“Oh, well, I love you gal, yes, I love you, Peggy Sue.”  –Buddy Holly

“Oh, well, I love you gal, yes I love you, Hannah Sue.” –Jeff Brown

My three-month-old granddaughter was on my lap facing me and I was doing my best to keep her entertained.  And what’s the best way to delight a baby?  Why, singing made-up show tunes, of course…

Oh Hannah!  Oh Hannah!  Oh Hannah!

We hope you have a very happy day!

I touched the tip of her nose and declared, “You’re the cutest baby I’ve ever seen.”  I reconsidered.  “Well, next to your sister and your mom when they were your age.”

She smiled broadly and replied, “Aga-oooh!”  *Hiccup*

Oh no, I thought, that wasn’t a hiccup, was it?

*Hiccup*

There was no mistaking it now.  Hannah was going into a state of hiccups, and as everyone who knows Hannah knows: a simple case of hiccups could easily spiral out of control into, well, a more complicated case.  Hannah Sue’s been hiccup prone since birth and they often go on and on and make her very unhappy.  When she’s unhappy, it makes my job of providing wholesome family friendly entertainment all the more difficult.

“Oh my goodness, Hannah, what shall we do?”

*Hiccup*

Jeff, I thought, how can you make her feel better?  Then it came to me.  Oh, yes, distraction with song, that’s the key…

A hap hap happy Hannah, happy in every way,

Makes a hap hap happy babysitter, and a much less stressful day!

*Hiccup, hiccup*

Hannah frowned and started to cry, clearly distressed by her physical condition and certainly not by my less than stellar singing voice.  Perhaps if I sang oldies instead, maybe that would work…

Hannah Sue, Hannah Sue

Pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty Hannah Sue

Oh Hannah, my Hannah Sue eeeooooh! 

Conundrum: Is there such a thing as an “oldie” when you’re singing to an infant?

“Her eyes sparkled and she exclaimed, “Eeeaaah.”

“Look at you, Hannah,” I said, holding her up in front of me.  “Is that the beginnings of a smile?”  My ingenious medicine of soothing music seemed to be working, but what should I perform next?  I set her back down, took up her little hands, and swayed them back and forth. 

Ouga chaka ouga ouga ouga chaka ouga ouga

I can’t stop this feeling, deep inside of me

Girl, you just don’t realize what you do to me 

A bit of drool ran down her chin.  Hannah was letting me know what I do to her.  “Don’t worry, Hannah Banana,” I said, grabbing a towel, “I got your back, err, I mean your mouth.”  I dabbed her off and another song came to me…

Hannah!

Hannah, Hannah, bo-bannah,

Banana-fana fo-fannah

Fee-Fi-mo-mannah

Hannah! 

Seemingly awestruck, she couldn’t hold back any longer.  “Ahhhgaoooh!”

“Thank you very much,” I said, doing my best Elvis.  “Cheers of admiration will get you everywhere.”  I gave her a quick hug.  That’s when I noticed her hiccups were gone.  Oh, yeah, baby, I cured my granddaughter– time for my big finale… 

Oh, we’re the boys of chorus

We hope you like our show

We know you’re rootin’ for us

But now we have to go! 

*Hiccup*