Babies, Beauty and Beginnings

I have loved babies ever since I was a little.  When I was growing up, my dream was to have lots of babies, silly but true.  I loved playing with my dolls and probably played with them long past the age most girls do.

My love of children was present at an early age.  I babysat all the kids in my neighborhood and carried any baby that would let me. .  My sister was 8 and I was 11 when my little cousin lived with us for a year, we changed him probably 100 times a day and brushed his hair that many times. We just loved having a real live baby to play with!

There is a beauty babies have that attracts me.  I loved holding my son next to my heart when he was a sleeping.  I love the smell of new babies and puppies.  A baby is powerless and thus requires constant, consistent care/nurturing to thrive. I am good at taking care of and nurturing growth: babies, children, plants. 

The thing about babies and young children is they are always in the present moment.  They don’t have a yesterday or tomorrow, they have a right now.  They keep us focused/grounded to being present and they know when we are not because they get fussy (non verbal for pay attention to me).

Babies are and aren’t easy. I think they come into this world with their

temperment/character/disposition already established.  A mindful parent pays attention to the non verbal communication his or her baby gives them.  It’s called attunement.  Attunement is necessary for positive bonding and connecting.  This can affect the kind of relationships we have for the rest of our lives.

I love watching the facial expressions of babies.  When babies see me, they just look at me, like they are recognizing someone from a spiritual connection.  I just smile when I see them, in the grocery store, the baby siblings of my students, in the park or walking in the mall. 

It’s a lovely thing to watch a baby develop into a toddler develop into a young child and continue growing.  I used to think if I stared long enough at my son, I would see him grow.  Babies grow right in front of our eyes. This is a miracle.  A baby weighs 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 pounds more or less and then they grow. 

I think people are the most amazing thing on this planet.  Our brains are the most sophisticated computer ever created.  No one says grow, but we do.  No one says get taller or walk or talk, but the brain sends the signal and it happens.

This world is filled with babies --- it’s how we all start and then grow. I guess I love people.

Two boys that used to be babies
three and nine years old