Madeleine Diane

[Mr Nobody]

Why are buttons cute?

[con's fly is open]

Or bugs' ears, for that matter?

[woza17]

Congrats Steiner I never go to the photo bit on this forum. She really is a very beautiful baby. Contrary to popular belief, not all brides and babies are beautiful. Interesting about the head though. Will it grow? It seems in proportion to me.

[Mr Nobody]

Woza, that cracked me right up. Mrs N thought I was having a fit.

[Steiner]

Here's Madeleine just before her monthly bath:

[George61]

Good to see you're keeping her clean, Steins.

[Ruth]

Looks like she's already been in the dryer with all that fluffy hair.

[Newbs]

That's the way, Steiner, bring 'em up tough.

[Steiner]

And after her bath, naturally, she needs dried:



She loves it.

[Ruth]

I KNEW it. Knew she couldn't get that soft downy hair without some Downy in the rinse cycle. You might want to try a dryer sheet to keep the static cling down.

[Newbs]

Up the top right now I'm getting ads for urine odour removal. Anyone else?

[Ruth]

No. Newbs, you might want to move down to this end of the bar, away from George's stool.

[Newbs]

George you say. That's a relief. I thought the ads might be directed at me.

[Steiner]

Five months and hiding under the futon...

[Non-Dave]

Too cute Steiner. Made me smile...

[con's fly is open]

Wow, some long limbs on that kid! Bodes well for the future.

[Steiner]

Well, Con, we would love her even if she were a dwarf but I guess we're happy about her limb length. Never really thought about it before.

[Ruth]

She's a little honey. Thanks for sharing her with her Saloon aunties and uncles.

[Steiner]

She's going on eight months now.



We think she's cute. Certainly cuter than when she was a newborn.

[Dr. Gonzo]

On a more realistic note, babies are like puppies and kittens. They're all cute. Then something happens. poo, even I looked cute..........once.

[Steiner]

I dunno, Gonzo. We were at a party the other day and there was another baby there.

UUUUUGLY! I wish I had a picture to share.

[acjade]

steiner said:

I dunno, Gonzo. We were at a party the other day and there was another baby there.

UUUUUGLY! I wish I had a picture to share.

Oh. I remember thinking that when my boys were little tuckers. No baby was a beautiful as my boys. When they grew into toddlers, no toddler as amusing. No pre-schoolers as clever. Etc. Etc.

The scatomas of being a parent. Totally in love with your own offspring in relation to other people's offspring.

Then. As I went through menopause I began to see the beauty in all children and all babies. I now spend a lot of time 'talking' with the babies and I fall in love with all of them.

[Lotus Eater]

We do tend to see our own blossoms as the best ever - and they prove it so frequently!!

But I am the opposite of Jade - I am happy to say "hen ke'ai" when I see a baby, I will gladly cuddle them for a few minutes - but I am more than happy to hand them back!! (Even your pretty little poss Steiner!) I just managed to get through changing my own childrens nappies, but other baby nappies - no way - I was also having to control the heaves. I am way better at dressing really horrible wounds than changing nappies!! I hadn't ever planned on having children - it was a biological urge that hit with marriage.

I adored mine, and really really enjoyed being pregnant, and now I love watching pregnant mums (the concept of a new life within is amazing), but this is a road I do not intend to wander down again!! My children have been told from the time they were tiny that if they want me to babysit, they will have to find me at the bottom of the Himalayas. I am sort of north east of them, but it's getting pretty close!

Unnatural? Maybe or maybe I see it as a stage of life I passed through with 3 successful outcomes and am now on to the next stage, and don't need to look back.

[acjade]

deborann said:

But I am the opposite of Jade.

We are different personalities. Iagree. But we are not opposites. We are both women.

I don't linger around the babies. I'm happy to pass them on. Been there. Done that. But I appreciate them more. A bit like someone who paints a masterpeice and then realises the wonder in all creation.

L.Eater I'm sure you'll be a loving Nana one day. Even if you are meditating in a cave in the Himalayas. Or dancing in a nightclub with a Chinese astronaut.

[Lotus Eater]

If grandchildren ever arrive (so far none on even the most distant horizon, and my oldest hits 30 this year - youngest is 23 so she has more time to think about it) they will be able to tell their schoolmates about their weird grandmother who tells embarrassing tales about pigs in toilets, eats strange foods, and sends them really dodgy presents from strange places (if she remembers to send anything at all!!). They will look at me and not believe my tales and try to keep their friends from being hijacked by me to listen to my tall stories once again.