Big Wheels

Okay, perhaps I was a wee bit melodramatic when I worried that Anonybabe was going to be a constant, Six-from-Blossom type blabbermouth. She's back to a reasonable rhythm of talking & silence. I think being on a trip and in strange places made her a little nervous, she echoed the background drone of her nerves with a constant sonar of talking aimed in my direction: "Mama? Mama? Mama? Whee! Yea! Nana? Baby? Mama? Mama? Mama!!" and so forth and so on.

Yesterday we all (Anonyhub and Anonybabe and me) went to the pediatrician for Anonybabe's 18 month checkup. After Anonybabe was stripped to her skivvies and the nurse had weighed and measured her, we had a long wait before the doctor arrived. A wait that we filled by having her Dorothy doll tap dance on the window sills, ride the doctor's rotating chair like a Merry-go-round, and slide down the heat registers. I sat on the floor next to Anonybabe, and at one point sang songs she liked to her. When we got to "Bicycle" by Queen, I circled my feet in the air to mimic cycling. Usually I sing that to her on the changing table and pedal her feet around for her. Anonybabe's eyes lit up and she pointed to her chest "Me!" she cried. "Mama. Me!" by which I knew she meant I should sing the song and she would do something. While I sang "I love to ride my bicycle" in my best Mercury falsetto, she sat on the floor and kicked her legs in the air.

But I'm mostly impressed with Anonybabe's response to shot-time. We got her two shots this go-round, and when the very gentle and sweet nurse walked into the room holding a tray with her gloves and the syringes on them, Anonybabe waved to her "Hi!" The nurse greeted her back and then turned to us, "Okay, we're going to be giving Anonybabe two shots today." "Bye!" yelled Anonybabe, which cracked the nurse up. She had me hold Anonybabe in my lap, squeezing her and her arms close to me, while Anonyhub held her legs in case she kicked. Anonybabe watched closely, not at all wary, while the nurse wiped a little alcohol on both thighs and then went in for the kill. She was finished quickly and Anonybabe just stared at her while she readied the other needle and plunged it in. It was only as the 2nd needle was coming out that Anonybabe started to cry, but after one long moan and a few tears she realized it didn't hurt any more and she stopped. The nurse asked if she'd gotten any stickers and when she brought over a box, Anonybabe peered in, curious and excited to see pictures of Pooh. As the nurse left the room she waved as if they'd just been two ladies lunching together "By-ee!" I couldn't believe how smoothly things went.