The Highs and Lows

I went in to work today to get a few things accomplished prior to my class and was talking with a co-worker. She asked how things are going with R. I was just starting to tell her about our visit when I got a text from R. I had sent her a picture of baby E earlier in the day, of him wide awake (which he has been, like ALL DAY!). Her text said (and I paraphrase) "I couldn't have picked better parents to raise him than you". It. Was. Awesome. See? Didn't I tell you everything was going to be good?! I just knew it all along (hahahahaha...). Okay, maybe just since Monday. At any rate, it made my day. (In case you're wondering, that would be the high.)

During my class, baby E was fabulous! He barely made a peep, even though I knew he was hungry. However, on the way home... Geez, that would be the low. You know those times when your child is upset and you simply can't do anything about it? Yeah. It's awful! I should have fed him before we left to come home, but I didn't. So he started screaming, not just a little, like I bet his throat hurts now and his little voice will be scratchy tomorrow. He screamed, furiously the entire way home. All 14 traffic lights (we were stopped by way more than half of them), just a few miles, and about 15 minutes - they felt like the longest in my life. I tried opening the windows, talking to him, singing, being quiet, turning the radio on, turning it off, putting it on the magic white noise station. Nothing worked. I felt like the Worst Mother Ever. Now, rationally, I know I'm not. I know there are just times when this happens, that it could have happened at home even. That it happens to the best of us. But still, it was awful, y'all.

Today's lesson - the magic white noise radio station does not fix all. Apparently, much to my surprise, it's not actually magic. Bummer. Oh yeah, other lesson for the day, feed the baby before leaving to go anywhere. Don't just assume he can wait til you get home. He doesn't actually know how to be patient. You know, because he's not even three weeks old and all. Duh.