Isaiah just had a rare pre-sleep meltdown. It lasted 30 minutes. The noise was similar to that of a child who has been denied every kind of right, pleasure, applesauce, and freedom known to a 9 month old. Every effort Nick and I made only made things worse. His screech oscillated between hollering at us and showing us his tonsils. I believe the neighbors were peering out behind their curtains, “Such lovely landscaping, such a questionable parenting tactics…”

Nick and I used to say that we would like four children. These days, we say, “We’re open to having 1 to 4 children.”