We've all heard it... "I have the fussiest baby on the planet." Every parent thinks it at some point or another in their journey of upbringing. The number of hours a baby is fussy, however, is rarely recorded. And when does it become an issue that should be brought to the doctor? What is the difference between a consistently fussy baby and a baby with colic? As a first time mommy of a baby who is both colicy and consistently fussy I believe the difference is vague, but often depends on the actual cries of the child. Nothing strikes a chord quite like sitting enjoying the quiet of a baby's nap and hearing the piercing scream of a baby in pain. My little one, who I will call 'A' throughout this blog, is perhaps the best at pulling at the heartstrings of anyone who hears her 'sleep cry'. One can tell she is clearly uncomfortable. But giving comfort is easier said than done.
'A' had a rough start into this big world of ours. Born a month early due to complications she was subjected into chaos from hour one of being on the planet. One could only expect she was going to be a handful for the first few months. But neither my husband, 'W', nor I could ever expect the hours we would put into walking laps through the house, dancing like a wild crazy person, and trying to offer some means of comfort to the love of our life. The first 2 months were filled with nightly colic starting sometime around 7:30 and often not ending until 11:30. And considering she was still eating every 2 hours she was not a happy camper. Then she started to come around. She was still a little fussy during the day but all of the sudden she was sleeping through the night. 'W' and I were loving life. Getting 7 hours of sleep was a gift from the gods. But as soon as the good luck came it was gone and once again we were dealing with the cranky baby we had grown to know and love. But it was fairly different this time. The fussiness lasted consistently throughout the day and when we did finally get her to sleep at night we would be wakened every hour on the hour to the familiar sounds of her discomfort. At first the doctor chalked it up to GERD, a lovely case of acid reflux that affects all too many babies across the nation. Then it was blamed on a mix of the GERD and our current choice of formula. So we switched formula. We still await the appearance of a consistently HAPPY baby, rather than the consistently fussy one we have come to accept as our reality. While 'W' is at work, I spend the day with the baby, and often times my mom, trying to keep her as comfortable as possible and knowing that there is still something I have yet to figure out to make her the happy baby we want to see.
Why tell this endless sob story you ask? Well I asked that to myself when I first considered opening this blog. I realize now that this story is for the other moms and dads who have The Consistently Fussy Baby. Because there is nothing quite like knowing there's someone else who is going through exactly the same thing. This blog is me; clean cut and no disguises; completely real world. Welcome to my life. Enjoy it, patronize it, judge it, hate it, love it, whatever. By reading you've entered into this chaos 'W' and I call a family, and we love it no matter how chaotic it gets. And to the other parents with a baby as tough and as loved as mine is: Welcome aboard. Here's to you and your constant persistence in finding comfort and happiness to your baby!
