The Baby Bubble

We have officially been home now for almost 9 days. Sunday is Grace's one month birthday! Don't worry I won't go all Dooce on your ass and write Grace a sappy one-month letter... or if I do, I won't bore ya'll with it here.

Instead, I'll just stick with the facts:
Number of diapers used so far (Pampers Swaddlers for P up to 6 lbs) 64
Current nicknames:
Miss Poopy
Monkey
Miss Thing
Lovey
Fussy
Kissy face
Stinker
Miss Tootie

We have fun by:
Reading together. (she's not quite reading yet, but I know she's very close.)
Making out. (She tolerates me tickling her, kissing all over her chubby little cheeks, and biting her foot. She responds to all of this with an occasional smile, more often she just grabs my face and pushes, or attempts to suck on my nose.)
Swaddling. Always a challenge to see how neatly and tightly I can wrap her up like a little burrito, and how quickly she can houdini her little arms right out of the blanket. Then she dramatically throws her hand across her face for effect, or sucks the second knuckle of her right thumb.
Sharing the boppy with the cat or the computer.
Bath time! Her, not me. Oh, hell. when did I last shower?
Farting on Aunt Jamie, my roommate. Right now that would just be a hobby of Grace's, although I'm not ruling it out in the future.
Seeing how far across the room I can make my milk squirt. This entertains guests much more than it entertains the baby.
Riding in the car, listening to current faves...License to Ill, Joan Jett Greatest Hits, and Van Morrison
Eating at the buffett... 2 choices, all the time. Left or Right?
Featuring: The Nostril- Teaser, The Nose-Wrinkle-Smackdown-Chomp, The Lip Smacker,
The Two-Fisted Smash and Grab, and my favorite... The Milk Drunk, where she's full and spent, with milk smeared across her face, dripping from her mouth, eyes rolled back, smile on face, and she sticks the nipple in her ear and passes out.




Crazy sleep deprived moment: 2 am. Her eyes are droopy. My eyes are droopy. I decide that she must have Down Syndrome, obviously all the so-called experts at St. Luke's somehow missed this. I immediately get on line and spend 2 hours searching for pictures of babies with DS, as well as other premature babies, in order to compare and contrast. The next day the pediatrician laughs at me.
On her second visit to us, the home health nurse waited as I tried to remember a question I wanted to ask her. She interrupted and said: "Does your baby have Down Syndrome again?" with a grin on her face.
"No, but next week she'll have autism... and possibly CP."
Of course, I've already diagnosed her at various times with constipation, seizure disorder, big foot syndrome, flat-butt, snotty-eye, gas, acid reflux, flyaway hair, and a few other things. The doc does not agree with all of my assessments, but she did get some baby zantac for her lil tummy. As well as some baby Mylicon for the gas...good lord, where did this child get all this gas, and utter lack of inhibition about letting it fly? Shaddup.

Overall... things are good. She's perfect most of the time, cuter than hell all of the time, a bit colicky some of the time. I'm getting enough rest not to be too mean or crazy, grateful for my roommate and her willingness to hang out with Grace in the evening while I nap, and happy that she's gaining weight... up to 5 lbs 12 oz!