C-O-L-I-C.

Well, folks, apparently it is colic we're dealing with. We think.

I know, right? I can imagine half of you are rolling your eyes, muttering that colic is the ultimate scapegoat for any sort of baby fussiness, while the other half of you are nodding your heads ferociously while holding a screaming baby in your lap with a valium in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.

Here are the reasons we think it might be colic:

-Her fits occur at roughly the same time daily

-The fits come out of nowhere with no apparent trigger

-She is inconsolable and the fits leave as oddly as they came

Here are the reasons I do not believe it is a GI issue:

-She is not vomiting

-Her diapers are normal

-She is not spitting up excessively

-She is gaining weight

-She is not failing to thrive

Apparently, I had forgotten to mention the teensy-weensy little fact that Naomi's fits occur once a day, as if on a timer, to our pediatrician. I suppose that would have made all of this a little easier to figure out. However, we both believe she still has a sensitive stomach, as cutting out dairy did ease her fussiness and the special formula does the same. So. I've done a little research on colic and it actually really makes sense. I wouldn't describe Naomi as "colicky", as she is really and truly fine 85% of the time, whereas severe cases last for hours and hours on end with no relief. Oi vey. I can't imagine.

We have some drops we can give her when the fits begin and so far they've helped. We're going to try them for a week, and if I feel there is more to it than colic, we'll go the GI route and start testing. However, I'm hesitant to do that, as she's still just so young, and, as I mentioned above, there really aren't glaring indications that her stomach is upset.

So, what is colic? Well, after discussing it with our pediatrician and doing a little research on my own (i.e., the Internet, so trustworthy, ha ha), I've realized that it appears to be a bit psychosomatic, that babies who are tested in the midst of a colicky fit do not appear to have any sort of pain. The fits can lead to pain as it builds, as screaming makes you gulp air, but there is no apparent trigger to cause the fits. It's as if the baby's brain decides that *poof* it's time to freak out. And the baby freaks out. Apparently, as the baby gets older and further develops, these glitches work themselves out and the fits dissipate. Crazy.

I feel good about this because, for as nebulous as it seems, it actually makes some sense.

And I'm trying to figure out how in the world to end this post, because it's late and my brain hurts, so here is a picture of ...

1) Cub smiling (Look! Kind of! A smile!)

and

2) My unwarranted fear of the baby catching pneumonia.

Have a lovely day.