9:11 a.m. - Sept. 23, 2006
Peace and Quiet
I have become a woman that appreciates peace & quiet ~ even more so now.
Having a baby, in my husband's family, means lots of eager visitors. And I love the fact that they are all so happy & excited for us ~ and that they want to share this with us. I love that they want to be involved.
So far this year, we've had Ian's father visit us three times, his mother visit us twice and his oldest sister & family visit once. Ian's father is on his way back to the airport now, after being here since Tuesday. We will also see all of them again when we visit the DC / MD area in a couple of weeks. Not to mention the family reunion at the end of next month.
Although it is great that they are all so excited to come & visit, I do enjoy my home and the peace & tranquility that it provides. I am not much for going out. While Jim was here, he kept trying to get Ian and I to leave Henry alone with him, so we could go out on a date. Said I deserved a break. Almost insisted.
Well, yes, I deserve a break and I get one every night that Ian is home. Henry's bedtime is early ~ between 7 and 7:30pm, so I get plety of a break before we go to bed around 10 - 11pm. But leaving Henry alone with Jim wasn't my favorite idea. I don't mean to sound overprotective, but I am very conservative about the people that I want to babysit my son. My mother did babysit when we were in Houston this summer, but it was for 3 hours & Henry was already asleep. Besides, she has some 20 - 30 babies experience in her lifetime.
Jim, on the other hand, hasn't had much experience. I knew this right away when he asked to hold Henry. He held him, now 5 months old, on his lap, in a semi-standing position, putting weight on Henry's little legs. Well, a baby this age shouldn't have that kind of weight on its legs. Not only that, but Jim isn't exactly the most calm person.
Again, I don't mean to sound GROUCHY or overprotective, but a baby can only handle so much. At some point, they become overstimulated and just want some peace & quiet. (Just like me, I might add.) Yet, Jim was walking Henry around the room, showing him all sorts of things and then jiggling him and bouncing him...then he put Henry in his lap, facing him, and began to entertain him very close in Henry's personal space. Henry then began to cry. Jim looked at me like, "What's wrong with him?" So I told him that Henry is tired and just needs a break from the stimulation. So I placed Henry in his swing and told him quietly to take a rest. But then Jim got back in Henry's face again and started talking to him in a very animated way.
Ergh.
He just didn't get it.
So I said louder to Henry (really, for Jim to hear) that he needed to calm down and take a rest. Jim finally understood and backed off.
This week, while Jim was visiting, Ian had to work all day. So I was here with Jim...and man, can that man talk! Nonstop, loudly and very animated. No wonder Henry had such difficulty trying to nap. But, after a couple of days, I figured that I needed to just remove Henry from the zone of overstimulation. I took him into the front room, where it is very quiet (without the TV and the constant chatter) and rocked him a bit. Within minutes, Henry was asleep. I also enjoyed this un-plug.
I am glad to have the house all to myself again, with Henry. I am glad to not have to make idle chit-chat. I am glad to not walk into the room and find Fox News blaring on the tube...or, god forbid, Oprah or Dr. Phil.
And he thinks our taste in television programs is bad.
:)
Ah and I can smoke a cigarette again without fear of persecution, ridicule or some passive-agressive lecture.
I'm not mad, I'm just venting. Jim means well, but he really short circuits me. Remember the episode of Friends where Phoebe is dating whats-his-face Mr. always so happy & excited about everything? She dumps him because he was so over-the-top excited about every damn thing?
Yeah.
I'm just venting. Cleaning it all out.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...peace and quiet again.
