Workin’ It Out
(Another post about poop, so if you’re not so inclined, you can skip it and just read the last one about how much I love Henry.)
On Sunday Kristen was knocked on her butt with a nasty stomach bug, so bad that it didn’t really improve and she stayed home from work yesterday. (I’m sure she was just devastated — DEVASTATED — to no go in on a wonderfully cold and snowy day.) While this in itself is never a good thing, the fact that we have a young’n in the house meant that he, too, was likely to catch whatever she had.
So starting Sunday evening and all through Monday, Henry pooped with much greater frequency than his already much-too-often rate. I’ve noted this in the past, but most babies Henry’s age are down to one poop a day — some even skipping days between bowel movements. Not our son, who continues with his three or four a day. Our doctor said that, while not particularly common, we shouldn’t be worried because he’s gaining weight (boy is he ever) and not overeating.
Here’s the thing about Henry going to the bathroom. Right before he goes to the bank to make a deposit (this cliche is going to be the next great thing, people, so start using it on the ground floor), he gets very, very squirmy. He’ll twist his hips, lift his pelvis up and down, flail his arms and legs, and generally just lets everyone know that there’s something on the way.
Then he’ll stop, make a face not unlike what you’d expect someone to make while pooping, and there it goes. (Kristen has captured this face on film just once — it’s quite a rare sighting — but we’ve yet to release it. I think we’ll break it out when Henry brings his first girlfriend home to meet us.)
This squirming is neither good nor bad; it just is. And this squirming is not relegated to his waking hours, as he does the same thing when he’s asleep. This is good for only one thing: when you walk into his room where he’s napping, if he’s broken out of his swaddle, he’s gone to the bank (see? it’s catchy); if he’s still fully swaddled, he’s just waiting until you change him into a clean diaper to go. (Oh, yes, he still does this.)
So back to yesterday. With his stomach problems going full force, Henry squirmed for eight straight hours. Poor kid. Thankfully, all that squirming meant he slept pretty well last night and today he’s been much better.
Oh, and Kristen’s feeling a little better, too.
January 14th, 2009 at 9:53 am
I like the metaphor, but I’m not sure it works when you wear a diaper — unless it’s meant to imply that Henry works at the bank, in which case I’m with you.