Love and marriage and colic July 18, 2008
Posted by erinfrances in So married.Tags: colic, marriage, motherhood
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“Where’d you get that?” Dave asked, pointing to my delicious whole wheat bagel with butter dripping down its middle. “I thought we were out of bagels.”
“I hid this one yesterday because I was mad at you.”
“You were mad at me yesterday? Why?”
“I don’t remember.” I don’t. He probably used the wrong towel to wipe up something. It doesn’t matter. When your child has colic, you just want to be mad at SOMETHING, and you can’t blame the baby. Dave’s the closest one to my frustration.
“So you hid food? Where did you hide it?”
“I’m not saying.”
Oh, come on. Like you’ve never hidden food out of spite.
No, we’re not fighting all the time (who has the energy?). No, we’re not sleeping in separate bedrooms (who has the space?). Yes, we hug it out. He’s still my Dave.
But colic doesn’t just wear on the baby. Screaming and wailing wear down marriages quicker than I can come up with an analogy at 9:30 at night. It’s hard for a marriage, ya know. He’s a second-shifter who comes home to a worn-out wife who’s collapsed on the bed. And not in a “hey, we’re married, wink-wink” kind of way. I’m talking the pillow creases on the cheek, shell-shocked to the sound of movement in the bassinet next to her. I’m talking “If you wake her up, I WILL KILL YOU” kind of way.
And I mean that in the nicest way, of course.
******
(SIDEBAR: Are you and your spouse thinking about moving away from your entire family and subsequently having a baby? BUY A CHIA PET.)
My husband was working 2nd shift during colic, too.
Is it ok to say I felt better when maternity leave was over? She’s bound to find out somehow. Yet I’m still her favorite person.
I’m guessing you’re going to be Alices’ favorite, too. It seems to make little sense. Colic = loyal people.