The day before I'd taken him to the school I worked at before I had him, I had to show him off! Steven thought he got sick from being there [I knew that wasn't it]. I was on the phone with my Mom that horrible Saturday and I remember he'd already been crying for 45 minutes. She called again later and he was still at it, so her, my dad and nephew Adrian came over. Ugh.
At his one-month well-check I told the doctor he cried allllll the time... hoping for answers, suggestions, anything- I got nothing. "Babies cry, do you give him gas drops?" I wanted him to tell me what I already knew, my baby had colic. I tried all the moves, bounces, rubs, swaddles blah blah blah- everything the books suggested. I never tried Gripe Water- I didn't hear about it at the time, but I doubt it would've worked.
Everytime we went anywhere, Aiden was just passed from person to person trying to calm him down til they couldn't take it anymore and gave him to the next person. His bouncy chair helped a lot. I'd put him in it, turn the vibrator on and bounce it back and forth with my foot til he eventully fell asleep- that's how he was put to sleep most times. It was draining. So many times I'd cry right along with him... it makes you feel like your baby hates you. Steven and I fought a lot. We were SO stressed- who would be happy when you listen to a screaming baby for hours on end?
His first Christmas, a few days after he turned 4 months old was the last time I really remember him screaming, it was at Steven's Grandma's house. It'd started getting less frequent but one day it was like it just stopped. Suddenly I had a happy baby! Amazing.
The days approaching his first birthday, I thought back to those "dark days" and realized I wouldn't have changed a single second of it. I feel like it made me a better Mom and even brought Steven and I closer together [I never would've thought that could happen while it was going on though]. He spent so much time crying but I have hardly any pictures of it- guess they were moments I didn't want to be remembered.
Here he is around Christmas. My friend Jillian was over with her daughter, Layla, who's about 2 months younger than Aiden. She was so relaxed, just laying on the couch looking around and Aiden was screaming his head off. Typical.
When Rian was born I was sooo scared it would happen again. Even though I'd already been through it, it was even scarier to think about because I also had Aiden to tend to. We passed the 3 week mark but I still held my breath. One day when she was a little over a month old, Steven was out of town for a training and she was fussy and unconsolable most of the day. I was in panic-mode. But the next day, I got my perfect, easy baby back. :)
Obviously its survivable but it was one of the most challenging times of my life. I wouldn't wish a colicy baby on my worst enemy.
I remember those days so vividly. I feel like Aido and I bonded during it. So I wouldn't change it either! <3
ReplyDeleteI am glad that you went through that. haha That sounds so so selfish and mean but I really don't mean it to be. When Peyton was going through the same thing you were such a comfort to me. Having someone to talk to who knew what it was like and knowing that it would eventually end and that I wasnt a horrible mother and that it was ok for me to cry and need a break it helped me out a lot. Those days seem like so long ago now but god were they awful.
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