He just had to do it in public!

Jacob had his first public meltdown today. I guess I should be grateful that it took this long to happen instead of embarrassed.

I was having lunch at First Watch with a friend when the event took place. He was doing ok. Rebekah said that he was cranky yesterday. I think he is teething. Everything was going ok at lunch. He was off, but seemed to be handling everything ok. I did make a fateful bad decision that I think change the course of the lunch...I forgot to bring in his paci!

Jacob reached a point when he didn't want food anymore. I gave him a toy out of his bag. When he was over that, I gave him another toy. This continued until I ran out of toys (at one point, one of the waiters picked up the 3 toys that he had thrown on the ground and that I have ignored). I put him in my lap and let him grab things out of his bag. He tried to knock me out with the hand sanitizer, but I bobbed and weaved and avoided that drama.

When he was over playing with toys and other random things in his bag, I put him down on the floor and gave him my keys. He stood close to me and did good and then he made a decision that ended the lunch. He sat down in the middle of the isle and wouldn't move. I then moved him and he decided that his best option was the scream and cry big tears. Well, that was the end of lunch. I tried to check out quickly, but with a screaming child and (what felt like) all eyes in the restaurant on you, it took some time.

I wanted to shout: "He is a good child. I am a good mother. I think he is teething and it is past his nap time. All he wants is his paci. He is normally so happy and cute." I'm sure that that event will not be talked about around dinner tables of the people who were still trying to enjoy their lunch, but for me it seemed like a really big deal.

To add insult to injury, he was a perfect angel on the way home. He cried for about 5 min and did get really mad when he couldn't get his sock off, but he quickly got over that and was smiling and laughing and talking.

I do think my child is teething and I will make sure I have 2 paci's in his bag from now on, that way if one gets taken out, I always have a back-up.

Just another fun parenting lesson to remind me that no matter how well I think I'm doing at this mommy thing and no matter how well I think I know my son, I still have a lot to learn!