Wow. Didn't realize that.

So everyone in my family laughs at my latest realization:  Ari was a high strung baby.  They were like, "How did you NOT know?"  Well, I'll explain it.

When you are not the parent of the child, you only get to see the good-ish parts of having a baby. Like the sleeping and the eating and the cuteness.  Sure, you sometimes get the gross parts (soiled diapers, spit up, etc) but for the most part, you get the good.  And when the unhappiness sets in, you hand them back to the parents and think nothing more of it.

And that's why I didn't know.  With Ari, I just figured, "Huh, this must be what happens when I hand them back." And since Ari was my first, I had nothing to compare her to which would let me know she was high strung.

And then Karys showed up.  She's so mellow!  Smiley and happy and barely ever cries.  Oh, and she actually cries!  She doesn't scream, she just cries. She's not freaked out by going poopy like Ari was.  She will actually sleep in a bassinet!  So far she will willingly take breast milk from a bottle!  And she doesn't mind riding in cars!  Riding in a car with Ari when she was a baby required two people: one to sit in the back and try to unsuccessfully keep her from screaming her head off, and another to drive.  Karys is content to actually sleep on the car ride...provided she has a full belly.

Now I know what it's like to have an easy baby.  It's kind of freaky in a way. But it's also just what I need...because I can't imagine trying to deal with a high strung baby AND take care of Ari at the same time.