The Most Beautiful Boy In The World
ATTENTION DISLIKERS OF MUSHY, POORLY EXPRESSED EMOTION! Get back in your vee-hickle and turn back now. This is a personal post that doesn’t feature sheep so if you have Googled for sheep don’t be looking here, twit. Of course, you might end up here anyway now I’ve written sheep 5 times in one post. (There is another sheep hidden in the text below somewhere – a virtually free kir to the first person who can spot it.)
My best friend, M, has had her baby! An 8lb 10oz little parcel of wonder. I’m not going to say his name ‘cos its not my place and I don’t write my own daughters’ names online either, ‘cos I’m a scaredy-cat eejit about vague God-only-knows-what online perils. I’m only going to put up one photo of him for the same reason but I have to show you how beautiful he is, even if he’s wild with me for it years from now. Flickr won’t blog pictures for me tonight but he’s over on my Flickr site. (See sidebar over there. Down a bit. Further. Yep. He’s in there.)
This wee fellow is causing joy in places all over the world. It’s a peculiar thing but, although he’s not mine, he’s my dearest, oldest friend’s son and I feel profoundly that I will always love him unconditionally, just as I do my own girls. I have a god-daughter in Lewis that I love dearly too, despite only having met her on one trip home. I always expected to love my own of course, but I wasn’t prepared for how much I’d love my best friends’ children too. It’s a funny thing but it’s all that teary, achey way that pure love feels like and I’m not foolish enough to go second-guessing or trying to analyze it; I just feel very lucky and proud to be their Auntie Sam. I know and love the faces of the parents they come from so well that it feels like they’re my family too, as if my brother’s wife had just had his child or something. (They plan on having them at some point so I feel OK saying that. Few years for them yet though – little whippersnappers.)
He was born on his daddy’s birthday to two people I would entrust to bring up my own girls if anything deadening happened to me and the Problem Husband. They are going to be wonderful parents and he’s a very lucky and loved wee boy.
When his mammy and I were kids we were definitely not the most baby-adoring of girls. We never hankered to look after the babies of friends and relatives, much preferring to do something outdoorsy instead, and slightly disdainful, baffled – and probably a wee bit afraid – of girls who fussed over prams and dolls and babies. It never occurred to me back then that there could be such sheer happiness to that degree in the birth of any baby and I kind of thought people went overboard when a new one was born – it’s just a baby, right, ten-a-penny? thought silly little I – but my heart is very, very gladdened to meet all these new wee people. I’ve already been out and wet his head with a few drinklets. ‘Twas fab.
And birchsprite got married! Go and see! She wore one of the classiest wedding dresses I’ve seen and was radiant. Births and marriages – what a great way to start the new year!
And I got two awards! A Beardy from the fantastically generous and warm-hearted Bearded Philosopher, Kim; and a Roar For Powerful sheep Words from the beautiful and talented, Eryl – check out her poem she recorded for the Storyteller’s Blog. I’ve had a couple awards in the past from blogpals but, rather rudely, not posted about them ‘cos, for one thing, I couldn’t get them to sit nicely in the side-bar. I wasn’t meaning to be rude and I apologise to the folks who took the time to give me one – I should have acknowledged the fact on my own blog and not just in your comment boxes. Sorry, peeps. I’m a churl.
Anyway, although the deep-note happiness will persist, the top-note joy of these past few days will quieten, as is normal, and soon the bullshit things of life will rear their ugly heads again as sure as eggs is ova, so I’m going to revel in it while I can and will not be apologising for my gushiness.
Who else is having a happy old time of it just now?
January 10th, 2008 at 8:04 am
He’s quite a heavy little fella! I think human children are at their best at about age 6, when they become good conversationalists. So fairy godmother Sam has more good things to look forward to.
January 10th, 2008 at 9:42 am
Ahhh shucks Sam! Cheers for the mention.
And big congrats for your friend. What a darling baby!!!
January 10th, 2008 at 11:30 am
I’m a sucker for babies, and he is a particularly fine one, so I had a good look at him and went ‘Awww’ several times: he looks like he must have been delivered by C-section with that round, fine head! I love my friends’ children too and I’m pretty sure I’d lay down my life for them if I had to — quite honestly. GB is both right and wrong: sure, kids are fun when they can talk, but they’re lovely when they CAN’T talk too because they cannot TALK BACK, nor can they lie to you that the hair clogging up the shower drain is not theirs, that someone else must have taken the last piece of chocolate cake, or that they did their homework and emptied the dish drainer, which they patently did not.
I wish someone would give me a baby, but then I’d be worse off for sleep than I already am…
January 10th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
When I was in my twenties, I thought babies and kids would just make a mess of my otherwise virtually perfect life.
Well, they did, darn it. Made it more perfect, they did, and I wouldn’t change a darn thing.
Congrats to your friend, congrats to you.
Cheers.
January 10th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Beverley says you were calling me a slapper?
P.S. Congrats to your friend, congrats to you.
Cheers.
January 10th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Firstly congrats to your friend, that’s a hefty limp of a child to be pushing out Secondly. I think all newborns look like aliens who have just crash landed on Earth and are irked because they can’t get their photon torpedos to work. Post a picture of him when he is about 3 months and I will go, ‘Eeeeeeee lookit at heeeem.’
January 10th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Nanas – we were at the pub trivia the other night and the question was what doe Disney’s Cinderella’s fairy godmother say to her. Only the Problem Husband knew. “Bibbety-boppety-boo!” he declared triumphantly. We all stared at him for some time.
Sprite, he’s a wee piece of gorgeousness, inne?
