Monkey’s almost 4 months old & we had about twenty minutes yesterday that were unlike any of the other days in Monkey’s life.
When he’s awake he gets my undivided attention. I don’t get on the computer. I don’t talk on my phone. I’m totally in the moment with him & we both seem to love it.
He smiles & I smile. We “talk” to each other. Look in the mirror. Play with blocks. Sing. Read books & many other things. He is always a happy little guy. And that’s not an exaggeration either.
But yesterday was a different story.
He was a little crankypants & I didn’t know what I was doing wrong, if anything. Maybe he was just having an “off” day. I’m sure babies have those kinds of days too.
So I did what any other new mom would do – I took Mr. Crankypants shopping. Of course he was an angel while we were out & about. When we got home I saw that my Ergo baby carrier had come in & I was eager to try it out.
I put Crankypants in the Ergo & as soon as I opened the front door the screaming started. Now, you have to remember that my child, while not perfect, does not scream. Like ever. I was convinced that his screaming would come to a stop when we walked to the neighbors to hand deliver Halloween candy so that I do not get fat just eating it.
I was wrong.
The screaming increased… to the point of a lady walking her dog looking at me & saying something. I had to yell, “What?” from across the street because my child was screaming that loudly. She said that she remembered those days. I wanted to tell her, “Oh no, you don’t understand… he’s never like this”, but I just took her sympathy & walked to the neighbor’s front door.
We came home & the screaming continued. At this point I just knew that I had inflicted some sort of pain on my child by placing him in the carrier. I’m not a rock scientist, but I get how the Ergo works & I’m pretty sure that I did it correctly. I took the carrier off though because I knew that would calm him down.
But again, I was wrong.
I tried everything & nothing worked. Finally after maybe 15 minutes of him crying & shaking from crying so much, he stopped, looked at me & smiled from ear to ear. While I smiled right back, so thankful that the screaming stopped, I really wanted to say, “What the eff was that, little dude?”
& there hasn’t been one scream since. Thank you God.
PS – While he was screaming, I did change his diaper, try to feed him, hold him, distract him with toys, tv, anything that I could find. I burped him. Nothing helped. Nothing.
You might also want to read:
- Oh. My. Gosh. – Lunching with a screaming child makes me want to pull my hair out
- Phone ringing, baby screaming, doorbell dinging, & dog crying
- Loving green grapes, but I think I should stop eating them (possibly TMI)
- “Baby Mine” song + Monkey = Tears & Happy Thoughts
- Does my mom just like to complain or am I doing this first-time mom thing wrong?
= a post from Mommy Jane 
= a post from Daddy Tarzan
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow, I can’t believe this is the first time he screamed. I’m treated to that behavior a little more often, despite showering him with 100% of my attention, sometimes he fusses. But it’s funny you mentioned the Ergo. I just bought one too because I had been using a cheap front pack and it was becoming to uncomfortable to use because of Henry’s size. I started using the stroller for our walks for a while and then just got the Ergo. I’ve tried to use it a few times and he screams his head off every time!! I tried to explain that it cost me $100 and he better figure out how to love it, but not sure it’s gonna happen:) I think he prefers the stroller, I’ll keep trying the Ergo, it may be their age, you’re supposed to have an “infant insert” prior to 4 months which we don’t have, I’m thinking he may like it more when he’s a bit older and it feels more comfortable, or I’ll just wait ’till I have another pregnant friend and I’ll give it to her as a primo shower gift! Anyway, good luck, hope the fussing stays at bay, wouldn’t wish the screaming on anyone.
My kid has done that once or twice when he had to fart. That’s all there was to it. Then he was fine.
ditto on the fart thing. i was equally confused by the endless screaming until i “felt” the problem release. and then the big smile
like jekyll and hyde. but much less sinister.
sounds like you have a great kid! i have heard that the screaming goes on and on for some . Can I put in an order for a kid like yours?
Yea mine cries all the time so when she does it I’m used to it lol. I never know how to fix it but constantly keep trying til I’m out of ideas. If nothing helps she ends up tiring herself out and falling asleep! I would also like to put in an order for a change of temperament
I agree out the fart thing. As Monkey gets older, if you find him doing that in addition to drooling and mouthing everything, it could be related to teething. We had that happen with our usually happy little guy when his teeth started coming through.
Interesting. *taking notes for when my baby gets here in January*
Glad to hear Monkey stopped screaming!
My kiddo has done the same thing. He was also a lot quieter those first couple of months. He never cried only fussed when he was hungry. He’s now 1 and he is a lot more vocal
. You’ll both adjust and figure everything out.
He could have decided that yesterday was the day he wanted to experiment with his voice. Sometimes they just get intrigued by the sounds they can make…
I second the possibility of teething although he stopped pretty fast. I had my little guy at the doctor’s office when I thought he was sick a couple weeks ago and I told them he just “wasn’t himself”. They explained that it can be anything from teething to a tummyache and to just keep watching him for signs of a problem. In my case, he did come down with the flu two days later but he was fussy all day, not just for a short spell.
It must be so frustrating for them to be uncomfortable and not have any words or way to communicate the problem other than to scream and watch us try to guess what they need!!
I know how frustrating it is when they scream. My little one will scream for burps or farts and than turn around and smile and laugh.
That is a mystery…I wonder what triggered the screaming…Just be glad he stopped. It could be as simple as an article of clothing that just doesn’t feel right. I tried to take my little one on a walk today and it was pretty cold out so I attempted to put a hat on her and OMG…She screamed bloody murder! When I took the hat off, she stopped screaming. Put the hat back on and she started up again. Being a school teacher, I thought to myself…Great, she’ll probably grow up to be one of “those” kids who never wears their hat and mittens outside for recess.
Teething! My baby was the same way until teething began around 4 months and he turned into a screaming monster everyday around 4:00 pm. Nothing could make him stop either!
My little man has been colicky since he was born, until we found a formula that works well for him. Usually his crying fits are due to gas, exhaustion, or he needs to poop! SO glad he stopped for you though! I’m just now able to enjoy my little guy b/c he’s not so miserable!
My daughter did that once. But I think it was my fault. She was fine and then I tensed up when I heard a strange sound. I immediately realized it was the dog, so I calmed down, but the damage was done.
Fifteen minutes later, she stopped as suddenly as she had started. Thank the heavens.
My son is 15 weeks and has started having random screaming fits just in the past week or two. He’s always been really fussy, but never a screamer. Glad I’m not the only one!
It could be teeth, or gas or some sort of sensory overload. My oldest had one episode where she screamed and screamed. Finally, after exhausting all the other options, I stuck her in a warm bath. After a bit, she settled down and was happy the rest of the evening. I think it might have been gas or something and the water helped it move along.
The second child was in a sling all the time, but it was a pouch one and she was cradled carried until about four months, when I switched the kangaroo carry position. Now she rides on my hip, but when we’re out and she’s tired, it’s the only way she will fall asleep.
Early teething or gas perhaps? It was mentioned above. I used to take my little guys feet and knees and lay him on my lap and rotate his knees in a circular motion into his tummy by holding his ankles to massage his tummy and put light pressure on it when he got gassy.