Single Child

Who in their right mind decides that they’re going to have a second child? Is it a decision that comes while lying in bed, thoroughly exhausted and defeated, using the lull in crying time to gather a few breaths of sleep before the next round of wailing begins? Or maybe it happens in the morning, when the eyelids have become sheets of lead due to flashes of sleep that only comes when and hour before it's time to get up?  Is that when people say, you know what, I can’t wait to do this again! 

Please, don’t get me wrong, I love my son more than life itself. I love him without compromise or conditions, and unlike I’ve ever loved anything in this world. 

But he’d better get used to dog fur. Because all of his future siblings will have it.

Since entering the crawling stage a few weeks ago, he’s slept all of 6 hours. Total. It is a sleep he fights tooth and nail. Well, I guess in his case gum and nail. He hates it and refuses to go down without a fight. He demands the boob. Oh how he loves that sweet boob. He lies beside it, resting his hand on it for safe keeping even if he’s not nursing.

I know, I know, cry it out, right? You just have to be tough. Everyone has advice in this department. But when that little guy gets to screaming I’m up. Last night we had him down. And then the dogs started barking. The next thing you know it was 12:32 and still no shut eye. I came very close to shedding tears myself...

My wife is a bit better at the tough parenting approach. But this makes sense, she and him are perhaps the two most stubborn people I’ve ever met. I’m merely caught in their clash. Last night, I rocked him for two hours, patted his butt, and then we let him have it out. He screamed like a freight train for the next few hours. And it took everything I had not to go in there and rock him, because I knew it would only start the process anew. 

When I tried to rock him, he tugged at my nose, gouged my eyes and took a swing with his tiny, drool drenched fist at my face. The baby whisperer I am not.

Meanwhile the dogs sigh heavily, wondering why I can’t get the little noise maker to quiet down. But our house is impossible to situate. Someone’s always busy. Get the baby to sleep and dogs want to play. Get the dogs settled and the cat wants to come inside. Get the cat inside and the baby’s awake. Yeah, let’s add another kid to this recipe!

In all seriousness, I wouldn't change a thing about my son.  Fatherhood is the hardest but at the same time most rewarding job of my life.  And once we get this guy sleeping through the night, which by the looks of things will be when he’s 12, I am going to enjoy the sound of ______. Yes, _______. That blank right there, that's the sound of sweet sweet quiet.  I'll bet my parents are laughing there butts off right now...