Most days around here are categorized as good (Simon sleeps and eats well and isn’t frustrated much or often) or bad (Simon sleeps or eats poorly and seems fussy most of the day). But today wasn’t really either. Today was just funny. It was also a day that he blew several of our dearly held theories.
Theory 1: Simon sleeps through the night, never wakes before 7, and has no interest in sleeping with us.
Our day began inauspiciously enough at 6:45 a.m. when Simon awoke. 6:45! Our baby doesn’t get up so early, especially not when the previous night ran a bit late. He doesn’t wake up crying either; he wakes up jabbering. But today at 6:45 Simon began to fuss, and he didn’t settle down after we ignored him for 10 minutes or so. Reluctantly, Matt got up to get him and bring him in with us. Whereupon he wriggled about and cried intermittently for 45 minutes or so, then fell soundly asleep on his tummy, head facing the foot of the bed, tush up high in the air, right leg crooked over my left leg. He stayed this way until just past 9:00.
Theory 2: Simon doesn’t watch TV or know who characters like Elmo are.
Despite this rather lengthy lie-in, the little guy still seemed a bit tired and off his game for substitute babysitter Valerie today. When nothing seemed to make him happy and he rubbed his eyes a few times, Valerie suspected he needed some quiet time. So she set him on the sofa and popped in a DVD, whereupon was Matt was astounded to later find Simon, comfortably situated with his head on a pillow, full body length stretched out, turned slightly towards the TV, engrossed in Elmo. I think we bought this DVD for our flight to California in April, and it hasn’t been out of the box since. Moreover, Simon only watches TV when Matt and I have something on-usually a nature show, basketball, or King of the Hill rerun-and he never sits on the couch for more than a few minutes or lies on it at all. Regardless, Simon stayed put today for the full length of the video. A little sad, but also quite amusing.
Theory 3: There are safe times to let Simon go diaperless.
And the coup de grace came tonight. My Dad was over for dinner and socializing, and towards the end of the night Matt took Simon upstairs to give him a bath. A bit later, a wet and naked toddler came downstairs and commenced to unselfconsciously run around the living room. As my Dad laughed, Matt explained his theory that since Simon probably pees in his bath, it must be safe to leave him undiapered right after. The bladder is empty, right? Well, the words were barely out of his mouth when we all saw a tidy little arc of pee spurt out of Simon and land on our living room rug.
So much for theories. We were 0 for 3 today!