Okay maybe that is a little over dramatic. Last night, Chip and I invited neighbors/friends Jessica and Greg over for a night of board games. We were so excited about doing his. Not only do we love board games, but we had not had a chance to hang out with Jessica and Greg for a while and were so geared up for a night of fun and laughter! Jessica had made Elijah a really funny bib so I put that on him in preparation for our evening. Super cute!
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| All ready for game night! (or so we thought |
Chip stopped at the store and bought a really impressive spread of snacks for the group and set it up nicely, even including some of my gluten free crackers! We were all set!
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| Chip set out lots of yummy food, including some gluten free goodies! |
Jessica and Greg arrived at six and we laid out our first game "What's Yours Like", which we had never played before but it had been sitting in our game stash for almost three years. Right before we began, Elijah erupted in tears. Now, anyone who knows our child, will know that this is highly unusual for him. We assumed that it would subside. I held him in my lap and cuddled him and he calmed down for a bit. But every time we broke out into laughter, it upset him and he would get this horribly sad and frightened look on his face and cry some more. I believe his teething is starting to really kick in, making him more sensitive. We had a similar episode earlier in the day and I applied Clove oil to his gums which worked like a charm but when I tried it that evening, it was to no avail. We managed to get through an entire game of "What's Yours Like" with me getting up and down with Elijah and a few rounds of Taboo (one of my favorites!) and then, we had to call it a night. Honestly, we were pretty bummed that the night did not go as planned. But last night made me realize a few things. The first is that I am so glad we practice Gentle Parenting (or attachment parenting as it is commonly called). As I looked at that sweet, unhappy face, I could not help but think that in the hands of others, he might be left to self sooth and "cry it out" and I knew in my heart that what he needed was to be loved and comforted. It also occurred to me how blessed we are. There are many families that have babies that have nights like this almost every night. I can count on one hand the number of times we have had this experience with Elijah. I have so much respect for those parents (you know who you are!) who have high needs children and breakdowns are a way of life for a while for them. God bless them and their little babies. You never know. We could be in there shoes one day. But for now I am so thankful for my laid back, easy going Angel baby. And those times when he is a little fussy, it is just a reminder of how much I am needed by my sweet little baby.
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| Before everyone arrived, Elijah was happily playing on his tummy time mat! |
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| He is getting really great at maneuvering around! |
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