Baby Lobbies for Full Attention After 3pm

Posted on December 17, 2011 Updated on December 17, 2011

As Maddie closes in on her 5-month-birthday, I am always stunned by her staggering sense of timing. I don’t know if it’s a matter of Circadian rhythms or if she has tagged me with one of those LoJack transmitter implants that people insert into their pets – but after 3pm, Maddie always knows two things for sure.

The baby senses the split second her father sits or lies down and she knows the exact moment he has finished preparing a meal. I know this because these actions (sitting down) or (completed food preparation) triggers a maniacal verbal reaction (screaming or crying) from my perpetually energetic bundle of love. It’s become so frequent that it is no longer a surprise, you can literally set your watch by it.

It is these specific moments where Maddie either suddenly feels slighted, abandoned or put upon and must retaliate with extreme prejudice. It also doesn’t matter where she happens to be at the time. She could be sitting in the kitchen with me, hanging from my arm or asleep in the crib, but it is always at that moment of relaxation or mealtime that Maddie chooses to act out.

As a result, we are always extra tired and get a steady diet of stone-cold meals – but c’mon, you have to admit that is more than a little impressive on Maddie’s side. Can she sense the relaxation setting in before she strikes? Does she secretly hear the salivary glands being triggered by the promise of a meal?

Whether Maddie is making sure that she is the center of attention or not, I always wonder how she knows. This afternoon, I had the baby monitor sitting on the desk behind me. I slipped off my shoes, put my feet up on the couch and bam!! Maddie rocked the house with loud protesting noises indicating that she was ready for pick up.

It’s also interesting that during the morning and early afternoon, this skill rarely comes into play because Maddie is such a happy baby during those times. It’s always right before the afternoon turns into evening where the whacky little girl goes on the hunt.

To be honest, I don’t really have a problem with it – I am just in complete awe that my daughter possesses such a sophisticated skill set before she can even eat solid foods or crawl.