Tricksy Babies
Once, I noted how fun and smiley a friend’s six-month-old baby was. My friend said her mother warned her that six months is a dangerous time. Most six-month babies are cute and interactive, they don’t cry or spit up as much, and they usually stay where you put them. They sleep longer at night, so the crazed feeling of sleep deprivation and any miseries of colic have usually passed. My friend’s mom noted that it’s at this point that a couple with their first child often feels like they’re getting it. They’re loving parenthood, and it feels a good time to try for another kid. Don’t be fooled, though, the mom cautioned. Six months is the calm before the storm: crawling, teething, stinkier diapers, and the need for discipline are just around the corner, and you don’t want to go into that with first trimester fatigue and nausea.
I don’t recall what the mom advised as a better time to try to get pregnant again, but I have never forgotten her practical advice. I think of it lately, since my husband G. Grod and I are very much enjoying baby Guppy, nearly seven months old. He smiles, he laughs, he gurgles, he coos, he rolls, but he’s not quite crawling yet. We have no plans to further expand our family, but if we were on the fence, I can see how Guppy’s current beguiling ways could push us over to the other side. I’m going to enjoy this time while it’s here, and miss it when it’s gone.