Smells Like Toddler Spirit

I believe...(fingers crossed) Mia is better. Her fever (knock on wood) is completely gone, and she's eating real! food! After 5 days of a feverish girl, all of us are ready for it to be over.

I may be ready for an unusual reason, though. Yes, I want her to be comfortable and safe from harm. Yes, I'm glad she's no longer whining around the clock, and we got a full night's sleep last night. Yes, I'm happy that we can leave the house if we want to, and her body isn't subsisting on a diet of Tylenol + Motrin.

Mostly, though, I'm excited that Mia smells right again. I'm so attached to the scent of my babies, that even the slightest changes throw me way off.

When Lauren was born, we ran out of Mia's usual soap, and weren't willing to run to the store because of the new baby. We ended up using some flowery stuff that smelled really great...but after about 3 days, I had a slight break-down. She didn't smell right. With all the changes our household was undergoing due to Lauren's arrival, I just couldn't go without the scent of Mia's head to get me through the long days. When I started crying about it to Justin (who has a healthy respect for postpartum hormones) he made sure we switched back to the right soap before I lost it completely.

After Mia's been playing outside, she smells like fresh air and sunshine and all that, but I can't wait to give her a bath so her normal scent will be more noticeable. I sniff my girls' heads every time I'm close enough to do so. It's an awful thing when my nose is stuffy from a cold and I can't get my fix.

So for the past several days, Mia has smelled...hot. Sweaty. Medicinal. Woe was me.

This is how I know that Mia is really better today (Please, Lord please.). When she woke up this morning, her head smelled exactly right.

I've been all over her like white on rice today.

Who knows what'll happen when she's old enough to choose her own shampoos and perfumes. I may go into a deep pit of despair. But for now, I shall breathe deeply of her head, and fear not.