We don’t leave the house with the baby after 5pm. That’s a law. We try to keep our evening tantrums for private audience only. But then we don’t sleep much… so we forget and take Leila to Target on a Saturday… AFTER 5pm. I realized that about half way through the store when she suddenly became really quiet (never a good sign). And pretty much immediately I was all OMG! OMG! RUUUUUUN! RUUUUN to the checkout! And if there is a line… Well… there was no line, no casualties and Leila?… was just a model citizen – chilling in the cart, looking around and casually clapping.
Lady at the checkout: Awwww… she is such a calm baby! You are so lucky!
Us: ……. bwuahahahaha!
No one has ever called Leila “a calm baby”. We are more used to “spirited”, “enthusiastic”, “big personality” or just plain “crazy” (in the best way possible, of course) but “calm”? That was the first.
Even as a fetus Leila was bouncing off the walls. I remember during the last semester my doctor asked me to set aside an hour a day during which I would have to count 10 baby kicks. She also gave me a sheet with suggestions on how to make the baby kick in case it wasn’t happening. You know things like “drink orange juice”, “cold water”, “ride a roller coaster” etc, etc…. I never understood the need for those suggestions. I could have given you 10 kicks at any given moment in about 60 seconds or less.
BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM!
Done!
Repeat!
BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM!
Done!
Repeat!
BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM!
I know right about now all my childless readers are wondering what I’ve been drinking (rum and coke… since you’ve asked). But I digress…. Leila just went from crawling to some sort of jumping on her knees with her arms up in the air. And I don’t even have a proper English word in my vocabulary to describe her recent sounds… but I am pretty sure that our neighbors are about to call PETA to come and save the wild animal we keep in our apartment. The screeching is so loud I am no longer able to have a conversation when she is “in the zone”. How do you tell an eight month old to use her inside voice? I don’t know either, but at our baby sign language class the instructor showed us a “quiet please” sign, even though the topic for that particular day was “colors”… coincidence?
The Energizer Bunny got nothing on Leila. So much life and joyfulness I only wish I could bottle it. But that is exactly what got us kicked out of the library’s “Lap Sit/Story Time” for pre-walkers (my ass). All the songs and story telling was just too much stimulation which drove her right into mad crawling, jumping and squealing with happiness. I tried distracting her so she would just sit in my lap, but was not going to force her. She was clearly happy to be there. Every time Leila would scream the instructor would purposely STOP reading, PAUSE, repeat the sentence and ask if I could ask Leila to sit in my lap. No problem!
Honey, could you just sit on mama’s lap and be quiet for a moment?
Sure, mom! Anything for you!
So that went well. I thought.
After the class I was approached by one of the library workers and very politely asked if I MAYBE….POSSIBLY…. think that Leila is not ready for this class” At that stage I was just too exhausted and irritated. I know Leila is a bit “enthusiastic” but COME ON! This class if for babies! Anyway, it was a free class and she didn’t say we couldn’t come back anymore, but she didn’t say “see you next week!” either…. The real problem is how do I tell my eight-month old that she just got kicked out of the library? Well, either way… we couldn’t be prouder.
you have to be kidding!! the story hour lady who reads to babies can't handle a crawling, squealing baby?? people need their heads examined. i wish you lived here and i could take you to music together with us, where the babies who walk routinely run around in circles, bang into walls, scream at themselves in the mirrors, trip over non-walking babies, and so on. all while the teacher continues to sing her songs, laugh, and advise the parents to let their kids do as they will!
God, that is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! Some people are so strange…she must not have her own children or she'd clearly understand the fundamental truth that hits you like a ton of bricks when you have children: you don't control any situation. I think you should stick it to her and keep taking Leila back, she clearly needs a life lesson! And I bet Leila is just the cutest thing ever, squealing and bouncing around. So much fun, those times!
M
http://Mandthe2Henrys.blogspot.com
http://HomemakerPhD.blogspot.com
I had a calm baby once. Everybody said so. Only now, he seems to have been replaced by a writhing, howling banshee. I don't know what happened. Maybe it's because we find his screaming, when it's the happy kind, so cute that we laugh and clap and egg him on? Not such a good idea in hindsight.
That's just dumb. It's called "know your audience". Library Lady should get a kick out of Leila's enthusiasm. Maybe she's just reading to the butt tired mommies.
Awww. Sweet little Leila! I tell people that Marcus doesn't really get fussy when he's overtired he goes insane. He too does this weird hop thing but it's more from his butt to his knees and then he slaps his hands on the floor like a gorilla. weirdo.
Peanut is the same way! She is very active and has no interest in sitting still. Our babies are PERFECT.
Well most of the people who work there are volunteers and not necessarily excerpts on kids (not sure if they have kids of their own and what kind of training they get)…. The classes are free and I could tell the lady was trying really hard to "do her job"… plus I am really a chicken when it comes to confrontations. I just left all fuming and thinking "I am going to blog the shit of this and feel better…" so there it is – thanks, ladies
I will go back to the library but a little later to another class for walking kids – they cannot possibly be asking them to sit still… I am hoping.
At first I thought Leila was so loud as a way to say how much she was enjoying the class. But as I read on it is clear that she was really dissatisfied with the class leader and would really like it if you took her to a music together class instead.
Isn't it great that she communicates so well at such a young age?
What the hell is wrong with the library staff?! Seriously!!!