Protecting Gabe From Himself

Like all infants, Gabe came equipped with claws. In his flailings, those little claws scratch up his face. Keeping the claws trimmed is an ongoing fight, and largely futile.

Both my mother and a random woman at the post office suggested I try biting Gabe’s nails. I’ve tried it, and I have to say, so far, biting is at least as effective at the clippers and files, takes less time, and I don’t have to coordinate having the nail kit and the sleeping baby in the same place at the same time.

Another way that Gabe has learned to inflict damage on himself: his roving hand grasps a hank of his own hair and pulls. This causes him to scream in pain, which causes his mutinous hand to pull all the harder. He has done it four times now, and at every changing I see his creeping fingers come perilously close to doing it again. Mitten sleeves are becoming doubly useful.

And yesterday’s funny: while falling asleep in my arms, the rest of his body and face slack and sleepy, Gabe’s eyes suddenly went wide, eyeballs darting every-which-way like Mad-Eye Moody’s. He had gone into REM sleep with his eyes wide open!