Waking the Baby Lyuba, Sleep the Baby Henry

Dear Henry,

This April Mommy received in the mail the May 2009 issue of National Geographic, a gift that Grandma La Jean subscribes to for me every year. The issue featured a story about a baby mammoth, named Lyuba. She was found nearly completely intact after laying in an icy river bed for nearly 40,000 years pickled by the microbes in the water. Mommy was WAY excited to read the article but had a hard time finding enough time to read it. The issue would sit on Mommy's side table and I would long to read the article and make promises to myself, "yes, in fact, tonight would be the night." Slowly Lyuba's story would unfold to me. I would quickly flip to see the photos one day, the next day read the captions, and then finally I found the time and focus to read the article. Since Mommy has read this story I can't get it out of my thoughts!

I can't get out of my head that she was the first healthy baby mammoth found. "Well, if she was so healthy how did Lyuba die," you ask? Well, you know it isn't going to be good.

She was likely near the water and became stuck in the mud and sucked mud into her baby trunk that she couldn't get out. She violently flailed and likely even broke part of her face trying to get the mud out. I'll leave that part right there... It makes me feel teary and it is the thing of my nightmares. Since reading this story Mommy checks on you more frequently through the night, especially if you had a bottle near bed time.

The second part of Lyuba's story makes it even more gut wrenching to think of her mommy. The day Lyuba died her mommy had gone about doing everything important to keep her alive and healthy, as she had every day the entire month that summed up to be hear life. Scientists know this because her stomach was full of milk and feces. Okay to us, poop does not sound like an appealing part of the diet but for Lyuba's mommy it was essential to preparing her baby's stomach for an herbivore lifestyle. They also knew Lyuba's health was consistent because of the thick fat hump they could see at the back of her neck. Now, this part made me really tear up and feel sad. I looked over at you laying on the floor and thought my Henry has a nice fat hump on his neck too!


At that moment I really felt for Lyuba's mommy. She was just a mammoth mommy trying to help her baby live a healthy happy life and tragedy struck. I know, as your mommy, I have to watch out for you carefully and not get lax about keepin' you in my line of sight at all times. I would never want anything to happen to our baby Henry. Who would have thought I would have such feelings for a mammoth and her mommy that lived 40,000 years ago! I can't lie, I check your little fat hump daily to make sure it is still there. It is cute but can get smelly if I don't constantly clean the lint and milk residue out of it.

I tell ya Henry, your Mommy is a little nerdy but I have a big heart and I don't care if a mommy was a mammoth mommy or a penguin mommy (I will spare you my feelings about the story of the mommy and daddy penguins that lose their egg on the long journey to get their baby hatched) they are all mommies like your Mommy and only want their babies to thrive and grow up to be parents too.

All those sad parts aside, I hope that some day you have a love for history and archeology too. I have so much I want to share with you.

Love your, Woolly Momma