The Signs of Hunger

During the day it's her crying or fussiness that tell us that K is under the attack of hunger. At night it's a totally different story.

In the darkness of night, when hungry the body of our little angel seems to be possessed. All her body parts are thrown in different directions with her having seemingly little control over it.

When I pick her up for nursing, she doesn't even open her eyes. How do I know she's hungry? Her loud sucking on her fists wakes me up. Lifting her feet up and throwing them back on the bed makes me get up. Once I pick her up, it all goes downhill. Even though it takes seconds from the time I pick her up to the time she starts eating, I never seem to be fast enough. When I put her on my lap to start feeding, the beast inside of my little pumpkin is released demanding food NOW. Sometimes it makes my little angel cry, sometimes it doesn't. The beast stays around until it gets satisfied with a certain amount of milk and then slowly drifts away.

The feeding starts with what I call a full body workout. Rhythmically K's knees get bent almost touching her chin to be straightened a second later. K's hands go through a little ritual, too. She either pulls her fingers as hard as she can or she hits my chest as if saying: "More milk now! More milk now!"

Once Klaudia starts eating, her body starts to relax slowly. By the time she is finished, all her limbs hang unconsciously, her mouth stays wide open, and my baby moose is out. So out that picking her up, moving to the crib, kissing on her forehead and covering up does not wake her up. The hunger demon of darkness is gone only to be back the following night.