Confessions of an Infant

I feel like putting what ever I see into my mouth as that is the only thing I am used at six months of age. I have a taste for milk. I think that other things around me also will have a have a taste. So, I lick surfaces, toys, mouth my hands and feet, and every thing else I can reach.

My mother and everyone else remove my fingers from my mouth or take away anything else I can take it to my mouth. Fortunately they can't take my fingers away! 

I do not usually put a ball or a sound maker or soft toy into my mouth because I learned that a ball can roll, a sound maker makes sounds when I shake it or I can feel the soft toy close to me.  It is when I do not know what to do with objects or toys placed around me that I do the only thing I know since I was born- taste them. 

My mother is desperate to stop me from mouthing my thumb. I cry to let her know that I have nothing else to do when I am awake. There are no  objects hanging on my bed for me to feel or any  pictures on the wall around my bed that I can look at or any picture book that I can explore by turning the pages. 

I lie awake in my bed for hours because all those around me feel that I will get hurt if I am left to move about on the floor. When I cry someone will come to feed me or put me back to sleep. I am not crying for food or because I am wet. I am crying because I am bored with nothing to do.  

How can I lie down on my bed for too long looking at the ceiling. There is not even a fan that rotates in the ceiling that can occupy for a short while because the room is air conditioned. 

I like having toys, people and activities around me. I wish you will make me sit in a chair where I can see all the things happenings in the house and around. I wish someone will have time to talk, sing and touch me. I often feel lonely. 

It is when I feel lonely I pacify myself with sucking my thumb. If I do not get what I need, why blame me for sucking my thumb! Why are you going from doctor to doctor to seek help for my habit which  is only an adjustment process? Try being with me and see how this habit you like the least, would fade away.

I cry, no one notices my loneliness; I suck my thumb, everyone notices me. That is what I wanted.

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)