“When you stand on your head, do your brain papers get disorganized?” I asked.

“No. The machines in my brain know what to do. All of the drawers of the filing cabinets are all set up and they can handle it.”

“Oh, okay.”

***

(Another day, not too long after)

“Do you want me to explain to you how it works? How my tummy works and why it hurts?”

“Yes, please.”

“You see there are these big levers, pressers in my stomach – machines that take the food and grind it down for my body. And when there isn’t enough food in there, the machines have nothing to press so they press inside and it hurts.”

“Ah. Would you like some French Toast (again)? I think you might be in some kind of a growth spurt.”

It’s amazing what growth spurts can do. I sensed it almost exactly a week ago, as overnight there was a shift. A palpable shift that disoriented her in so many ways and has had me scrambling to keep her tummy machines from causing her trouble. Overnight, seemingly, she was unsure of her rhythm, of the time of day, of her body’s place in space, of so much. Watching disorientation is hard and unsettling for us as parents, so I can only imagine how it feels. A wonderful reminder of the need to refocus on rhythm and routine and grounding. And to bake and cook. And make sure there’s a ton of food around.

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