Armed and dangerous

Little babies, I have read, have no sense of their own limbs. In that
they do not know what their arms or hands are and cannot reach out
to grab things yet. They soon learn of course, but at Aimee's stage,
the arms are kind of just flapping around. But I have noticed that it is
not entirely random and they show quite a range of different patterns
that give valuable clues to her mood and needs:
- There is the continuous one arm in, one arm out motion which
looks like a robot gone a bit haywire. She does this when she is a bit
distressed due to wind or reflux.
- There is the hunching up during nappy change - she brings her
hands together and quivers as if shivering - though I should point out
that I am not freezing her, the room is quite warm, it's just a reflex.
- There is the so sleepy and tired that I scratch my entire face to
pieces. This is the most disconcerting. No matter how well I trim her
nails, Aimee always finds a way to self-harm.
- There is the just waking up - arms held stiffly aloft and body arched
as she gives a big yawn to wake up.
- Finally the best arm and leg thing that Aimee does is when she
sneezes. Her whole body tenses up and then, as the sneeze sprays
out, all her arms and legs dramatically splay outwards in time.

Aimee caught her first cold these couple of days. Her poor nose is
bunged up and snotty and she is finding it difficult to breathe when
sleeping or feeding. A quick consult with the medical textbook (I
know, I promised to leave it alone) suggests saline nose drops and
squeezy plunger! Luckily, Aimee seems to have recovered all by
herself, albeit with a few sniffles.


That baby sure can sneek up anywhere