Passionate kisses.

It's so funny to me when people who spend minimal time around my child comment on his temperment as if they know him well and have spent lots of uninterrupted time with him. Funny that people, especially those who have children of their own, think that they fully comprehend the complexities of a child whose personality hasn't even finished devoloping and revealing itself to his 24-7 care-giver, a highly attuned and attentive mother.

So it's strange and laughable and somehow slightly irritating when I hear, "Oh, he's so easy going," or "He's a good baby." (By the way: they're ALL good babies. As babies it isn't so much about BEHAVIOR as it is TEMPERMENT.)

Let me, for the record, go ahead and write it out: Ziggy is the perfect baby. And I am the perfect mother. We belong to each other and we are a just right fit. That's what I mean by perfect.

But why oh why is my Ziggy calling my name and fussing a bit in the living room and I am here in the office two rooms away typing?

Because the little man has TEETH. And he uses them. My high needs baby boy is, by all appearances, a wonderfully tempermented easy going baby when he's in a sling, at the breast, in mama's arms, getting what he wants. Now, he ALWAYS gets what he needs, but what he wants, is a something altogether different. His passions, like his mother, I'm afraid, run strong and deep. He can LOVE so hard: kisses, hugs, cuddles, sweet looks. But in the face of being removed from danger or redirected from potential problems? My Ziggy can be a hellion. He hits. He bites. He throws food like the best of the poo-flinging monkeys. He screams and pulls hair and shakes me and tells me "nononononnono." And when today, after nights and nights and nights of sleep interrupted every.single.hour I needed to rest my eyes, Ziggy protested a nap by biting my already battered and bruised nipples and forearms and neck and cheeks. The last chomp on my left breast did it.

As he thinks "No" a riot of hilarity, and redirection only adds fuel to his fire, I today have gently but directly carried him to the living room and set him down. I've gated him so he's contained in a safe area and taken this five minute time-out for mama to cool off.

So now, I will go and love on my boy, and help him gentle down to restfulness, as we both need it so very very badly.