Lately I have thinking a lot (always dangerous) about what it must be like to be a little baby. I tried putting myself in their world. My goodness, no wonder they cry. Do you have any idea how tough it is being that little? Think about it, put yourself in their bodies:
Now imagine if some one else decided for you when you could or could not eat. Not even to mention how dreadfully boring it must be to eat the same damn thing meal after meal. Feel like some thing to nibble on at 4 o’clock? No, sorry, you have to wait till six. You’re hungry now? Sorry, but its not 6pm yet.
Or, you are lying there peacefully, checking out the world when all of a sudden you get this silicone nipple (I dare not call it a teat or else America will mock me endlessly like last time, you nerds!!) shoved in your mouth, hungry or not. You WILL eat NOW.
Or otherwise you are lying down when suddenly this giant mother person takes your pants off, squashes your ankles together, lifts your legs up, butt rudely exposed for the whole world to see. A cold wipe gets wiped across your warm private parts. Its enough to make any winky shrivel up to the size of a pea.
That’s if the mother person changes your nappy in time. Otherwise you have to suffer the indignity of lying in your own pee and poop. How embarrassing, all because you aren’t able to get to the bathroom yourself and have a number 2 in private.
Then, even if you aren’t tired, you HAVE to go to sleep when SHE says you must. Even if you aren’t tired!!
You know how divine it is to rub your eye when it is itchy? Now imagine having an itchy eye and not being to rub it. Or an itchy nose, even worse. And you don’t know how to / can’t rub it. My eyes water just thinking about it.
A snotty nose? You can’t blow it or even sniff it back. No, it just goes backward and forward in your nose, in and out. And then it mills around at the back of your throat, you get that horrible gagging feeling but you can’t blow or sniff. It’s bloody scary, you can hardly breathe! And don’t even talk about the snot sucker thing. Just when you least expect it, a rubber thingy gets shoved up your nostril and the snot, with some of your frontal lobe, gets sucked out with terminal velocity.
Poor Adam, I looked at him and thought ‘no wonder you cry so furiously my little boy’, life is bloody hard if you are a little baby with a snotty nose.
Life can be very tough when you are so little.
So true Tertia! It is so sad to see them when they have a cold. Hope little Adam feels better soon.
Posted by: Melissa4444 | 18 April 2005 at 09:24 AM
I've heard that children like structure. Maybe they like the fact that they are free to ponder the mysteries of this new world without having to worry about whether they are hungry or what's for dinner. :) But certainly the snotty nose thing is a downer!!!
Posted by: eve | 18 April 2005 at 09:29 AM
Sorry to hear little Adam is not feeling well. I have thought about how it must be for a little child or baby. Everyone seems to think it must be so nice when you don't need much. I don't agree. I see it pretty much in the same light as you!
Posted by: Melany | 18 April 2005 at 12:28 PM
The one I always felt sorry for was their being carried from room to room with no idea of the layout of the house. "You *were* on there, but now you're in here! And you have no idea how you got here! Ha ha!" So I started narrating where we were walking: "We're going down the hall, past the kitchen, into your room." I felt like a fool, but I swear it calmed him down. Every morning I'd tell him where we'd be going the rest of the day, and as we were doing it I'd narrate the steps to getting there. I'm 100% sure that's why I ended up with a kid who relaly early on (before he was 2) could tell me the public transportation routes we took to go all the regular places (church, our friends' houses, etc.). He still asks me every morning, "Mama, what am I doing today? What day is it?" Oh, and we both are addicted to checking the weather report in the morning before we get dressed. Cracks me up.
Posted by: Moxie | 18 April 2005 at 01:28 PM
Not only that, but you see the big monster people moving about from one place to another while you must lie in one place until the giants decide to move you. Before my son was mobile, this really seemed to bother him. My husband used to narrate, "I'm a BABY! Why am I BEDRIDDEN?!?!"
