Noises, Music, and Melodies

We've discovered that noises can be friend or foe in our household. She's a pretty hearty sleeper and noises don't usually bother her. When she wants to sleep, she sleeps pretty hard. But occasionally something will startle her awake, and the saddest thing you've ever seen is a baby whose eyes pop wide open, and then the lip turns down and starts to quiver, and then the sad wailing begins. Exhibit A: when Bill comes home from work in the afternoon, Winnie always barks when he hears the garage door open. Sudden barking noises + sleeping baby = pug that is in danger of getting beaten. Exhibit B: while staying at my grandmother's house, after 30 minutes of swaddling/bouncing/rocking I finally finally got her to go down for her nap at 2:00. At 2:05, the yardman showed up. Not at 10:00 am or 3:34 pm or 6:42 pm or any other time of day when the baby WASN'T sleeping. Precisely at 2:05, a mere 5 minutes after she'd finally fallen asleep. And of course it was the day to break out the chainsaw to trim the azalea bushes, and blast away on the leaf blower to rid every square inch of the porch of any wayward leaves. Meanwhile the dogs inside the house were going beserk because they've spotted a black man wielding a chainsaw lurking in the bushes outside the house, and they felt the need to adequately warn us of the imminent danger of the situation. Complete barking chaos + sleeping baby = 2 dogs about to make a trip to the pound.


But some noises are absolutely mesmerizing to Caroline...windchimes, the sound of running water. Last night in the bathtub I turned the water on a slow flow which produced a nice splashy noise, and she shrieked in utter delight. She was clearly impressed with the water works and spent a good bit of time just staring at the falling water.


She also looooves music, specifically any music from the 60's or 70's , and anything we sing to her. During bathtime we listen to the Portuguese jazz singer Eliane Elias, and she loves it when I sing the songs to her. She tries to sing along with her little shrills and shrieks...too cute. I sing to her at naptime too, an impromptu little diddy I call 'The Anti-Nap Song.'


I don't want to nap today
I want to stay awake and play


I'm not going to sleep at all
let's go shopping and hit the mall


I'm not closing my eyes, no, no
I'd rather get in the car and go


I don't need to rest, I'm wide awake
you may think I am tired but I'm a good fake


I'm staying alert with all my might
but my eyes are heavy and I'm losing the fight



Maybe I'll doze for a moment or two
but wait, haha, I was fooling you


No sleep for me, too good to be true
no nap for me, and no rest for you!




Every morning we listen to some golden oldies as we get dressed, and she has the best time dancing along to the Temptations and Three Dog Night, etc. My girl has distinct musical tastes.

All these noises and music and singing are definitely helping her to become more vocal. She has been practicing talking and loves hearing the sound of her own voice. She gets a big kick out of 'talking' to Daddy...they did this for about 10 minutes the other night!