When your baby cries...

When Hyat was born I remember being concerned that I wouldn't know what Hyat wanted or needed. Most of the advise was simply, "don't worry you will learn what your baby's cry means." For someone diving into motherhood without a lot of baby experience, I would have to say that advice was not too comforting - as far as I could tell all crying sounded the same. But as we spent time with baby Hyat and settled into a routine, it was was proven to be true. I would quickly learn what each cry meant: feed me, hold me, I'm wet/poopy, I'm tired, etc. The same holds true for Embrie as well. Each cry has a distinct meaning, though she is a little bit more dramatic in her demands, often making Buck comment, "you are such a girl." Well, yes, she is!

The thing no one told me is that cry recognition would continue well past the infant stage and even at 2&1/2 a parent has distinct skills; however, the number and range of cries has increased: the I tripped/fell/crashed and I'm not hurt but it scared me cry; the I tripped/fell/crashed and I'm hurt but just a little cry; the I tripped/fell/crashed and YES I AM HURT cry; the I'm whiny hungry cry; the I need to go to bed cry; the I just need held cry; the I'm scared cry; the I wonder if someone will come running because I am crying cry; the whimper in my sleep because maybe I am having a bad dream cry; the I just got spanked and I deserve it cry (Or sometimes I just got spanked, but mom didn't spank me hard enough to count and I am still going to cry); the my sister is touching/grabbing/pinching me cry; and the mother of all - the SOMETHING IS REALLY TERRIBLY WRONG cry. As parents we have quickly learned that most of Hyat's crying is, well, fake. I mean there is point behind it and he often needs something, but he needs something that he is capable of asking for with words. But there are definitely cries that are real and demand immediate attention.

So onto Sunday night. Buck and I are cozy asleep in bed and the family is snoozing away, when suddenly I am bolt upright in bed as Hyat lets out his SOMETHING IS TERRIBLY WRONG RIGHT NOW CRY. I fly out of bed and barely make it out the bedroom door and Hyat is already coming around the corner to our room. I pick him up assessing if he is sick or hurt or had a bad dream or what. Seeing nothing, I calmly ask him what is wrong, but can't get a response with all of the sobbing. I ask him to calm down and use words to tell me what is wrong. To which I get:

[sob] [sob] my . . . [sob] bun--ny [sob] rab---bit [sob][sob]!

Meet bunny rabbit:


Bunny rabbit was purchased and placed in Hyat's Easter basket the Easter before last...so he was about 17 months at the time. When you squeeze he plays music. Hyat showed absolutely no interest in him. None. He made into a toy basket in Hyat's room, and I don't think we have seen him since. On Sunday morning, Hyat asked for his blue rabbit that plays music. So we dug through his toys until he found him. Bunny Rabbit had been with Hyat most of the day.... a trip to the grocery store with Buck, to my mom's house for the afternoon, during his nap, etc. However, at dinner he got set on the table to watch Hyat eat and there he remained. Following dinner was bath, story, bed. . . And Bunny Rabbit was still on the table. Lucky for me I remembered where Bunny Rabbit was so there was not a 1:30 a.m. search party. I told Hyat I would get the rabbit and put him back to bed. When I returned from downstairs Hyat clutched the rabbit like a long lost friend and quickly fell back to sleep. Bunny Rabbit has been Hyat's close companion all week.

Prior to the rediscovery of Bunny Rabbit Hyat was a Monkey toting boy:

Move over Monkey, Bunny Rabbit has stolen your place in Hyat's heart.
Over time Hyat has collected various items that have to go to bed with him as you can see from the collection in his bed. But look closely and you will see Bunny Rabbit clutched in his hands while he is fast asleep.

Monkey may have been replaced by Bunny rabbit, but Hyat still loves his green blanket and often goes to it for comfort!