oh thanks for saying so! feeling better already =)

also, @skmom, i should chop of these little things at the bottom, right? is it a sign of distress?

Not a sign of distress......that's just how it grows :-) Hydrangeas are caning shrubs, not trees, and are carefully trained into a tree-like form by removing lower branches. Those are just the starts of new branching and you do want to remove if you wish to maintain the plant as a 'tree'.

Don't "chop" off - rub them off with your fingers while still very new and young. This leaves no stubs or scarring and tends to limit any regrowth in that area.

I wonder if that side growth would eventually develop roots if you put them in water???