All About the S

"Sleeping and Screaming" is how Orla described Clio's current phase. It's not all bad though-- she has been smiling and squealing a lot more, but boy oh boy is she getting to be a handful. She really does miss having the grandparents around and seems to get kinda bored with Orla and I. You can keep her entertained for about 10 mins and then she wants to move on to something else.

And when she wants something she can let you know in no uncertain terms. Her little grunts and groans have been replaced with a scream that most closely resembles the whistle of a bomb dropping. She can hit an octave that was previously unheard in the Philp household. Even the hummingbirds outside will stop feeding and peek in to see if everything is OK. Roxy hides in the closet and Orla and I run around like a team of field medics under enemy fire trying to find the right combination of things to calm her.

"Blanket! We need the blanket!"
"Where is that bloody soother?!"
"I'm going to try the bouncer, she's too overstimulated from the swing she--"
"It's too late she's going into a meltdown!"
"Oh quick get her out of that swing, she's escalating!"
"Swaddling blanket! Get that swaddling up here front and center!"

Swaddled tight, shakey shakey shakey, shhhshhhshhhshhh, stick her soother in... And just like that-- snap! It's over. She's laying on her pillow smiling in her sleep. Not a care in the world.

Yesterday I noticed for the first time I have some grey hairs sticking out of my head.

Did I tell you she gave me a big huge gummy grin this morning when I started talking to her? :)