no baby has ever died from crying

that's one piece of advice that has always stuck in my mind. but seems like singaporeans are afraid to hear a baby cry. everytime i bring eliana out, and she so much as whimpers, i get stared at.

today i got into the lift with a middle aged lady. eliana was crying as i had just taken her out of the car and interrupted her sleep. immediately the lady jumped on the fact that eliana was in her baby carrier and told me that she MUST be crying becos she was in the carrier. "It's too hot," she said in Hokkien, "you should just carry her in your arms". later as eliana continued to cry, the lady surmised that "she MUST be wanting milk". through all this i just smiled at the lady, not wanting to engage in conversation, partially cos my hokkien is terrible. and finally (yes, all these comments in the short span of a lift ride), before getting off, she asked if i was taking care of eliana alone. "yes", i said. and she gave me a kinda withering look like i was an inept mother and said "oh".

sigh. babies cry. that's the only language they know. and sometimes, they cry for no discernable reason. so please, before dispensing your gratituous advice, consider that the parents care more for the baby than you do, and would certainly have tried all means to calm the baby down.