When you're only half-way up

Last night in the tub I was singing that song to Elliot about "The Grand Old Duke of York," which ends with the observation that "when you're up you're up, and when you're down you're down, but when you're only half-way up you're neither up nor down."* As you can imagine, this is a fun bathtime song as it involves standing and sitting and thus SPLASHING.

But anyway, today it occurs to me that the song is also an apt description of Elliot's mornings lately. This week, in the mornings, Elliot has been such a crab. He's never been one of those babies who will contentely play in their cribs upon waking (like Anni) or go back to sleep if given some milk and a hug (Gilly). Normally, when Elliot's up, he's up. But this week! No! He's been waking up early, and pissy, and clingy, and groggy. He doesn't want to be left alone or kept company or read to or played with or fed. He just wants to sort of go "mwah mwah mwah mmWAAAAAAAA" for a while. And I am willing to get up early with my child, I really am. But it is a little painful to get up with him WHEN HE DOES NOT WANT TO BE UP HIMSELF.

Earlier on the week there were some teething issues, and that is different, and I was very sympathetic to that. But we seem to be over that now (unless these are just special teething issues that only occur between the hours of 5:30 and 7:00 am) and I am loosing some patience here, my friends.

* I have never typed the lyrics to this song before, and thus only when I was typing it did I realize that I never ever say "neither up nor down," though surely those must be the words. But how awkward and formal! I always sing "neither up or down." But I couldn't quite bring myself to type it that way.