Squeaker survived another trip to the doctor this week, but as you will hear it was kind of hard on Hopa. She's still on the 90th percentile in height. As these pictures show, she is getting to be a big fan of playgrounds. You should zoom in on each of the pictures so you don't miss various small details. My favorite is the shot of her 'eye spots'. One day they will terrify her children, but for now they keep the other kids at bay. We're up visiting her other grandparents this week, so we have a special guest host this week, Aunt Brite, who has a funny story for y'all.
Squeaker's 18 month check up was on Thursday and the Daddy person and I decided it would be best if we brought Hope bunny along. Squeaker doesn't just like "Hopa", she considers her to be an appendage. For example, she talks to Hopa in the morning before we go into get her up. She bends down to tickle the Bunny just like we tickle her. She hugs her and pats her back like we've done for Squeaker so many times. When she's coloring, she always asks me to draw an Hopa. Whenever Daddy or Aunt Brite say no, Squeaker whimpers for Hopa. I guess Hopa never tells her anything she doesn't want to hear.
The other factor in our decision to take the bunny to the doctor is that
Squeaker ends up crying a good portion of each appointment. She has
made it very clear that being weighed, having her temperature taken, and
especially those awful shots are just plain unnecessary. The Daddy
person and I were amazed by how much more smoothly the appointment went
with Hopa by her side. We got to the dreaded shot without any melt
downs at all. Then Daddy, being the thoughtful father he is, asks the
nurse to pretend to give Hopa the shot first. Squeaker watched intently
as the nurse gave the shot and then put on the dog bandaid. She still
screamed after the shot was put into her own little leg, but the
recovery was much faster. We considered this to be a great success.
However there is another chapter to the story which I will entitle "The
Aftermath" I was putting Squeaker down for her nap with the beloved
Hopa when she discover the dog bandaid on the bunny's leg. She tried
very hard to pull it off and so I gently reach down to help. Well most
of it came off easily, but one side of the adhesive just refused to
loosen. There I am, standing over the crib yanking it with all my
strength when I glance up to see Squeaker's horrified face. She
actually bent over and gave Hopa a kiss because she was so concerned
that I was hurting the bunny! Eventually I got the scissors and you can
barely notice the spot where it was. As I left, Squeaker was continuing
to console Hopa by hugging her through.
Well, later that night as I gave Squeaker her bath, I saw the little dog
bandaid on her leg. So I wait till she has soaked for a long while and
then nonchalantly leaned over and ripped it off. Having read the story
above, I am certain you realize the strength of this adhesive and the
cries that followed. I cuddled her in the towel and she was fine. But
a little while later as I she was sitting in her crib we had a little
"conversation". (Each time she says hmmm, she made a little sad face.)
"Brite?"
"Yes, baby"
Pointing to Hopa's leg she said, "Dog dog Hopa hmmm"
She repeated the words and the action until I said,
"Oh do you remember when I took off Hopa's dog bandaid?"
She nodded and then, while pointing to her own leg she said, "Dog dog
Baby hmmm"
She did the same thing and repeated her baby sentences twice more.
Each time making that little pained face when she said hmmm.
"I am sorry that the bandaid's hurt you, but look Hopa feels all better
now. Do you feel all better?" She nodded, smiled happily and buried
her face in Hopa to go to sleep.
Believe me, she can be a challenge, but she's such a sensitive,
empathetic baby. Her Mommy would've liked that.
