Thursday, June 21, 2007

Lessons in Parenting: Chapter 145,676 - Infants Can't Blow Their Noses

Infants can't blow their noses. This, of course, you realize only after you've had a baby, and only in the middle of the night when you've already been up for hours holding the baby in your arms at an incline to clear his stuffy nose somewhat so he can breathe so he can go to sleep. Obviously, you are not thinking straight but the conditions are just right for a bolt of inspiration (or something like it) to strike. Desperation, as they say, is the mother of improvization.

So, during one such night, when Big N was but an infant, I leaned close to his face as it nestled in the crook of my left arm, lifted my right hand, wrapped my forefinger, middle finger and thumb around a clump of my hair and tickled his nostrils with my soft, no-split-ended hair.

He sneezed.

22 comments:

Chitra said...

How cool! I have never thought of using my own hair! I have used twisted soft ends of a napkin etc.

Sujatha, I need to email you about something. Please let me know if that is alright with you.
chitra_aiyer [at] yahoo [dot] com

Sunita Venkatachalam said...

Nice to have you back..and with such a wonderful tip as well :)

Anonymous said...

Heh. I think I need Chapters 145,675 as well :)

Anonymous said...

I meant chapters 1 to 145675...

mookuthi said...

hahahah!!! Never thought of this ...well i dont have any kids yet...but will definately come back to this when i do have one. Nice have you back in to blogging world:)

Anonymous said...

gross!

Anonymous said...

hehehe...cute!

Sujatha Bagal said...

Chitra, sent you an e-mail.

Poppins, Mookuthi, Anjali, thanks.

Um, sure! Problem is where to start!

Anon, I think I sort of agree. :)

Sherry said...

Good idea - I shall keep this in mind if I have kids one day!

Artificial Reasons said...

Totally off-topic. You should know I've put in my 2c over at Guardian (http://www.guardianabroad.co.uk/yourblogs/blog/156)

-ArtificialReasons

Anonymous said...

eeeks. Was there snot all over your hair? But I will bear this in mind.

Sujatha Bagal said...

Sherry, I can just imagine the scene now. :)

AR, thanks for that lovely review. I appreciate it.

MG, there's so much of so many things everywhere, after a while, you realize that snot is on the lower end of the yuckiness scale.

Unknown said...

Hope you're settling back in well...because...you are tagged. Seriously..do it only if you can and if you want to. no pressure. visit my blog for details. ;-)

dame's diary said...

Migosh Usha!
I have done crazy things too.
Phew ...I am not alone!!

Silly Sally said...

That was a very sweet tip... Infact to tell you the truth... My cousin sister had once off-handedly stated the same to me when her young-one was troubling her, giving her loads of sleepless nights..

dame's diary said...

Hey Sujatha,
Sorry for the goof-up!!

Sujatha Bagal said...

Jawahara, I'll really try.

Saloni, DD, I bet we've all done some crazier things.:)

DD, no worries. Thanks for your comment.

Anonymous said...

I always have a suction bulb right next to me when my daughter has a cold. I even carried a couple extra ones with me when I returned to India since I was not sure if I could find them there. I too think using your hair is kind of gross. Anyways whatever worked at the time!

Kavi said...

How neat..! Thats interesting..!

Anonymous said...

wild! never knew that about babies and um, yeah hair is gross but any port in a storm right? and i bet it beats wiping up poop.

Sujatha Bagal said...

Hmmm, it appears that Educating Amrita is turning out to be a succedssful project!

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.