The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1953-06-05
A NEW BABY
IN THE HOUSE
By CARLTON MORRIS
Editor Gates County Index

There's a little baby at our
house and there is never dull
or dry moment in a manner of
speaking. Papas and mamas the
world over know from whence
/ speak.
Our little baby has the most
unusual habits and hours. He
likes to sleep while the rest of
the world is awake and he in
variably likes to remain awake
while the rest of us want to
sleep. There is only one draw
back as I see it. He will not re-
main alone, he must have COM
pany and my wife and I are
very poor company for one of
such tender years, especially at
3 in the morning.
However he is in complete
command of the situation and
has not had any appreciate or
noticeable trouble in having us
attend his every whim. He starts
out with tiny whimper, which
is his sympathy getter act. He
is saying in effect. Don't you
see what tiny fellow I am, and
how helpless" Then he begins
to cough and tries to strangle
himself. That is his 'I'll scare
the daylights out of them," act.
If the better half and I are so
far gone as to fail to notice
these two acts, he goes into his
final and most convincing de-
monstration of who's who at our
house. He kicks off all covers
and gives out with blood curd-
ling yell that would do justice
to an Indian on the war path.
And he is on the warpath. He
starts yelling loud enough to be
heard in the adjoining county
and he gradually builds up the
volume. By that time the wife
is frantically trying to get the
milk warm and 1 am peering
carefully into his diaper leg.
pull the two-pin pants off and
wait for his mother to get back
with the milk so she can COM
plete the change, me not being
too good with safety pins. That
is a changeable baby.
Full of milk and having let
two or three good burps, baby
is then ready to make a night
of it. Never does his eyes shine
brighter than at 4 a. m. He
looks the situation over with
an air of contentment. The scales
say he only weighs IL pounds
but at that time of the new
day, he seems to weigh at least
100 pounds.
When it is my turn to amuse
him, / am quite often fooled in
to believing he will lie in his
own little bed while I snooze
just little longer, but such is
not to be. The moment he
touches his bed, he begins to
squirm, and suddenly I remem-
Der and carefully remove his
safety pins again. Then am
obliged to call my wife to put
'eml back on again. She gets up
and rocks him until he falls
asleep. YEARLY she climbs back
into bed and is asleep instantly.
Almost Immediately, our little
baby begins his sympathy act
and knowing the wife is about
exhausted, I hastily get up and
start to work with those safety
pins. This time l don't want to
disturb her SO after considerable
effort on my part and no cooper
alton on his part, I succeed in
making the necessary change. ]
could swear, our baby is wear
ing sort of contemptuous look
as he observes my unskilled eff
forts, to dry him again. He is
also hungry again.
AS the sun peeps over the
trees, he falls asleep wearing
the most beautiful and beatific
smile imaginable. This time !
place him in his crib without a
protest. I shed my pajamas and
a little YEARLY begin to climb
into my clothes preparatory to
starting breakfast and another
Gay.
I reckon we will keep him
though. We love the guy.