Happy Hippo, Angry Duck

Julian likes it when I read to him. He has always liked me singing or talking to him, but now he's able to sit and "read" a book with me. He makes his own happy sounds as I read out loud. One of his favorite books right now is Happy Hippo, Angry Duck. This is a book one of my yoga friends gave me about moods. It says "Hello Little Person! How are you today? Is your mood quite terrific or only okay? Are you happy as a hippo? Or angry as a duck? Maybe sad as a chicken? Or you grumpy as a moose? Or excited as a dog? Worried as a rabbit? Contented as a frog? Perhaps like a pig you are sweetly amused. Or perhaps like a cow you're completely confused. You might feel that somehow you've lost all your fizz. Or you're frazzled like a um frazzled thing. I'm not sure what it is. Well, I hope you are happy. But if you are not, you have friends that will help you. We like you a lot. And a difficult mood is not here to stay. Everyone's moods will change day to day. Unless you're that duck. He's always that way." I love the wisdom in this book. The last two weeks have given us a chance to implement this wisdom. Julian had his first laugh 2 weekends ago and on that same day he also spent 2 hours crying on and off at Josh's parents house. Was it a new much bigger environment as we stepped into their house? Was it learning something new? Seeing a dog for the first time? Who knows. I only knew I had never had my boy cry this much, especially with me at the end of the day. So I nursed, I rocked, I walked him up and down Josh's parents long driveway (thank heavens cause there are no sidewalks where they are in Pembroke!) and finally he slept a bit, the fit subsided, he goes to bed and is all smiles next time he wakes. The following week I had my very first experience being sick and a mom. Worst combo ever! It was a sinus/cold thing and I didn't want to take any medication as I am breastfeeding. I did take Ibuprofen as that is safe and I needed something to help the sore throat, general eh feeling, and a low grade fever. Now before being a Mom, it sucked being sick, but I could sleep as much as I wanted when not teaching yoga. Not the case anymore. Not only am I up usually twice a night nursing the babe, I'm taking care of him during the day while Josh works. The cold hit on a Wed and I had to teach back to back classes on a Thursday night since I couldn't find a sub. I didn't complain.. much.. I realized being a Mom is something you just do, whether you are 100% or 50%. I remember that first morning waking up sick with my little guy who was slightly sick himself, but faring much better and all smiles at 6am, and I was feeling a bit resentful I couldn't crawl back to bed and then I said this little guy has no idea what I need, only what he needs right now... and he needs his mama. So I gave him a weak smile, told him mama wasn't feeling good or up for singing today, but let's try a quiet tune. And he smiled with that glint in his eye as if he understood, and it was ok with him. It just mattered I was there, 50% or 100%. And so back to this book. Happy Hippo, Angry Duck. This book tells children it's ok to just feel what they need to feel in each moment. We as adults are supposed to be the wise ones and we rarely give ourselves or others permission to be the angry duck or the grumpy moose, etc Julian is teaching me he'll take me as I am, just as long as I show up as fully as I can in that moment. And I am doing the same for him, taking him as he is, happy or grumpy and letting him show up in the moment. This will foster I hope and believe a loving supportive relationship for many years to come between he and I.