Not Your Typical Hickie

Patrick made me want to cry just now. He was getting fussy, so I was holding him and playing with him, trying to get him to stay awake longer. He did his usual thing of pulling himself close to me and hiding his face in my shoulder. It's the sweetest thing, but sometimes he decides to "kiss" my shoulder while he's there, and it's not so much fun when those kisses include teeth, like this one did. The other times he's bitten my shoulder, I've screamed, "Ow!" which is my instant reaction, and then put him down. Today, though, I reacted by screaming and then giving him a little swat on his diaper and telling him, "No! You don't bite Mommy's shoulder!" I held him back from me so he could see my face to tell I was serious. While looking into my eyes, his lip did the pouty thing that he hasn't done in a while and then quivered, and he started crying. I felt so rotten for punishing him harshly enough to make him cry. The mommy part of me pulled him to me and held him close, comforting him. The logical, teacher part of me realizes that if it affected him enough to make him cry that maybe he understood this time. This side of me can see the hickie on my shoulder that still stings and recognize that I did the right thing, as much as it hurt.

Ummm, I remember having several more stories to pass on today, and suddenly now I can't think of a single one. I guess I can confess what a bad mother I've been the past few days. Patrick is filthy; he hasn't had a bath since Friday. And he hasn't worn any clothes at all since we got home on Saturday night. It was warm enough in the house that I stripped him down right away and left him as a diaper baby ever since. He's enjoyed practicing the whole velcro thing the last couple of days, as he's managed to work that diaper at least partway off twice already today. I've been very lucky that he left all the important parts covered. Yes, I am planning to bathe and dress him when he wakes up from his afternoon nap. Maybe I'll even take a few pictures, if I can catch any during those few minutes he actually stays clean after a bath.

I'm still planning to download the pictures on my camera, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. I'm also still planning a post about my brother's move to California, if I can figure out exactly what I want to say about it. In the meantime, I guess I should put up that clean laundry sitting in the middle of the floor and put that pile of sheets back on my bed. (Yes, all you who know me...be amazed that I am actually staying busy doing housework!)