This was the busiest week we’ve had with Hannah since her surgery. Apparently I lost my mind one day and thought it was smart to schedule two doctor appointments and start daycare all within 3 days.

Monday was Hannah’s fourth BAER hearing test that was actually completed. Even though the results of the first three tests ranged from really bad to pretty good, they were easy to administer because pre-surgery Hannah could sleep like a champ. A test with post-surgery, 6 month old Hannah required planning and a killer bicep workout for momma.

I fed Hannah an hour earlier than usual that morning hoping she’d be borderline hangry when we finally got set up in our room. The audiologist applied the electrodes to Hannah’s forehead and behind her ears and left us to eat and snuggle. Hannah was nearly finished with her bottle and kept drifting off to sleep; however, anytime I’d move the bottle away from her mouth, she’d jolt herself awake and stare at me. She clearly knew something fishy was going on.

I wasn’t having any success rocking her to sleep in the chair so I hoisted her up against my chest for some slow dancing and serenading. This is Hannah’s go-to sleep position but it kills my arms because she turns into dead weight. Once Hannah was asleep it was impossible to move her into a different position without waking her up and/or pulling off the electrodes which meant another 40 minutes of bicep quivering. It was worth the workout because Hannah finally has 100% hearing in both ears!

Tuesday was Hannah Banana’s first day at daycare! I was not at all surprised that I cried while getting her dressed and giving her a pep talk (be nice, make friends, don’t be stingy with the smiles). I went in a little early to meet the teachers and discuss Hannah’s physical abilities and limitations, Birth to Three visits, and her general likes and dislikes. Grandma also stopped by to see the facility and wish her Sweetie Pie a good first day. After a half day on Tuesday and a semi-half day yesterday it seems like Hannah is adjusting very well and she even learned some new noises to make.

Yesterday was a pediatrician appointment to follow up on Hannah Banana’s post-surgery weight gain. I enjoy going to the pediatrician monthly because I get to ask my random questions instead of turning to Google for help. After confirming that Hannah’s height and weight are perfectly on track (82nd percentile for children with Down syndrome/50th for typical children) I asked the doctor about normal vs abnormal spit up, the super cute drool rash Hannah’s been sporting lately, and got approval to introduce cereal/oatmeal. While playing with Hannah’s crazy hair, the pediatrician noticed that the left/back of Hannah’s head is slightly flat, which is no surprise since she favors that side.

After work, Pete and I discussed the last three days while we played with Hannah. At one point we talked about how she’s still “crying it out” for 10 minutes or so most nights and for naps on the weekends. I told him it was more of a fussy cry now, rather than the bloody murder screaming when we first implemented the plan, so it didn’t worry me (or the pediatrician). I should have known I would jinx myself! I gave Hannah her bedtime bottle and gently put her in the crib while she was barely awake. As soon as I turned to leave she woke up crying. The crying turned into screaming and I couldn’t wait the full 10 minutes to check on her. The poor girl was sweating and crying real baby tears. I couldn’t let her cry like that after being such a good girl all week.

I scooped her up and held her tight. She instantly stopped crying, wrapped one arm around my neck and one around my shoulder, and burrowed into me. There are times, like last night, when Hannah wants to snuggle so badly that her body melts into mine. I didn’t realize that I need to cuddle her just as much as she needed to cuddle me. We hugged and rocked and her breathing finally slowed down, her exhales trembling slightly. We sat in the dark, melting in to each other.