The grumpy smurf

I’ve realized two things.

A baby who is portable is an easy baby.

A baby who is happy is an easy baby.

For the past week or so, The Peanut has been neither portable nor happy. In fact, she has been downright mobile and grumpy. The situation climaxed today with a major meltdown (for mum and baby).

Movement is something I have been anticipating for several months. Not really a shocker. She truly has perfected the military crawl (or crab walk, as my brother calls it) over the last week or so. It’s kind of cute, actually. Seeing her slither across the floor like a little reptile.

The moodiness, however, took me completely by surprise. I mean, who replaced my happy-go-lucky baby with a cranky, sullen, tot?

“My pediatrician told me fussy stages come at nine weeks and nine months,” my friend C.S. told me today. A quick internet search confirmed this. Who knew so many mothers of eight month olds are dealing with a tween in the body of an infant?  Separation anxiety? Teething? Who knows. What I do know is this fussy period is about 100 times more difficult than the one she went through at eight weeks. Primarily because she is now able to propel herself across the floor and pull herself up on various random pieces of furniture.

Why didn’t anyone warn me? Oh wait, now that I think about it, they did. But I wasn’t listening. And last night, again, I was forewarned. “Oh,” my mum said, “wait until she’s walking, haha!” Haha indeed. I guess the joke’s on me.

For now, the only thing pacifying my little grumpy smurf is the swing at the playground. We were there twice today – once in the morning, once in the early afternoon. And probably will continue to be there – once in the morning, once in the early afternoon – every day until one of the following happens:

1. This “phase” passes (preferable).
2. It becomes too cold or too snowy to actually use the playground (please, please, please don’t let this be the case).

If any mothers who have been through this have any sage advice for a novice, please feel free to pass it on. I assure you, It will be greatly appreciated.