Revision

I am used to being good at things. Well, at least competent. This parenting thing has really tested my faith in myself and my abilities. Sometimes being a parent is like performing voodoo — you don’t know what you did or how you did it, but somehow it worked. More often than not, it seems to be trial and error.

Sometimes you’ll ask yourself, “Why is this child crying?”

And you run through the list in your head. Not hunger. Not thirst. Not in need of a change of diaper. Not tired. Not … well, any number of other things you can think of. Then you start wondering: Is it me? Does she just not like me? Or do I just stink at this?

Sometimes you’ll ask, “Why? Oh! Why won’t she sleep in her crib?” (She’ll sleep anywhere but.)

Other times, like a miracle from God Himself, you manage to place your baby in her cradle and, lo! and behold! She falls fast asleep.

“How did I manage this incredible feat?” you’ll ask yourself (once you manage to sneak out of the room without waking her up).

Then you realize, these mercurial little creatures are on their own time, their own schedule and, seemingly, their own agendas. So, I need to remember that, when she cries for no reason that I can fathom, it has nothing to do with my skills (or lack thereof). It’s just a baby being a baby. She’ll sleep in her crib when she gosh darn feels like it. So there! Ha ha!

That being said, praise the Lord! She’s asleep in her crib! Right now, at this moment, Annabelle is ASLEEP IN HER CRIB! All together now: Geneen got Annabelle to sleep in her crib! Hurray!

Anyway, I fully expect your congratulations to pour in — lauding me for my amazing ability (newly acquired, and likely fleeting) of getting the baby to sleep in her crib.