Cry, Baby

Dewdrop turned two months old not too long ago. She's rather fussy, much like the Oh at this age.

We would have been lost trying to soothe them without a nurse at the hospital telling us about a book "The Happiest Baby on the Block" by Dr. Harvey Karp. It saved the Oh and Dewdrop days of crying.

Basically the book suggests that some infants need a fourth trimester. He details the Five Ss: 1) swaddling, 2) side/stomach position, 3) shhh sounds, 4) swinging and 5) sucking--that recreates conditions in the womb. We weren't true believers until we saw the DVD and then actually tried it on the Oh. Most of the "techniques" are things you naturally do to soothe fussy babies: pacifiers, shooshing, swaying, etc.

Most days in those first three months the Oh required all five Ss. Dewdrop is a little better in that we can "turn off" her crying with three or four of the Ss. We don't recall the Happy Elf requiring much soothing, but that's his personality, low key and for the most part mellow.

We're convinced that the Oh and Dewdrop would have cried unceasingly for hours a day. Thanks to Dr. Karp it's only minutes a day and Dewdrop is turning into a decent sleeper too.

The best part is that I can actually be a big help with soothing of the newborns. Sugarpop can always offer a breast, but dads are stuck with what we learn from books and figure out on our own.

I pick up Drewdrop from her grandparents' house after three o'clock near everyday. I get to hold her and talk to her until Sugarpop arrives home. There are usually fussy times when we're at home, but for the most part I know how to calm her.

Today as we were driving home from the grandparents, Dewdrop was crying to beat the band. We got into the house and I took her out of her carseat. She calmed fairly quickly and opened her eyes. I could see that she was stressed and the beginnings of what will be tears were on her eyes.

She'll soon be able to generate real tears, tears that will well up, squirt out her eyes, soak her lashes, and splash down her cheeks. 

Dewdrop will shed many tears in her life--my wish is that they mostly be joyous ones. I hope as she grows that I can calm those sad tears as easily as I calmed her today.