Warm in Ohio, Cold in the Crib

Great week, but a horrible night. Never again will I wake up Tenzin from a deep sleep.

Last night, the Simpson’s were long over which only means one thing...we can finally go to bed.

Exhausted after a long day of walking and window shopping (it was almost 70 degrees yesterday!), I was ready to slip on the jammys and crash. It had been so warm that day that I was able to turn down the thermostat to try and save some moolah. The house wasn’t necessarily cold, but a chillier-than-usual 68 degrees. Apparently, Tenzin is more like his mother than I thought...he awoke to find himself in the Arctic Circle. Without pants.

Mistake #1: Let sleeping babies lie. Tenzin has been absolutely awesome this week, giggling and responding to Mama with smiles and laughs and grins. He’s even taken to the crib, sleeping for more than 3-4 hours at a time. It’s been amazing week. I seem to have forgotten, however, that parenting contains both good days AND bad...6 good days is one day short of a full good week and my chickens were, admittedly, counted far too soon. Instead of abruptly rousing my son from a sound slumber, I should have instead stepped back and reflected on the wonderful week we’ve had. Maybe then we could have made it till midnight.

Instead, I pulled him from his favorite vibrating chair (a purchase I’m STILL not allowed to make for myself) and took him straight upstairs. Seeing on the walk up he was cold, I brought him into the bedroom and tucked him under our sheets while I scrambled for the remote (The Simpson's were over, but Family Guy was mid-commercial...a double episode...gotta love cartoon Sunday). Now, while Mom and Dad might enjoy the crisp nip of a winter's bed sheet against the skin, Tenzin definitely does not. Do you remember Janet Leigh's bloodcurdling scream in the movie Psycho? Apparently she studied under Tenzin. He wasn't just cold, he was colder.

It was so loud that I was both concerned AND intrigued. A combination of: "What is wrong with my child" - mixed with - "How and the heck does something like that come out of a mouth so small?!?!" Thinking that it was probably better to comfort than experiment, we decided a diaper change and a bounce might help.

Mistake #2: Stripping down a cold baby will not warm it up.
Earlier in the day, the evening light in the nursery was awesome. I couldn't help but grab the camera and start shooting pictures. The light proved to be a touch too dim so I grabbed a lamp out of our bedroom and set it up next to the changing table. Much better for the pictures, but a simple, but costly, mistake. After the photo shoot was over, I failed to realize that I forgot to plug the baby wipe warmer back in. This might not seem too calamitous, but when your child is A) woken up abruptly, B) cold and tired, C) placed into cold sheets, D) stripped down to his circumcision, and finally E) sponged with frosty baby wipes, he is NONE TOO PLEASED.

I take full responsibility.
Hell hath no fury like the wrath of a baby scorned.
10 hours straight of pure madness.
He could make a colic baby look comatose.
No relief. No comfort. I had created a monster.

When I left for work at 6:45 this morning, Tenzin had yet to pacify his fury. By this point he had, however, managed to squeal himself down, still grumbling between coos and whimpers, still showing a disdain for dad. Rachel was cuddled in close by his side, still exhausted from nighttime feedings and comfortings, still undoubtedly hiding a similar disdain. Neither was technically "asleep" per se, but rather hiding their weaknesses from the other, resting with one eye open, waiting for Round 14.

So to both of them, I'm sorry.

Tenzin, from this point on I can promise you this: If you are sleeping and happy, you can stay sleeping and happy.

And Rachel, if you read this before you go downstairs, there's no need to touch the thermostat. I kicked it back up before I left for work.

Today's forecast: sunny and 88 degrees...in our living room.