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Spoon surgery...
Feb. 24th, 2006 09:57 pmMyr is dong the "Baby - Think It Over" program at school. Where she gets to bring this computerized doll that simulates all the "work" that goes into babies. The grade is based on how little the baby cries, how the baby was held (for example, the baby's head must be held pushed forward at all times as not to have a "head support" problem), and how quickly the baby's needs are figured out and cared for. When the baby cries, the student needs to put a "key" in the dolls back, it will beep signifying that the baby needs some sort of care and the student needs to figure out what kind of care that is. If it doesn't beep, then it is "fussy" and the student needs to "rock" it for up to three minutes. Myr, the wonderful student that she is, is stressing over the fact that she won't be perfect.
The doll is supposed to turn on at five and then stay on for 48 hours, plus a time equal to the amount of time that it cried. Theoretically, the kids are supposed to be able to have a full night's sleep on Sunday night.
Anyhow, at 5:30ish it begins to cry. Myr figures out it needs a diaper change. While she is changing the diaper, the doll's leg falls off. Myr is now panicking, sure that she will have to pay $400 to replace the doll. The doll is quietly waiting for the diaper change. I (between hysterical laughing about the doll) go down to fix it. I have replaced legs on other dolls, see. Myr, assured that the doll isn't "broke", relaxs somewhat and lets me look at the doll. My mom (who was visiting) and I are both laughing so hard we are near tears because, you know, so like real life here.
I can't get the leg shoved back in, so I ask for a spoon. You know, so I can run the handle around the hole for the leg and slip in the leg. HEY! It made sense to me at the time. I managed to get the leg back in without too much more "spoon surgery" but when I put the clothes back on the doll, I rest it on shoulder. You know, like you always do with babies...
Big mistake. It seems that doing so automatically triggers the "head support" alarm on the doll, this makes it scream and cry very loudly. Rocking it doesn't help. Tying to put the key in the back doesn't do any good. Ten minutes of crying later (after being told that this can go on for an hour before it settles down on its own and has to go on for three hours before calling for help) Myr tries the key again, and it beeps. Yay. She figures out it needs to be fed. Yay. It gets fed. It stops crying. Yay.
Twenty minutes later, it cries again. Myr tries to put the key in. Nothing happens. She tries again. The baby starts screaming... obviously she pressed too hard and triggered a "head support" or a "hard handling" alert. Wow. So realistic. That's always the hardest problem with a new baby... jostling it when trying to insert a key in the back. Myr manages to calm it down, without any spoon surgery, fortunately.
Since that time, she has stopped the crying within a minute and it has been very quiet and hasn't lost any body parts.
But, hey, the weekend is young and the night is long.
I did say that if any more body parts fall off, those parts will have to stay off. I can see it now: We return the doll on Monday morning with no more alerts, but no arms or legs, either.
Heh. Ah, the life of a mother.
The doll is supposed to turn on at five and then stay on for 48 hours, plus a time equal to the amount of time that it cried. Theoretically, the kids are supposed to be able to have a full night's sleep on Sunday night.
Anyhow, at 5:30ish it begins to cry. Myr figures out it needs a diaper change. While she is changing the diaper, the doll's leg falls off. Myr is now panicking, sure that she will have to pay $400 to replace the doll. The doll is quietly waiting for the diaper change. I (between hysterical laughing about the doll) go down to fix it. I have replaced legs on other dolls, see. Myr, assured that the doll isn't "broke", relaxs somewhat and lets me look at the doll. My mom (who was visiting) and I are both laughing so hard we are near tears because, you know, so like real life here.
I can't get the leg shoved back in, so I ask for a spoon. You know, so I can run the handle around the hole for the leg and slip in the leg. HEY! It made sense to me at the time. I managed to get the leg back in without too much more "spoon surgery" but when I put the clothes back on the doll, I rest it on shoulder. You know, like you always do with babies...
Big mistake. It seems that doing so automatically triggers the "head support" alarm on the doll, this makes it scream and cry very loudly. Rocking it doesn't help. Tying to put the key in the back doesn't do any good. Ten minutes of crying later (after being told that this can go on for an hour before it settles down on its own and has to go on for three hours before calling for help) Myr tries the key again, and it beeps. Yay. She figures out it needs to be fed. Yay. It gets fed. It stops crying. Yay.
Twenty minutes later, it cries again. Myr tries to put the key in. Nothing happens. She tries again. The baby starts screaming... obviously she pressed too hard and triggered a "head support" or a "hard handling" alert. Wow. So realistic. That's always the hardest problem with a new baby... jostling it when trying to insert a key in the back. Myr manages to calm it down, without any spoon surgery, fortunately.
Since that time, she has stopped the crying within a minute and it has been very quiet and hasn't lost any body parts.
But, hey, the weekend is young and the night is long.
I did say that if any more body parts fall off, those parts will have to stay off. I can see it now: We return the doll on Monday morning with no more alerts, but no arms or legs, either.
Heh. Ah, the life of a mother.
