Wednesday's Walk - Bubble Gum

Annalise was such a sweet baby.

She wasn't super smiley or out-going but she was always thinking, building, creating, making and doing.

She did not perform. You couldn't make her say her letters or count or tell us an animal's sound. But, she knew all of those things.

She was over two years old before she would say words but I know she knew words much earlier.

I have video of her at 18 months old putting a 24 piece puzzle together all by herself, methodically trying each piece until the entire picture was made.

She was a strong baby yet a sensitive baby.

She was fearless and nervous all at the same time. I don't know how to explain it... but she was and still is that way.

This walk is about a certain fear, an unexpected fear that Annalise had as a baby and a toddler. A fear that even now can make her a little nervous and quiet.

You'll never believe it.

She was about 15 months old and I was pushing her in a grocery cart.

I was chewing bubble gum while I shopped. When I chew gum, I have a horrible habit of blowing bubbles and popping my gum in my teeth. I can make some big, loud noises with bubble gum. So, I don't chew it often.

Anyway, this particular day, I was chewing gum and blowing bubbles and Annalise kept screaming and crying in the cart.

She would stop and play and then out of nowhere, she would cry again!

I was very frustrated and didn't know what to do. She wasn't tired or hungry or wet, just mad!

I looked at her and thought, "Maybe she will like a bubble!" Moms will try anything to sooth a baby in a store, right? So, I blew a bubble with my gum and she SCREAMED!

She was scared of my BUBBLE GUM!

Her normally happy, quiet self was crying because of my gum!

I called Jeremy over to where I was in the store.

"You aren't going to believe this! She is crying because of my gum! I think she is scared of bubbles!"

You all know how Dads can be...

"Really? Blow another one!"

Yeah... like I want her to cry in the store one more time.

As she grew older, she continued to be scared of bubble gum. If she saw a bubble come out of someone's mouth she freaked out.

She wasn't scared of balloons or soap bubbles. Just bubbles from bubble gum.

I have to admit that we had some fun with this at times... because it was really funny. But, obviously we didn't do her any harm because she has learned to LOVE gum!

I have a feeling that she will be a great bubble blower one day!