Baby Karren

Excerpts from the family journal:

February 21, 1982 "Karren...is sleeping most of the time, waking up to eat and sometimes to visit, but mostly she sleeps. Nights have not been too bad; I hope it stays this way. She is really pretty--her smile, though rare and noncomittal--is very attractive. We are very pleased with our latest family member."

February 28, 1982 "Karren is getting plumper and more awake (well, not much more) but she's more regular, staying up in the morning and in the evening, usually."

What has not appeared in the family journal is Karren's colic. Colic, for the uninitiated, is a malady in which a very young baby gets an upset stomach every night for months and therefore cries for several hours every night for months, usually from early evening until late. It is a grim and unforgettable experience, and fortunately usually ends by about six months or so. Karren was the only one of our children who experienced this, for which we are all extremely grateful. Poor Karren--to suffer so every night. And poor us--it was heartbreaking to see her in such misery, and exhausting to live through it with her.