Phases

Good or bad, every thing a "just a phase" for a baby. Belle's new-found detestation for bath time, manifested by screaming while dangerously trying to climb out of the tub, will end at some point. In the meantime, I deal with quieter screams while I shower her. Yes, it involves me getting undressed, wet from the shower, and re-dressed. Indeed, she has peed on me more than once while I held her pre-shower. And, as was a concern with her climbing from the bathtub, babies are dangerously slippery when wet. But she most certainly tolerates the shower more than the bath, and her bath-hating days are just a phase.

And now Belle has found her shrieking voice. Her shrill shriek seems to indicate "NO!" and well as "YES!"; "NOW"; "I'M TIRED!"; "I'M HUNGRY"; "PUT ME DOWN!"; "PICK ME UP!"; "I WANT THAT TOY!"; "PACIFIER PLEASE!"; "THESE EGGS COULD USE SOME SALT!" For the record, it only seems fair to type out the translation of Belle's shrieks in caps since it gives a similar feel to how the screeching sounds. This, too, is a phase that will one day end.

Today, like her mother in her youth, Belle shrieked her way through her doctor's visit. She was especially uncooperative when the doctor took a tongue depressor and attempted to look at Belle's throat. Like her mother when she was younger (you, know, like 30), she proved an unpleasant patient today. It's just that my "bad patient" phase only (sort of) ended in my pregnancy- like during labor and delivery. I still shudder at the sight of needles and get tense when the needle approaches my skin. Heaven help the medical professional who has to give me a throat culture (though my friend Dr. Julie recently successfully got the cotton swab in and out of my throat without eliciting my usual screaming fit). Despite being the daughter of a doctor, I spent my life in the running to be named the world's worst patient. Anyway, this is all to say that Belle's behavior at the doctor today may have been influenced by her 102 fever, or it could be a phase. And if it's a phase, maybe it's a phase like my patient behavior is a phase: one that lasts a very long time.

I certainly hope that's not the case for her bath-hating, shrieking phases.

Her smiles still light up my world and her laughter sounds like rainbows and her affection (she has taken to interrupting her play time to crawl onto me or Craig just to give a hug; she then climbs down and continues playing) is truly heart-warming. It make all of her less-pleasant behavioral phases seems less significant (sure, I'll shower a baby who nuzzles her head into my neck affectionately after the shower is done and she's all clean and wrapped in her ducky towel).

Unfortunately for me, this stay-at-home/snuggle-all-morning wonderfulness is also just a phase and will end very soon...