I'll Teach You to Leave Without Me

Grace's grandparents all love hosting sleepovers for the baby, and once every month or so Carrie and I are more than happy to oblige.  As parents, it's good to get away for a bit to blow off some steam and not be on infant alert at every moment, so it's an incredible blessing that our parents live so close and are so excited to spend time with Grace.

Last weekend was such an opportunity, as we dropped off Grace with my in-laws and headed upstate for a night with some friends.  The Saturday night party was a lot of fun and everything seemed to go off without a hitch, at least until went to pick up our daughter Sunday afternoon.  Grace was furious at us for leaving her behind and spent the rest of the day letting us know all about it.

Grace has learned to not only recognize mommy and daddy (and grandmas and grandpas and aunts), but to want to have us around.  On the one hand, it's great because it's a big landmark in her development and makes Carrie and me feel fantastic when she lights up at the sight of us.  On the other hand, it means that she cries whenever we leave the room.  So after 24 hours of our absence, Grace gave us everything she's got, including all of her patented moves.

The Sad Face
Although it's absolutely heartbreaking to look at, The Sad Face is basically a warning, a show of aggression not unlike a wolf growling before an attack.  When Grace breaks out The Sad Face, where her mouth contorts into a devastated, forlorn frown, it means it's time to give her what she wants or risk an imminent meltdown.  On Sunday, Grace barely bothered with The Sad Face, instead skipping ahead to her more heated displays of anger.

The Pout
With The Sad Face, Grace wants something, so if you give it to her, it'll go away.  The Pout is essentially its opposite.  It's a quiet, sullen whimper that can't be remedied by anything other than sleep.  Basically, she's upset because she's upset, which begets a vicious, inconsolable cycle.  When Grace breaks out The Pout, it means Carrie and I screwed the pooch, because the thing she's initially upset about is almost always us.

The Shun
Ah, The Shun.  On Sunday, we walked into the house to The Shun and it took all day to snap Gracie out of it.  The Shun is exactly what it sounds like.  Whenever you try to bring Grace near you, she pointedly turns away.  Unlike a cold shoulder, which is aggressive in nature, The Shun is explicitly dismissive, as if to say "you're so insignificant to me that I can't be bothered to be hostile".

The Full On Scream

She's just getting started

The Full On Scream really needs no description.  We've all heard a baby yell in anger before.  What's interesting, and terrifying, however, is that it seems there's no upper limit to how loud and how long Grace's shrieks can get.  I've heard what I thought was the worst she had to offer dozens of times, only to be proven wrong days, or even hours later, when Grace decides to turn the amp up to 11 and beyond for her next purple faced explosion.