When Aya was littler, I remember being jealous of the moms whose babies slept peacefully and often. It seemed I often thought of these calm babies as "good" babies, and mine as "difficult" or maybe even "bad." My friend used to call her babies cry his "voice." This helped me rethink what I thought about Aya's cries in the night, and in the day. It was her only way to express herself. She wasn't trying to be loud or tiring or difficult.
As Aya grew, she learned to suck on her arm for comfort like a thumb. I noticed that each time she'd cry she would eventually take her arm to calm herself. She too didn't want to be crying. It wasn't fun for her either. This gave me more compassion.
I found this article earlier this week. With the arrivial of our next baby this Fall, I may need to remind myself of these cries for help or love or peace. http://www.breastfeeding.com/reading_room/good_baby.html
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