A Frolic With Colic
“Hi there, Gracie Girl!” I said.
“Don’t you ‘Gracie Girl’ me, Mom,” she said. “We are fighting.”
“What?!?!” I screeched. “Why?”
“Because you think I have colic.”
“Now, I said I wasn’t sure. But your doctor and I think you might have a TOUCH of colic.”
“I don’t have colic, Mom,” Gracie insisted.
“Are you sure?” I asked. “Because you kind of seem like you might…”
“Now, wait just a minute,” Gracie said. “What makes you say that?”
“Well, you’re crying at certain times of the day…”
“So?”
“…for a couple hours…”
“So?”
“…for two weeks now.”
“I don’t know WHAT you’re talking about,” said Gracie.
“Gracie, colic doesn’t make you a bad baby. It’s just part of who you are right now and it’ll pass soon.”
“Did it ever occur to you, Mom, that I am crying because I have NEEDS? I mean, I’m not a potted plant.”
“Well, of course that occurred to me. But sometimes you cry when your diaper is clean, your tummy is full, you’ve been played with, you’ve taken a nap, and all seems like it should be right in your world. Those times when the crying won’t stop, it just seems like colic might be the answer.”
“You’re forgetting one very important need, MOTHER,” snapped Gracie. “My need for attention.”
“Attention?”
“Yes, attention,” she said. “I have a constant need for attention.”
“Great,” I muttered. “I’ve birthed a middle schooler…”
“I heard that.”
“You know, Gracie,” I said slowly. “Sweet little coos would get you attention, too. It doesn’t have to be screaming for hours.”
“Yeah, but you’d never hear those coos over Bean. That dude is LOUD.”
“HEY!” objected Bean.
“I’m just sayin’,” said Gracie. “I don’t think this is colic. I think you just need to pay more attention to me.”
“Oh, my Itty Bitty,” I said gently. “If I paid any more attention to you, there wouldn’t be time for me to do anything else in my day.”
“I see no problem here?”
“I would love nothing more than to sit and hold you all day long and nibble your ears…”
“Again, not seeing the problem…” she said.
“…but I can’t do that, sweet love. So, we’re going to have to compromise here.”
“And what do you suggest as a compromise?”
“Well, how about I’ll snuggle you really good every day and you stop the crying for no reason?”
“Hmmm…” she thought. “That would certainly free up a lot of time in my evenings…”
“Me, too,” I grumbled.
“I heard that!” she snapped.
“Sorry.”
“Maybe we could work out that compromise,” Gracie said after thinking it over. “But if I cut back on my crying for no reason, you have to stop calling this colic. No baby wants to have that label, Mom. It hurts our image.”
“Deal!” I said.
“Deal!” she said.
“I’m glad we worked through this, Itty Bitty,” I said. “I’d much rather spend that time snuggling than trying to stop the crying.”
“Me, too,” said Gracie thoughtfully. “Though, I’m still going to require you to walk me around the house while you bounce me for about an hour a day. That’s just good, clean fun.”
“Okay,” I sighed. “Fine.”
“Oh, goody! Everybody wins!”
31 Comments
Alaina
I love the dialogue! Poor Gracie…no baby wants that label 🙂 Not cool, Mom, not cool….
Jenn
They said my kid had colic. It started around 1 month and soon they figured out it was acid reflux. Even if she isn’t spitting up a lot, but if she’s crying after eating, she might have it. The medicine SAVED us and she was done with it by 4 months. Good luck. This too shall pass. She’s just beautiful!
Tara@ Thats a Wrap
Our son was in a similar boat only to find out the cause was an immature digestive track. Our saving grace (ha ha didn’t catch that till I wrote it) was infant gas drops and yep I bought all brands. Then also switching from playtex drop ins to Dr Browns bottles. He was instantly soothed as I guess he was still getting small air bubbles as he could not latch onto them as deep due to issue with deep sucking aka suckling. Heck who knew that there was so much to learn with little ones! Truly I never even knew that eating is a different suck than a pacifier! I hope the compromise between the two of you works 🙂
Emily
My son had colic… it was TOUGH! but the only thing that helped him was probiotics…. Culturelle. THey are completely safe, and all you do is put the powder into a cooler bottle, once a day. HELPED A MILLION PERCENT! We used them starting at 3 months… and it was like night and day.
betty
Ha! I love the way Gracie is already saying “Mother.” I have missed all these dialogues and they are way more fun with B&G! Have I mentioned I think you should name the baby combo page “Hangin’ with the BG’s” It hit me while watching Glee. I hope the colic ends soon!
Kat
My ped tried to tell me that Peanut had colic too. I didn’t believe them. Although now it DOES make sense…and we call those “walk” daily tours of the house at our place. They still have to happen. Although we’re way past colic at this point.
Ashley
I just met you and I love you. This post is great!
