the same- he only cat naps during the day either in my arms or in the car, but at night we have glorious, sob-free, quick nursing sessions, minimal interruption sleep!
Glad to hear that she is such an easy baby! My son has been a dream since he was born and I keep wondering what the next one will be like. Pray for me.
She is so beautiful she takes my breath away. I could look at those pictures all night.
My easy baby has grown into an easy toddler and she turns 3 just before Kendall. We called her the Zen Baby. And laughingly attributed it to good parenting, but only around our parents because we knew everyone else would kill us. We lucked out.
So glad to hear she’s living up to her name…she certainly looks like a little angel. She’s really gorgeous!
Enjoy the winter weather! Austin is supposed to get a teeny tiny touch of snow, and I’m already plotting out the many layers of clothes we’re going to wear to play in it tomorrow!
My first was an “easy” baby. I fear what may happen with my second child. Two more weeks!
I, too, had – have – an easy baby. And he’s my first. I’m so, so screwed if we have a difficult baby next time. I’m so unprepared for it. I’m also unprepared for toddlerhood, which is fast approaching. I can hear it in his whines…in his cries that have turned into screaming fits. And he’s not even 11 months old yet. :-/
Our little Vivi was the best little sleeper, eater, breast feeding was a breeze, everything was great until now (at 22 months). She is CRAZY! She climbs everything and gets into anything she can grab. I can’t count how many bumps she has. The good news is she doesn’t cry long when she does it. Bumps her head, cries for a minute and then goes on. Usually repeating this cycle again. I would say she is following her 4 year old brother, but he’s pretty cautious. Anyway, enjoy it now. She’s going to WEAR YOU OUT if she’s anything like this little nut. She is cute though which helps her get out of a lot of trouble. You’re daughter is ADORABLE! Love the picture of her smiling – already!
That’s awesome!! You have an angel baby too! I swear you have a good baby because you’re a good mother; no obsessing, no freaking out, you know what a baby needs and wants and are accustomed to sleep deprivation, so it isn’t as scary! Isn’t it nice?! I swear it gets easier!! Keep power feeding in the evening and she will sleep even longer!! She’s beautiful and you’re so lucky to be able to dress her like a doll!
This is like, my EXACT experience with my two boys, right down to the colic “PTSD!” So funny!
Congrats on the easy baby! I hesitate to say (especially since we’re TTC now), but I have had THREE easy babies! in a row! all of them! Though I did suffer PPD with one of them.
I.Am.So.Screwed. #2 due in June. #1 a week older than Kendall. #1 was an “angel baby”, so I figure #2 ought to be payback. In the mean time, #1, will probably act exactly like Kendall once she figures out it’s not all about her anymore. So, I’ll have toddler who needs a straitjacket and newborn with colic.
I should probably just buy wine by the case now.
She’s such a cutie! Just FYI, my 2nd one has been a breeze too. I almost get a full night sleep with them both and we are all so happy. He’s been such an easy baby I’m so grateful for him.
Keep at it! And knock on some more wood! LOL
So. Friggin’. AWESOME!! Ha, there is hope! The ficus tree made me laugh. The listiening to your instincts part made me swoon. I’m happy for you and hopeful for me. And I understand the PTSD – a lot of mamas with colicky babies will feel the same! Whenever I feel like ‘wow, will it ever get any easier’ I remind myself Amber’s a hard-ass, demanding teacher – preparing us for anything. Hopefully our second will be a little angel too!
My son was a really easy baby too, but he’s become a difficult 2nd grader! Since he was my first born I didn’t fully appreciate how easy he was. My second baby was also pretty good, but not as easy as my son. That’s when I realized how good I had it!
I SO relate to what you’re saying!! My first was a more high-maintenance baby and I was neurotic as hell and had PTSD & PPD from the birth. Bad combo all around. My second was practically a ficus! I was more zen and he’s so laidback.
YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Excuse all the exclamation points but this is GREAT news. For you, of course, but also for ME…this means there is hope that Baby #2 will sleep. And my boobies may not hurt and make me cry every single time I nurse for the first two months. Whis was a lot because my son nursed every freaking hour for the first three months of his life. And I may not lose a bunch of weight in the first three months because the baby will ONLY stop crying if I am walking around bouncing him non-stop 24/7 (you think that’s a good thing but it sucked, I don’t think I sat down for three months). You have given me hope. THANK YOU.
That does sound like a little angel baby. Luckily our infant days we’re pretty easy. It wasn’t until we hit 1 that things went doooooown hill & have been rolling fast ever sense…But I guess with a name like Phoenix what did I expect?
I think it is easier to go from COLIC baby to EASY baby, rather than vice versa. Our first born blew our socks off with his crying and his extreme fussiness. I’d cry looking at all the other mamas with their babies. We were so different. I was constantly doing the jiggle and he needed a lot a lot of work to soothe. His babyhood scared us so much that we have only recently been able to even talk about a baby#2…and our first is 2.5 years old. Your situation is the one we are hoping for. So scared that we might get another high needs baby. I hope that your story will be our story, and baby #2 will be like your girl!!
I also had a “colicky high maintenance” baby and I can really relate. He is now 15 months old, but I am still traumatized to even think of having another. Your post gave me a glimmer of hope!!
Soo jealous! I somehow managed to get two babies with colic. Boo. Before my second was born I thought there was no way that she would be as high maintenance as my first, oh how wrong I was! I think we are almost through the worst of it but it’s been enough for us to decide that two IS enough!
Anyway, good for you, you lucky lady!
ooo… yay! good news. can’t wait for another baby. hoping for so much different the next time around. love hearing about how you’ve relaxed as a mom. that is encouraging. 🙂
My son was a very difficult baby, his non sleeping went till he was 15 months old. It was a total nightmare and we are so afraid to have another child. Everytime I think about our life at that time I want to drink. It was literally a nightmare and I don’t think anyone ever quite gets what I am talking about unless they have been there.
Our son would go days without sleep, crying fits, nothing would sooth him. Oh my god, I’d dance around the house for hours singing the Hokey Pokey. I’d try anything, I was so desperate. Of course nothing worked.
Consider this my “The-Heartburn-Is-So-Bad-EVEN-THOUGH-I-Took-Prescription-Strength-Pepcid-That-I’m-Laying-Awake-In-The-Middle-Of-The-Night-Reading-Old-Posts” comment….
I have NO idea what I’m in for with #3. Jonas (#1) was my super, DUPER, easy baby. That boy slept straight through the night (8 full hours) when he was 6 weeks old. When he’d wake up, he’d just lay there content and look around until one of us noticed he was awake and went to get him. He almost never cried – and I seriously had no idea what I was doing. We just got really, REALLY, really lucky. Thank GAWD because I was recovering from surgery and had to go back to work 5.5 weeks postpartum. He NEEDED to be easy.
Then, Julesy came along and ruined everything I thought I knew about children. That kid didn’t sleep through the night until he was over a year old. Even at 3, he still sleeps HOURS less than his older brother. He’s always the last to fall asleep and the first one up at the crack of dawn. And his tantrums are so epic that I’m afraid he’s going to seriously hurt himself. I think I was punished for Jonas being so easy in the beginning. Of course, now that Jonas is 4, he’s not “easy” anymore either.
I need Jolene to be a ficus. Seriously.
Hi there! Found you via a mention on Harper’s Happenings. Just wanted to say that my son’s first few months were a real nightmare too, and this post is encouraging to me in a way nothing anybody else has said to me has been.
I know this is a really old post (in blog years), but I had to say something. My first child was a nightmare for her first year (it started getting better after that). Colicky, undiagnosed dairy allergy, hyper-sensitive, tongue-tied (my poor nipples), comfort nurser to the extreme (45 minute session? she’s just getting started!), “high needs” in every sense of the phrase, absolutely no sense of daily rhythms, and a wretched sleeper. It was awful. I seriously almost burst into tears when you described some of what you went through with Kendall. PTSD? Yeah.
