- I find it fascinating the circus acts a parent will perform to stop their baby from crying. There’s the march. Like a soldier on guard, a parent will march their infant back and forth across the room, in perfect time and cadence, literally wearing a hole in the carpet with their repetitive steps. There’s the positional hold. Where as when you first brought your infant home and you were like “watch her head” as you cradled her in the nook of your arms; that quickly changes as the crying crescendos. You become like a stunt man, safely manipulating your child into a multitude of creative positions to somehow help that ever elusive bubble of gas escape from their little body. I’m sure most yoga positions and that chair on TV for back problems that turns upside down, were all invented by the parent of a gassy baby. Some employ sound. I’ve personally tried a vacuum cleaner, a clothes dryer, humidifier, music, my own voice, an exhaust fan, running water, and a white noise app on my phone. Sometimes a car ride is the trick. My Mother swore by it, for me. A normally civilized adult can become a blubbering idiot, imitating cartoon voices to sing songs we thought were lost in our own childhood forever. Sadly, what works today, may not work tomorrow. But their is no sweeter feeling of victory, than when your baby charming technique is a success and your little one falls into dreamland (at least until it’s time to be fed, changed, and it starts all over).
- Ben is on the mend from the flu. Chloe is a step ahead of him. She’s better, but still not 100%. I feel like I’m on the cusp of feeling better; it just continues to elude me. Bailey remains miraculously healthy. Today, Chloe and I were well enough to go to the church to practice for tomorrow’s live Nativity. Bailey came along since I’m her walking/talking food source. It was decided that Bailey will play the part of baby Jesus. A lot of actors were up for the part, but seeing that she’s the only newborn, she was a shoo-in. As a fanatically attached mother, this landed me a role as an angel to keep guard over the manger. Chloe was to be an angel, but in true Chloe fashion, decided she didn’t want to wear the costume, but still wants to stand up there with all the other kids. Insert aggravated sigh here. I brought it home and my plans for the evening are to somehow reverse psychology that costume on her. Wish me luck. Chloe was very hyper at the practice and disobeyed me approximately 87 times. This got her 86 warnings and one light swat on her diaper padded backside, to which she wailed like I had burned her with hydrochloric acid. So glad her Daddy will be there tomorrow. He’s so much better at the fear factor than me. It’s like she knows I’m a sucker.
- Once home, Chloe calmed and has been my little helper. Every time I go to change Bailey’s diaper, she appears at my side like a little sneaky ninja. She gets the diaper for me. Of course, she only wants to use the ones with Elmo on them. So the nursery floor is covered with Big Bird and Cookie Monster discards. She was quick to help me with lunch dishes. She scooted a kitchen chair over to the sink, crushing my toes in the process and spilling enough water in the floor, that we ended up mopping as well. I wrapped presents with my little elf helper. If you get a present with extra pieces of crinkled tape all across the top; know that it was secured with love. She’s also been eager to help with all aspects of Bailey’s care. She finds it helpful to grab Bailey’s head and kiss it while Bailey is trying to nurse. She also feels that when Bailey is almost asleep, that’s the best time to screech “she’s so sweet Momma!” I’m taking it all in stride, cause at least she doesn’t want me to take Bailey back. Although she did just tell me to put Bailey in her bassinet so I could hold her instead.
That is all 🙂
