…that i couldn’t believe such big sounds were coming from such a tiny body.
he’s 3 months old - and a screamer. i was told that when he starts the water works (and, yes, the baby tears fall…) he’s unconsolable. and spending an entire day with granny’s and aunts and a house full of people was little comfort to that tiny guy.
as i held him i didn’t notice the piercing of my ear drums.
i didn’t notice the cramp in my arm ’til after i gently put him in his car seat.
he screamed right into my ear… it didn’t bother me. my arm cramped from the endless minutes that i held him… it didn’t bother me. i just loved him and wanted him to have what he was screaming for.
sleep.
quiet peaceful sleep.
and as i held him i remembered that a tribe of Native Americans had to “silence” their little one’s while hiding in the swamps of Massachusetts during King Philip’s War. the Pilgrims and another tribe were hot on their trail. the mothers knew what they had to do in order to save the entire tribe from massacre, so they hired a “mean woman” to kill their babies.
eventually he fell asleep, and i gave myself the “aunt mandy” badge of honor. but, while he screamed at the top of his premie lungs, i wondered what that must’ve been like for all the mothers in al the wars that have all had to “silence” their babies.
3 responses so far ↓
inWorship // December 28, 2007 at 1:08 pm
Why was Drew crying so hard? Just send him to his room next time.
Hope your having a great season with family!
christi // December 28, 2007 at 1:24 pm
It’s so amazing how each baby is different. Garrett didn’t have tears when he cried till a little later, i think. But i know what you mean… Garrett has a problem with getting ear infections. In Jan. he’s having to have tubes put in his ears, just like his mommy did when she was little. Anyway, his fever gets crazy high when he has these infections– with the last one it got up to 105.. and he is in SO much pain. He’s totally not himself… he’s usually just so happy and funny, but during these times he’s just lethargic and obviously in pain. When I hold him when he’s like this, I’d give pretty much anything to make him better. I rock him ever so slowly and sing “You are My Sunshine” over and over in the softest voice possible… and just hope with everything I’ve got that he’s comfortable. I could not imagine “silencing” him. I’d rather die, any day.
Jenny Williams // December 28, 2007 at 5:17 pm
girl what a powerful post. I think of the same thing when I read of the babies that were murdered in the bible. I can not even fathom as I have cared for my own. I have thought of it when I have read about the plagues in Egypt and when King Herod ordered all of the infants to be murdered in an attempt to kill our Saviour. The horror of it all. It is so easy to disconnect yourself esp with things in the bible and act like it isn’t really real. ahhhh!
dont get me started. Glad you got some time with that sweet baby