The Crying Game

It's amazing when you become a parent how different the sound of a crying baby is, or a screaming toddler for that matter.  I will admit that I used that be that person that looked at the parent of a screaming child thinking, "Really?  You're just going to let that continue?"  It was probably one of the most annoying sounds in the world.  I would pray that I wouldn't get sat next to the crying baby on the plane, or avoid the 4 year old throwing cheerios at the grocery store.  Wow how things change.

Fast forward to August 2011 and I have a whole new perspective and not to mention appreciation for those events.  On our trip to Aruba, there was a baby on the plane crying before we took off.  All I could think is, "aww, poor baby, and poor mom."  She was trying so hard to shush the baby in the crowded and stuffy plane in which we were stuck on the tarmac for almost an hour and a half before we could take off.  The adults were getting restless and cranky, that poor baby had NO chance!  I suddenly had this deep sympathy for her wanting to help her out and tell her that I felt her pain.

Especially since my parents will soon be out in San Diego, Alex will need to become a good little flier to go out to CA to visit grandma and grandpa. My hope is that she'll get used to it, and I will hopefully not be that frazzled parent whose child won't calm down.  If that happens, I pray that there are other understanding parents on the plane with us :)

I will admit when I see a temper tantrum at the store, I kind of giggle to myself, only because I see my future in that little girl holding her skirt above her head while her mom continually tries to get her to pull it down and stop screaming since she won't let her get that candy bar.  Those kind of situations I understand and I'm sure I'll have my fair share of them.  I hope that when that time comes I'll handle it as calmly as I can, while being dignified (and mortified) while my child goes nuts.  Right now all I have to worry about it people telling me how cute Alex is and asking how old she is.  I'm lucky to have a very well mannered baby in public thus far.  Hopefully that trend will continue :)