An Oscar Performance

Dear Katie,

Last Friday, I spoke to a nurse from your doctor's office in regards to your low-grade fever you came home with. Concerned that there was something serious going on, I started asking more questions regarding the rash you had been dealing with. I mentioned to the nurse that 3 nights in a row you had been having difficulty sleeping and that you were waking and staying up for 3 hours at a time. I thought she was going to reassure me that this is all part of this particular virus. Instead, do you know what she told me? She said, "Um, sounds to me like she is 'playing' you!". Say what? No. Not Katie. Not my sweet, pitiful, sick baby girl. But, "She is only 8 months old," I told her. She told me that this is where it all begins...

I picked up the phone and called my best friend, your Aunt K, and asked her what she thought. After several minutes, we both agreed that you were sick, BUT that you may need a little "reassurance", if you will, if you choose to wake up in the middle of the night (once you are all better)just because you want some Mommy/Daddy time. In other words, we would finally have to consider letting you do thathorrible thing - CRY IT OUT.

Much to my surprise, you slept extremely well both Friday and Saturday nights. But, unfortunately, Sunday night rolled around and I should have known you would wake up - I mean, it was Sunday night after all.

Once again, you suckered me in, and this time I blamed your painful gums. So, I rocked you. I rocked you for 45 minutes and decided you were good and relaxed, and then this happened:

I put you into your crib.
You started to cry.
I left the room.
I consulted with your Dad while you wailed in your room.
I caved and went back in and picked you up.
I rocked you. This time for 15 minutes until I thought you were REALLY good and relaxed.
I put you into your crib.
You screamed.
I left the room.
I consulted with your Dad while you screamed bloody murder in your room.
He (caved) and went back in and picked you up.
He rocked you. This time for 25 minutes and put you into the crib because you were trying to rip his chest hair out in chunks. Yes, that's right.
He put you into your crib.
You completely lost your sh*t.
And you then continued to lose your sh*t for the next half hour until you completely passed out, stomach down, butt up in the air, pacifier in your mouth...until 7:30 this morning.

Well, I had seen it in the movies. I've read about it in books. I've had friends tell me about this happening before, but I can honestly say that I had no idea that at 8-months you could start to show such a personality. Honey, dramatic doesn't even begin to describe what we saw over the monitor.

You were literally throwing yourself down on your mattress, thrashing around, screaming - I mean SCREAMING. Then, you would get real quiet and look around as though you were waiting for someone to walk into the room. When no one would come, you would sit up, make fists with both hands and start screaming/grunting as loud as you could. Bravo, my child...bravo.

And, the Oscar goes to...




Love,
Mama