Saturday, August 1, 2009

New Theory on young babies and moods

Excuse me while a do a little mommy talking, so all of you not interested in the baby thing just come back another day. I have noticed that Sam grew about 2" taller in the last week. I swear she just needs to stop because it's all happening too fast. However, in observing this growth spurt it allowed me to really do some thinking.

Everyone always says things like "new teeth are coming in....that's why we are cranky" or "that new food really made her tummy upset." How come I've never really heard anyone say "She's going through a big growth spurt....she seems really sore and restless"? Well, the last week Sam's growth was noticeable and so was her reversion back to screaming more, sleeping a little less, and just being more clingy. At first I didn't really correlate the two and then I just got thinking....

If I think back to each time period where she was more "fussy" it most likely was a time of developmental growth. I distinctly remember (and so does AJ) not being able to fall asleep when I was younger because my knee joints hurt soooo badly. Plus, I don't remember my teeth ever hurting? I can't imagine what could possibly be going on in my daughter's little body as it has doubled in size the last 10 months. Is it possible that we hear something so many times that it becomes all we know even if it is illogical? such as, you're baby is spoiled if you don't let them cry. No, books and the Internet are always right. I also learned through having the pleasure of sleeping with Sam the other night when Dad was flying....we like to cuddle. Lately she is a bed hog and this week she was very restless. She would sit up, lay down, sit up, lay down, and whine the few times through the night. It just seemed like she had what we in college called "crazy legs" or the inability to get comfortable. Insight or what??

This new perspective has given me an entirely new appreciation and approach to whenever she cries out, especially at night. Both AJ and I always want to be there for our little one and want to protector her the best possible as I'm sure all parents do in their own way. We have never been parents who can let her cry and scream all alone, or as some call it Cry-It-Out. With my new theory on growing pains I'm even more confident and proud to selflessly heed my child's needs an time.

Lesson learned...parental intuition and Gods graces are what we should follow in our journey. Plus, is it possible that little babies have a lot going on and it doesn't make any sense to them.

6 comments:

  1. absolutely! it's hard with a first baby to take "experts" or even (gasp!) doctors' opinions with a grain of salt, but it's so freeing to realize you do really know best what your baby needs.

    you are a good mama:)

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  2. I do think it is very true that babies have discomfort with growing pains. This continues on into toddlerhood and childhood, I'm afraid! I think we don't expect babies to have bad days where they just don't feel right, but i certainly do. Why would't they?

    Great insights, mama!

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  3. I hadn't really thought about "growing pains" for a baby. I had friends who complained about them as teenagers, but I never had them (given how short I am I guess it's because I never really grew). It certainly makes sense though. Personally I've always felt bad for little ones that are teething. It's so easy to get frustrated that they're upset and irritable, but I can't imagine how painful that has to be for them, and they don't understand what's going on.

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  4. Abigail had a big growth spurt recently but wasn't any fussier than her normal easy-going self. Also she slept a BUNCH all through it. Over two consecutive 24 hour periods, combining night time and nap time, she slept 18 then 17 hours!

    I do like your theory that babys' "off" days could be do to their accelerated developmental rates.

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  5. I think you are totally on to something. I have noticed the same, often at night he just can't seem to not move and nursing is the only way to relax him. Of course he is crawling a bunch, pulling himself up to standing all the time and continues to want to practice it all at bedtime.

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