Ashley @ A Recipe for Sanity
Haha…what a little pumpkin pie she is! And yeah, mom, you’re ruining her street cred. What gives? 😉
Amanda
Ugh! Poor Gracie that is rough on you and everyone else in the house. They keep trying to say that was what was wrong with my son but we discovered several weeks later it was reflux that got worse at certain time in evening because he reached his limit after so many bottles during day. Now my little girl born just days before Gracie also has reflux. Thankfully we knew the signs earlier this time so no endless crying.
Best of luck to you guys
talia
So well put.
I thought our second had colic too. turns out she LIKES me and WANTed me…just to be with me. I always assumed my First wanted me…but did treat the Second like the potted plant.
Good job for realizing it and coming to a deal!!!
Amanda
I think this is my favorite conversation post yet!
Mommy, Esq.
Adorable post. After some rough experiences with my oldest daughter I took no chances with Josephine and as soon as she was having issues eating/crying it was on to the reflux meds.
Mindee@ourfrontdoor
Katie?
This is awesome. I love your blog.
Waiting for Bulgaria
So cute. As a mother who has endured a touch of colic, I appreciate your sense of humor and positive spin on the whole issue.
Diana @ A Little Bit of Life
I will mimic everyone else and say it could be reflux. That’s what Jellybean had and meds made a HUGE difference – for my sanity and his health! Even if she isn’t spitting up it could be silent reflux.
Jordan
i love these conversations with pictures! so fun. 🙂
KAT
So sweet! I hope the 1 hr of snuggling stops the crying!
Marie @ It's a Kind of Normal
Aw I love this conversation post 🙂 every time you do one of thse I always think that you should write a children’s book, and now I think you should write one about the adventures of Bean & Gracie. The only experience I’ve had with colic was my own, when I was a baby, so I don’t really remember it. My parents do, I think I traumatised them! What eventually worked was putting me on goats milk at 6 months, and I stopped straight away. Maybe a change of formula might help if that’s possible?
Rachel
I do love the conversations posts, sorry she is feeling a little poorly x
April
I love love love all of the conversation posts….They just make my day!
Sarah @TheExPat Bride
So cute Katie, hope she is feeling better. 🙂
Kathie
Bahahaa! Betty – #5…. “Hangin’ with the BG’s” So stinkin cute!
Katie… keep going! You’ll make it!
Shari
Awww! Those CHEEKS! That adorable baby belly! How can one possibly resist?? I have both a niece and a nephew on the way, and absolutely cannot wait!
I’m sorry little Gracie isn’t having the best time. I hope you’re able to figure it out soon, for both of your sakes.
Nicole
I missed the hilarious pictures/dialogues that you did with Bean….I’m SO glad they are back with Gracie! So so so much fun
Cindy In Owensboro, KY
I love the pictures, the “conversation”, and agree with the above post that you should write a children’s book!
Rebecca @ The Reluctant Housewife
I am LOVING these conversations that you’ve been writing the last few weeks. They’re stinkin’ awesome. So sorry that you’ve been experiencing mild colic the past few weeks…that’s no fun for anybody. =(
Lee Ann
This is great, but even better is that photo of Bean with the two curls plastered on his forehead. Makes me think of a rhyme my grandmother taught me: “There was a little girl with a curl, right in the middle of her forehead. And when she was good, she was very, very good, and when she was bad, she was horrid.” (I think she was remembering my mother’s childhood!)
sarah
amazing! death-by-cuteness! 🙂
Jen @ Caved In
We were told Sullivan had colic as well but sometimes it just seems like they give that name to anything the dr. can’t figure out. I was convinced it was reflux but it took 4 weeks of a screaming baby for me to finally threaten the dr enough to get some meds. We also switched him to soy formula, started giving him Culturelle (sold at wal greens) and those gas drops just for good measure. Not sure if they helped but it was worth a shot. I really don’t know what combo of the above worked but within 3 days he was a ton better. He’ll obviously be on prevacid until his reflux goes away, the soy formula is so much better on his belly, and the pro biotics are just good to have in general. I’m sending you lots of good vibes because I know what you are going through and it can be so rough.
Christina
Love! The eye roll? Awesome. (Capture, not that she’s already rolling her eyes at you) Also? It’s so funny to me that in one picture her shirt looks like it says “le sister”…maybe she has a sassy french attitude? Watch it, because soon she may be wielding baguettes and cigarettes. And never forget, it’s good clean fun until someone gets pooped on through the carrier. 😉
Amy L Butler
Love the pics! Our first daughter had colic. It sucked! We were young, new parents and our baby girl was crying from 5pm Til she fell asleep every night from two weeks to about 3 months. The only good thing from it was that she started sleeping through the night at two weeks old. I do hope Gracie girl doesn’t have colic and that y’all are able to comfort and satisfy her. Good luck!