|
To Love A Baby...
1. Who else would listen to you sing-- and love it?
2. There's always somebody to watch middle-of-the-night movies with.
3. They love to get naked.
4. That look of pure drunken contentment when they finish nursing and lurch toward sleep.
5. You can tell them anything-- they never judge, never mock you, and never spill your secrets.
7. They wouldn't dream of mentioning that you look tired, have put on a few pounds, or need a haircut.
8. Two words: baby breath.
9. When you get the notion to forget the dishes and the laundry and just fool around with blocks, they're right there with you.
10. They make you want to be a better person.
11. Everything is a discovery, and they let you see the world through their eyes.
12. They don't mind if you don't make it out of your pajamas all day.
13. They never hide their emotions.
14. Who knew that watching someone sleep could be so entertaining.
15. Your mother-in-law suddenly loves you.
16. Even if the only game you know is "This Little Piggy," they'll play along dozens and dozens of times and giggle with undiminished delight every single time.
17. Only when you have a baby do you begin to understand how infinite love is.
18. You suddenly comprehend that this state of combined terror, humility, and adoration is how your parents felt about you all those years ago, and you forgive them for hovering, for scolding, for worrying.
19. They have a right- now quality that encourages living in the present.
20. You may never become president of the United States, make a billion dollars on the stock market, or write the Great American Novel, but one small creature thinks you are unquestionably the most important person in the world.
21. You have a guaranteed out for any social obligation you're dreading "(Terribly sorry, but the sitter canceled)" or phone call that's dragged on too long "(Baby's crying. Gotta go!)"
22. You see a side of your spouce you never knew existed. And you love it.
23. When the adored little one pops the nipple on her bottle, spilling milk all over the well-dressed woman next to you on the bus, you discover what the phrase "the kindness of strangers" really means.
24. They turn two people into a family.
25. Your siblings get to be aunts and uncles.
26. You know the ugly sweater you got from Aunt Sue? A little artfully placed spit-up-- and, presto, it's history.
27. Once you become a mother or a father, there is nothing in the world you'd rather be.
28. They do everything passionately.
29. You have an excuse to buy stuffed animals.
30. The most marvelous technological advance is not half so miraculous as a newborn.
31. You get to spend a lot of time in rocking chairs.
32. In a world grown indifferent and cynical, the arrival of a baby still inspires awe and rejoicing.
33. They not only don't mind a messy house but actually seem to prefer it.
34. You always know what you'll be doing Saturday night.
35. They can make rude noises in public and no one bats any eyelash.
36. You will never again think, even for a moment, that your life doesn't matter.
37. Hearing your very own baby cry for the first time gives rise to the fiercest emotion you will ever feel.
38. Who else-- besides the dog--is so happy to see you walk into the room?
39. They bring with them a sense of infinite possibility.
40. They like to cuddle.
41. They give you courage: You will be able to stand up for them in ways you don't quite dare do for yourself. ( "Excuse me, but I must ask you to put out that cigar. It's very bad for my baby's lungs." )
42. They have never heard of irony.
43. A crying baby is the perfect excuse to get out those old Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young records and dance the night away.
44. Greta Garbo and the Mona Lisa combined could not hold as much mystery as those wide eyes gazing out at you.
45. They give you an excuse to take a walk in the park every day.
46. They find nothing unusual putting about a person who talks to herself.
47. They make life look so easy: a little something to eat, a little something to drink, a little floor time, a couple of naps, a few laughs-- what's not to like?
48. They don't demand expensive presents. In fact, the box and the ribbon are the real attraction.
49. Having a baby changes you so profoundly, reveals to you so many truths about yourself, that you begin to wonder, Whose birth is it, anyway?
50. They give you faith that the world should go on.
|
