Crying Spells

By 5 weeks, both my mom and mother-in-law were able to recognize that Aya's crying seemed more like distress than just fussiness. We couldn't tell. We always heard babies would cry so we didn't know what was normal. Both my mom and mother-in-law were a lot calmer during Aya's crying spells. I would sit and watch them gently rock her, bounce her or walk her from one side of the room to the next. Their faces were happy and full of delight, really. No, they weren't happy their grandbaby wasn't content, but they were happy because they loved her and wanted to spend time with her regardless of her disposition. My husband and I on the other hand were drained, our tanks were on empty, and we just wanted our little girl to sleep because after all, the only time she wasn't crying was while she slept. I remember my brother saying once, "Why do you want Aya to sleep all day?" I didn't like the question then, but looking back I have an answer, "Because it is the only time she is happy!"

My mom and mother-in-law also showed us different ways of holding Aya and tried to help reduce her gas by holding her on one side and then switching her to the other side. She seemed to be more comfortable face out, her head nestled against the inside of their elbows, her feet dangling on either side of the palm of their hands. They knew she had pain because one minute she would be peacefully asleep and the next her eye brows would furrow, her body would grow rigid and she would let out a loud screech. What we still didn't know was that we could help her by addressing the cause of the gas, not just treating its symptoms.