10 Things About Baby Only A Mom Can Appreciate
I'm extraordinary in the smallest ways you can't even begin to fathom (unless you're a mom, that is)
Unless you were born without a soul, the sight of a baby, any baby, smiling is enough to warm the cockles of your heart. And let’s not forget the mighty power of a baby’s laugh. No matter what cold, dark mood I may be in, the sound of a baby laughing at something as simple as paper being ripped is enough to make me believe in the beauty of the world again.
But sometimes it’s what babies don’t do that moms most appreciate. Read on after the jump for the full list of things about babies only parents can appreciate . . .
Tell me in the comments: What does your baby do/don’t do that only YOU can appreciate?
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She didn't wake up during the movie
Yes, I realize she appeared to be in a sleep so deep that nothing short of the end of days could stir her. However, in the past she has slept through rock concerts only to be woken up at other times by a fart in an otherwise silent hemisphere. So you never know. But I do. And it was a-mazing.
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She didn't crap in the tub
You’re thinking that’s probably status quo, right? I mean, otherwise it’s akin to bathing in a toilet. Well, it’s not and, you’re right, it is. So, please, take my word for it — my daughter not taking a dump while being lathered up was brilliant.
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She didn't spit up on you
What can I say? You totally lucked out. Unless, of course, you would have enjoyed wearing my regurgitated breast milk on your lovely black cashmere sweater for the rest of the day. Like the unpredictability of a volcano, so, too, is the spit up of my baby.
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She didn't wail on the airplane
I’d like to take credit for the fact that she wasn’t hysterical during takeoff, landing, or anytime in between. But really, instead I’ll give Benadryl a standing ovation. And you should, too.
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Her diaper explosion didn’t leak through her pants while she was sitting on your couch
There’s not much more to it, other than: You’re welcome.
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She didn’t have a nuclear meltdown when you picked her up
Yes, I know she was smiling before you picked her up. But what you don’t realize is often the difference between a smile and her bursting into tears can often be simply: No special reason + .0004 seconds.
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She's asleep
We all do it, right? It sounds so simple: sleep. However, I’d argue most do it more than she does. And when she does it in stretches longer than, say, 20 minutes, it’s as if the clouds have risen and the angels are singing. Feel free to join in the sing-a-long (but, you know, quietly).
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She ate
Everyone eats. Or, at least, everyone should eat. You know, if they want to grow. I often wonder about my daughter. But you saw her eat like she does it all the time. Maybe you should come over more often.
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She burped
That’s what babies do, right? They burp. But sometimes they don’t. And when they don’t, they can be in pain. And when they hurt, we all hurt.
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That smile
Yes, everyone can absolutely appreciate a baby’s smile. But there’s no way it tickles everyone’s toes and straight on up to their nose like it does a mom. Because you’re the mom. And the meaning of that sweet expression on her face — the way she opens her mouth and turns up the corner of her lips — with all of the deep and poignant things contained therein, can only mean as much as it does to the person who sees the same face even when it isn’t smiling.
Images: Meredith Carroll
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Add to that “She didn’t wake up when you carried her in from the car”
yes to all of the above…especially to the diaper explosion at a bday party & while my sis-in-law was holding her & yes it got on her clothes & arms:/
Very thankful everytime its actually contained in between her clothes & diaper
She didn’t bite the hell out of my nipple! She didn’t throw her food on the floor for the dog… She didn’t melt down when I went to the bathroom. Love my kid!!!
OMG yes to eating! My son is 2 1/2 now and we have struggled since he was born to get him to eat proper. At first he was fat, then he didn’t eat hardly at all and was getting to the point of being thin, now he is great but still is the most picky eater ever. So when he a good meal….I get teary eyed because i am happy.
All so true! The last one brought tears to my eyes. *sniff* My baby’s a big girl now, turning 5 in just a couple of weeks. I can’t wait to get pregnant and have another wonderful little one in my house.
I totally agree with everything! It’s those little things that when it seems nothing could get any worse, those little moments make them all better
I was always grateful when my son only went through 3 outfits changes in a day… instead of at least 6 or more (the puked ALL THE TIME). I was extremely grateful to have discovered that after months and months of little to no sleep, if I put him on his stomach to sleep, he FINALLY started to sleep through the night! Best feeling ever!
I love it when my little one sleeps through the night. Sheer bliss! Also, when he sneezes with a mouth full of food. In any other social setting that would be a bad thing but when he does it i laugh!!
I think you drastically underestimate others’ gratitude for your baby’s diaper explosion not soaking through his or her clothes and onto them, or their couch (especially the couch, as those are slightly harder to throw in a washing machine). Pretty sure they’re even more grateful for that than you are. Ditto for your child not crying through a movie, screaming through an entire flight, puking on them, having a nuclear meltdown when they pick him or her up, or otherwise doing something disgusting, messy or loud that would affect them. The rest of the world appreciates those things about your baby and thinks it rocks when they do/don’t happen, it isn’t just you. Go baby!
So true! Great post. And I agree with Sarahh above, not only do we appreciate the small things our own children do (or don’t do), but I think it’s even more appreciated when someone else’s kid doesn’t puke, poop, cry, etc.
I understand that the intention of this article is to point out that moms have a special relationship with their babies, but I think dads deserve a bit more credit. The implication seems to be that mom always bears the brunt of the most unappealing aspects of parenthood. Then you’re going to have to count me among the moms. Poop, puke, urine, tantrums…I did it all and I did it almost all of the time!
Oh yes, my 16 month old daughter looks like she is starved…. We often try three to five different foods per meal before she eats something… Anything! I could cry for joy when she finally eats, and yes, I feed her chocolates, I have reached the stage (and I do not care what others think) where I do not care what she eats as long as I can get a few calories into her and chocolate is better than nothing
I am a new mom (my daughter is only 6.5 weeks old) and I have been laughing so hard I started to cry!! This and the last three posts I read of yours (things people say to new moms, annoying habits of fathers, and you know your baby is no longer a newborn) have me in hysterics! Thank you for the laughs