Mary, you have the observational powers of a funny-hatted detective! He was indeed a C-section. All healthy and safely arrived. I miss the long hours of cuddling a baby can put up with but wee kids don’t have time for.
Rand, some days things are decidedly imperfect with the kids then the smallest of things will make all that go away. Flippin’ awesome, that.
Abi, you mean Beverly Maroon? Well she’s got a flappy tongue. Well known for gossip down at the club. I expect I actually said “That Abi’s a right brazen demure person, ain’t she?” I’m incredibly judgmental.
January 10th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
fmc, he lost that scrunched up old guy look pretty quick though – he’s only 2 days old there and he looks wiser and more worldly than I do before I’ve had my coffee. Or after, if I’m honest.
January 10th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
I wuv the babies! Weddings I’m just OK with. Marriage I’m alternatingly thrilled by and resigned to.
So… sheep filled moments are the most precious of times.
January 10th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
ahhhhhh. Congrats to your friend Sam. I’m with the, they’re a whole lot more fun once they hit 5 crowd though. My 5 year old is a blast to be around, and he was a tantrumy pain in the ass 3 year old.
January 10th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
Wonderful post, quite brought a tear to the old eye. I still have the baby fever only husband has had the snip so if I got pregnant things would look a bit suspect. All is bliss in the Mommy Has A Headache House and we are off to Madras for a romantic holiday soon.
January 10th, 2008 at 8:06 pm
Aren’t babies that aren’t our own wonderful? I have to hold myself back on a weekly basis or there’d be gagging amounts of photos of the Waif’s offspring. He’s a sweet-faced boy, indeed. I hope he grows up to give mam and pap white hair at least a decade early.
January 10th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
I love my friends’ babies too. I have no desire to pop any out (yet) but do dearly love the wee ones and love playing with them and teaching them annoying things to do in the car on the way home. One of my friends is popping one out in 9 days (9 days! So exciting!) and I’ve been sewing little stuffed toys galore for the tike.
This little boy is a total sweetie. He’s already got attitude on his face. You’re gonna have fun with this one!
January 11th, 2008 at 1:22 am
He surely is a beautiful boy. I love babies, love the noises they make and the way they smell and the way they look at you all curious when you speak to them. My best friend will have her third soon and I can’t wait. And I’m really hoping to become a granny within the next ten years, while I can still kick a football without breaking a hip.
January 11th, 2008 at 5:24 am
Kids are great. I used to be one.
January 11th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Babies only became cute after I had my own. before that they were strange little aliens. Now when I see one I just want to give it a hug.
However, on the age thng, the perfect age for kids is from 7 to 11. They are old enough to wash/dress/feed themselves, but haven’t yet reached puberty meltdown.
Anyway, I’m right chuffed about you putting my award on your sidebar
January 11th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
I shall probably dream about him tonight. How I miss my babies. I love his expression – ‘ and who are you when you’re at home.’ Give him a kiss from me.
January 12th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
What a blessing that little boy is. He’s so cute I have a toothache.
January 13th, 2008 at 2:03 am
?A moth?s wing?, her uncle said cradling her closely, the very same her who ventured out this Christina Agulerra Friday night, to an ?energiser?, a hop, a dance, a disco, with her third boy-friend.
But, I remember her moth?s wing soft breath.
January 13th, 2008 at 10:30 am
Forgive me going off-topic Sam (but know more than anything that I think little boys are very beautiful) – wanted to let you know my email replies to you seem to be disappearing into the place no person has ever come back from. I have asked a mutual friend to try forwarding my most recent attempt. Am dashing to the airport now. Am dashing like Errol Flynn.
January 14th, 2008 at 3:14 am
Who was it that said newborn babies all look like Winston Churchill? i agree with him. But pass me a three month old and i will say things like, ‘Wow you look like a human!’ and other such constructive things. I love watching small people turn into themselves.
January 14th, 2008 at 10:29 am
I wonder what they are thinking when they give you that unblinking stare. I always believe it is important to talk to babies – even if other people think you are potty. They understand so much more than we dream.
January 14th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
“Sheep words”. Ding. Ding. Ding.
I MUST smell the head of any infant I’m near. That scent is the loveliest of them all. I love newborn babies these days since I can always hand them back to their parents.
January 14th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
ahhhhh – happy blogging in Jan now that is an achievement, almost as good as producing new life.
January 15th, 2008 at 10:54 am
Congrats on the new wee chap. I think babies are marvelous things. It’s wonderful to see the joy they bring to their parents and all around them.
A new baby at the start of a new year, what could be better. I love that talcy/milky smell.
January 15th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Hold up. Back in a wee while to respond to your lovely comments, when I’m not hungover. I know it’s a flamin’ Tuesday, OK! But the prior evening involved at least one chef and some sake and golly knows what kind of a thing from a bong. Head hurts.
Ouch.
January 23rd, 2008 at 11:57 am
A Stornoway expatriate! Brilliant, I’m sending your link to my friend in Lewis. Can’t wait to read more here – wonderful, witty writing (your book list isn’t shoddy either). Found you through one of my loyal supporters, birchsprite.
Cheers and keep up the good work!
July 4th, 2011 at 10:58 pm
Greate…
It’s such a great site! http://www.soulcast.com/post/show/1076842/Brian-Vickers-retaining-choices-open Great post, I just bookmarked it on Digg….
August 7th, 2011 at 7:32 am
really good article…
I have spent a bit of time going through your posts, more than I should have but I must say, http://fusenetwork.org/blogs/entry/Mother-Conjugal-dresses, many Thanks….