Dear little one,
I realize you are going through many transitions. What a tremendous adjustment it is to leave the womb, where your every need was met without delay and the ambient conditions never changed, and enter the outside world—noisy, changeable, disorienting.
I understand that you need lots of cuddling, that you are happiest held in my arms and snuggled up against my heart, where you can hear all those familiar noises. I’m willing to do that. In fact, you may notice I have rearranged my life for the next several months in order to do so more or less uninterruptedly.
But here’s the thing. If you want to be held all day, you simply cannot go on being startled into loud screams at the sound of me chewing. Or we won’t really be able to get along.
So pick one, okay? Just let me know which you choose. I'll be waiting over here by the trail mix.
Your loving,
Mother