Decoding the Cry of the Baby: The Overview

Is she hungry or does she just have a huge load in her diaper?  

Did I just trim her finger instead of her fingernail (again...damn it) or does she have a gas bubble?

Does she want to be picked up or is she just too tired to fall asleep?

Those are just a few of the stimulating questions I've pondered since becoming a Mommy.  And while it may not sound like rocket science, it surely feels like it when you have a baby with a completely devastated look on her face (not to mention a shrieking sound coming from the depths of her soul).

If only this photo had a sound bite...Abigail...8 Days Old

I must admit that in the first few weeks I couldn't tell a difference...a cry was a cry and there wasn't much more to it.  In new-sleep-deprived-Mommy-mode, all you can really do is start with the necessities of life..feed her, burp her, love her, check her diaper, swaddle her, sing to her, and then pray for her to stop (trust me, I considered that a necessity of life on some days). 

But after nearly 3 months of 24-7 mommy/daughter time, I feel like I finally have a good understanding of all her cries...I think I've finally decoded the cry of the baby...here's a quick breakdown of all the cries I've decoded and over the next week or so, I'll go into a little more depth with each one (otherwise, this would be the longest single post I've ever written). 

THE STANDARD CRIES

The That-Hurt Cry

The Feed-Me Cry 

The Burp-Me Cry 

The Tired-But-Don't-Know-How-to-Fall-Asleep Cry

The Where-Did-You-Go? Cry

THE "EXTRA" CRIES

The Newborn Cry

The Stop-Dressing-Me-Up-Like-I'm-a-Doll Cry

The Pay-Attention-to-Me Cry

The Hand-Me-Back-to-Mom Cry

The Pick-Me-Up Cry 

THE IMPENDING CRIES

The I'm-Sick Cry

I'd love to hear your thoughts/experiences with decoding baby cries...and what other cries will we have to "look forward to?"

 

Read more about Decoding the Cry of the Baby:

The Overview

The That-Hurt Cry
The Burp-Me Cry