Posted by: Belphoebe | 18 April 2005 at 01:48 PM
Yeah, but the way my DH puts it, our son is the luckiest man alive: He gets to suck on a boob many times a day. And, wouldn't you think a cold wipe is a small price to pay for someone cleaning up your dirty messes?
Posted by: happy | 18 April 2005 at 02:45 PM
My mother says I used to glare at her--I mean, really give her a death stare--until I learned how to talk. It's like I knew what I was missing, not being able to communicate verbally? Maybe a case for past lives.
Posted by: beth | 18 April 2005 at 03:50 PM
I often think of babies/little kids just the way you've described. Really, they are so helpless. Completely dependent on big people for their safety and comfort and happiness. That's why I break down sobbing or break out yelling obscenities whenever I hear of a child being neglected or abused...it's so effing unfair.
Posted by: Tine | 18 April 2005 at 04:09 PM
I do a lot of what Moxie said - I narrate. Part of it is probably because I am desperate for some sort of meaningful conversation while the big bro is at school, and part of it is to calm the little guy down. He used to fuss to no end when I put him in his car seat until I would tell him we were going to school to get his brother. Then, the tears would stop, he'd smile that big, cheesy smile and off we'd go.
I really felt sorry for my oldest when he was an infant - sitting backwards in the car just can't be too fun - you can't see where you're going - only the back of the seat! I'd cry, too! At least my little one has someone to look at now ("Bubba"!) in the seat right next to him!
Posted by: Judy | 18 April 2005 at 04:45 PM
Whenever Charlie is having a bad day Andy and I report that "It's hard to be a baby today".
Because it is. The simplest concepts are the hardest to grasp and things like being able to get to what you want are a big deal that take a lot of planning and heartache until you get the hang of it.
It's very hard to be a baby.
Posted by: Krissy | 18 April 2005 at 06:16 PM
The cold wipe thing is brutal, but my son gets his revenge every. single. time. by peeing all over me. I think he does it on purpose. ;) He even laughs.
Posted by: Kate | 18 April 2005 at 06:39 PM
Trust me, that is nothing compared with the indignity of a suppository. Adam, may you never have to suffer that way.
I know you love your mom, but if you get sick, she could be your worst enema.
(Apologies, T- I'm tired, Neen's away, and the little one has been managing to vomit in ways that I never thought possible)
Posted by: scott | 18 April 2005 at 08:46 PM
I just started reading a great book on that very subject called The Wonder Weeks -- great read! It does a wonderful job of explaining the world from a baby's point of view.
My 7-month-old son's fussiness makes so much more sense once I think of things from his perspective.
Posted by: Jennifer | 18 April 2005 at 09:39 PM
How lucky Kate and Adam are to have a mother who really tries to see things from their point-of-view.
Moxie, I felt the same way and I did the same thing! Now I have a 13 year old who likes to review the coming day's events in the morning!
Posted by: Kathleen | 18 April 2005 at 09:41 PM
I'm tearing up from laughing at this.
Posted by: Nance | 18 April 2005 at 10:07 PM
i understand here in america they have baby wipe warmers.
don't go on a guilt trip or anyting because you wipe your babies w/cold ones.
i'm JUST sharing!
Posted by: bp | 19 April 2005 at 03:03 AM
Don't be afraid Tertia - it's a TEAT -there I said it!
Posted by: andrea | 19 April 2005 at 04:59 AM
I laughed out loud at this one!
Posted by: Rachel | 19 April 2005 at 10:20 AM
And that's the problem with CIO - the baby is lying there, alone, sobbing for his/her mommy, something is wrong (wet nappy/diaper, hunger, pain) and no one comes. Yes, he/she stops crying but that's because primal survival instinct kicks in that mommy has abandoned him/her and now he/she must conserve energy to survive. And he/she learns that not even mommy and/or daddy who claim to love them will rescue them in their time of need. I always try to see things from my miracle baby's perspective. Wait until they start teething. I'll reply to your first post about that with my standard teething message.
Posted by: Anonymous | 23 April 2005 at 04:39 AM