Can you read your baby?

I read something once (can't remember where, and therefore there will be no source - some journalism, eh?) about how mothers really can't tell why their baby is crying. They told researchers they could tell between hungry cries and wet cries, etc., but when put to the test, they really couldn't.

They tested women who worked in hospital nurseries, too, and they also failed to guess correctly more than half the time.

I'm not sure if I know all my baby's cries all the time, but I'm getting pretty darned good at figuring it out quickly, I must brag. But the key is more knowing the last time they ate, last time you changed a diaper, etc. If I came into it cold, without knowing the baby or any of those things, I wouldn't have a clue.

My little bug does have a different cry for when she's hungry, though. It starts off as more of a warning. It's a short 'wah,' followed by a pouty lip. Most of the time I just say 'aw, isn't that a cute cry,' forgetting it's about to lead to WWIII if I don't get on the ball.

The next cry is waaahhh, followed by more pouty lips. This sends me flying into the kitchen to start a bottle. On occasion I think I have more time before the meltdown, and try to stretch it out so I can finish something. This is usually a huge mistake.

By the time I have finished what I'm doing, the cries have escalated first to WAAAAAHHHHH to gutteral screams accompanied by red face and choking. Too late. Then you have to calm her down, because there's no way she'll eat like that.

So most of my time is spent trying to watch her closely and read her so I catch her at either wah, waaahhh, or WAAAAAHHHHH. A happy baby equals a happy momma!