We almost didn’t have a second child because of that, but we eventually decided to. She was 2 yrs and 8 months when he was born. This second baby has a dairy allergy, too, but we recognized it right off. He has been a breeze compared to her! As you said, I’m pretty sure this is more of a normal baby experience. He cries when he needs something, SLEEPS, and when he eats he gets his business done and is done. His first 6 weeks or so I kept freaking out that he had died when he slept because he would sleep 2-3 hrs at a time.
We’ve had a few moments where his crying got to the point where it gave me flashbacks to horrible nights with our daughter, but after 11 weeks with him I’m understanding why people actually like babies. If it weren’t for my awful pregnancies, I might just be willing to take a couple more like him! 😉
Anyways, I hope your easy girl stayed easy for you! 🙂
Found you vis Pintrest and after reading your whole post here I gotta say I love that you’re bragging about your easy baby. 🙂 I’ve had two easy babies (I know, knocking on wood! I’m tempted to stop at two and not press my luck for a third!). I felt like a horrible friend if I talked up my first who started sleeping through the night at two months, always had a smile on his face, and only cried when he was hungry. Then I learned that the trick to this was to act sheepish when talking about my angel first born, like, “I have no idea how this happened!” Now that I have a second born who is starting to sleep through the night at 8 weeks old, also smiles all the time, and only cried when she wants to eat and be held… a little more demanding than her older brother but still a dream I’ve become a lot more comfortable with the bragging 😉 I know, it’ll come back to bite me in the butt with number 3. But I can enjoy it for now, and my mom friends can laugh at me if number 3 is a fussy hot mess. That’s fine. Happy for you that your second was an “easy” baby. They really are great!
I see a lot of comments about people being afraid to admit they have an “easy baby”…that is silly! I have 2 children, the oldest 6, and the youngest 9 months. Neither of them were easy babies. Both colicky. The first one also had acid reflux. I was hoping the second one would be my easy one, but he wasn’t. We are just now getting close to sleeping through the night. If anyone I know has an easy baby, I am happy for them. The only thing that might irritate me, is when people take all the credit for these magical babies…I was more relaxed with my second one, but that didn’t prevent him from being extra fussy or colicky. Every baby has their own personality. Whatever kind of baby you have, just enjoy them, (and walk away when you have to!) and know that the hard times don’t last forever.
Thanks for being willing to admit to having an easy baby. It’s a sad commentary on society that you actually have to use the word “admit” for that, but I’ve learned the hard way that the only socially acceptable narrative about parenting young kids is that it’s REALLY REALLY REALLY HARD WORK. If you dare to whisper that your baby sleeps through the night you’re being insensitive and rubbing it in. I’m all for being supportive of friends whose babies are hard and supporting other people’s parenting choices. I think it’s really disappointing that that only goes one way though. If you say your baby is hard, I give you a hug, empathize with your frustration, and support your sleep training or decision not to. If I say my baby is easy, I get passive-aggressive “joking” comments accusing me of rubbing it in. This is where I should make the mitigating comment about how all kids are different, better at some things than others, blah blah blah, but why can’t we ever just say “my kid is great” without all the disclaimers and qualifiers?
Think about when you were pregnant and the comments you got from friends, acquaintances, and even perfect strangers. I heard a lot more “get your sleep now!” “enjoy eating out while you still can!” “no more bikinis for you!” than I did “some babies are easy-mine was and I hope yours is too”
[…] Like I suspected with Leyna, I feel like a bit of this has to do with our stress levels and how our approach to parenting has naturally evolved since we came home with our first breakable newborn who, like, TOTALLY needed us to survive (so much pressure, tiny baby!) over 5 years ago. […]