John likes to call home at least once a shift to check in on his girls. Sometimes he has a hard time holding in his high-pitch cackle of laugh when I reveal a new trick his daughter’s demonstrated. At two weeks of age, it was the ability to, the moment after I finished bathing her, while she was still naked in my arms, dump of load of mustard-colored stool over my arms and stomach while simultaneously vomiting down my chest. She was not phased by this experience in the slightest.
At six weeks of age, while we were practicing smiling, she managed to vomit in my mouth. Apparently I don’t learn, my daughter has perfected her aim, or I find her so irresistibly adorable that I can’t help but continue with the big-mouth smiles, as I have once again found myself spitting out my own curdled breast milk.
Look at her plotting away:
You would think I would be disgusted. I’d love to know more about the hormones, genes, neurons, or whatever that make us hard-wired to not be completely repulsed by the many things that are expelled from our progeny’s orifices. Or what makes us inherently proud of each milestone, regardless of how minute it must seem, or each demonstration that the body is functioning appropriately. I think about this when my heart simply melts with each owl-like coo-hooing Aurelia’s been rocking out recently, or when I exuberantly exclaim, “Nice work, honey!” when she startles herself with her own long, wet fart.
anna in med school 
I just showed this to Alice during our weekly journal club…and we both can’t stop alternately thinking how cute she is and just how GROSS that is
hahaha…totally gross, for sure, but she makes up for it with smiles and the smell of her hair 🙂
It’s all beautiful. Awesome to hear about your little miracle. Hope you and the rest of the family are well.
Thank you so much, Dr. B! Wonderful to hear from you! I hope you and your family had more fun adventures recently, and wish you all a very happy holiday season! Thank you again for checking in!