A Look Back

(bedtime...or so we hoped)


Maybe it's because I'm consumed by Sweeps - the television ratings period where everything we do is dramatically heightened for maximum emotional impact - but I was looking through some pictures and decided it was time for a brief highlight reel of Lila's early days.

It's a little late for a one-year retrospective of La Vida Lulu, but if any of you had a fussy infant you might understand that the first 2 months were a teary and confused blur for both Lila and me. It was only in the weeks just before Thanksgiving that I was able to shower on a daily basis and complete the simplest of tasks without bursting into tears. Her fussiness didn't ease up in a significant way until the middle of January, but it was a year ago almost exactly when we saw a glimpse of hope, thanks to a crucial decision.



(first bath)


We had started out with a matronly pediatrician who was dismissive and remote, and the final straw with her came one day in early November when, debilitated by back spasms, I hobbled into her office for the flu nasal mist (the less desirable alternative to the scarce flu shot) and was reprimanded by her staff for stating aloud to the receptionist my purpose for being there. I said I was there for the flu shot (I had forgotten the exact verbiage "nasal mist" and figured they would know what I was talking about) and apparently someone in the waiting room felt outraged that our pediatrician was doling out precious flu shots to adults (since babies under 1 year aren't given flu shots, it is fairly standard course is to inoculate the parents). A nurse took me into a waiting room and told me in harsh terms that I had gotten them all into trouble. As I limped home, I can recall the humiliation of letting out one uncontrollable sob that caused a stranger in front of me to cross to the other side of the street.

The next day I brought my fussy bundle of rage to Dr. Bess R., a sunny woman in her early 30's who suggested I try all the wives tales remedies for colic, promised me that I had a healthy, beautiful baby who would soon mellow out, and gave me a pat on the shoulder of reassurance that my previous doctor seemed too stingy to administer. She also taught me a nifty party trick where she pushed Lila's knees hard into her belly 3 times...Lila giggled the first 2 passes, and then let out an enormous fart on the third. Rarely has broken wind smelled so sweet.


(Infancy...when male pattern baldness symptoms are adorable)


A week later at our regular appointment, Dr. Bess gave us a strategy for putting Miss Lulu to bed at night. We had been putting her down for the night (in theory) at 10, and she told us to put her down earlier, as early as 6:30, as late as 7:30. This sounded like madness to me. She also told us to give her a bath, nurse her, then do one thing to separate nursing from bed (she suggested a book or a song), then put her down in her crib awake, turn out the light and leave the room. This plan made about as much sense to me as putting her crib in the street and hoping the sound of traffic would soothe her down to slumber. Lila had never slept longer than 4 hours in a row, and had never fallen asleep without being rocked or shushed.

That night she slept 8 hours in a row. Woke once and went back down without a fuss for another 4.

I now worship at the altar of Dr. Bess.



(One of my favorite photos of Lulu and her dad)