Giggles

Linden is always a lot of fun to be around, but she's been extra fun ever since she started to giggle.

She's been flashing us smiles for months and laughing from time to time, but it's been only in the past month that we've been able to really get her going.

Things that make Linden crack up include mom rocking her (LB's) behind from side to side while calling her a wiggle worm, me giving her a strawberry on her belly (is that what they call it? I need someone to catch me up to speed on dad terms), and looking at herself in the mirror. It's a great parenting reward that keeps you coming back despite the difficult times.

Linden went through spell of puking most days. Each time it came with little warning though sometimes you could sense it was coming, like an old man sensing an upcoming storm through his bum knee. One time while feeding Linden I stopped to burp her because she'd paused. As I stood up, I sensed she was going to spew up the entire bottle. In that same moment, a calm came over me as I turned her face toward my neck and shoulder, playing the bodyguard for whatever was behind me on our floor.
As the warm, sticky formula slowly soaked through to my skin I felt I'd reached a milestone as a parent. One that, previous to Linden's arrival, I thought may never come. Let me explain.

I have a distinct memory of my brother-in-law Jesse getting showered in a gush of baby spew a few years ago. The amount of liquid that coated Jesse and the floor was at first shocking (how does so much come out from something so small?!) and then repulsive. I thought, then and there, I just may not be cut out for parenting.

So I peeled off my shirt and began the (now routine) Murphy's oil floor cleaning and felt a sense of pride.