Tears and Giggles

As I sat anxiously in the hospital wheelchair, Rae in front of me soundly sleeping safely buckled into her car seat, waiting for dad to drive up to the door I gained some interesting insight into our little girl. She does not concern herself with the wails and sobs of others. The peaceful quiet in the hospital foyer was immediately disrupted when the elevators doors opened and the screeching cries of another newborn heading home shattered the silence. I turned to see if Rae was disturbed by this intruder...she was not. In fact, she slept through his high pitched wailing and I swear she let out an exsacerbated sigh (similar to the ones her father often makes). I jokingly told my mother that my child had no empathy.

I did not give it much thought after the sliding doors shut behind us, effectively ending his serenade, but her can't be bothered by tears attitude morphed into one that finds the sounds of sorrow to be amusing. The first time she laughed at my tears it made me cry even harder, which of course made her laugh more. Over and over she would crack grins and giggles at the sound of someone's sorrow. It also unlocked a tool for us to whip out whenever she is crying...and it works! During the middle of a tantrum, complete with crocodile tears, I will pretend to cry...heaving my shoulders up and down while wailing. She laughs. Sometimes it is a cry/laugh combo, but she laughs and I'll take it because it is enough to distract her from whatever she was pitching a fit over.

What is funnier is when she laughs at cartoons and sitcoms. Sometimes it is very subtle and other times it is a full blown belly laugh. My kid has very little empathy for others and it cracks me up. I have started telling her that the person she is laughing at is hurt, upset, or might need help, but I still can't help laughing at her wicked sense of humor.

Rae listening to Meg on Family Guy cry.