Apples Don't Fall Far

I got to be a big sister a lot of times. I loved being a big sister and I loved helping my mom "mother" them. Babies were the best back then. I could hold them when they were happy, and give them back when they weren't. To me, babies were so cute, so soft, so sweet-smelling and just so munchable. They were almost a sensory overload for me. It's hard to explain, so allow me to illustrate:


Here we are Christmas morning. Left to right we have Andy, James, baby Tim, me and Jon. Now, notice that my hands are gently cupping the sides of Tim's head. Baby heads are sweet and small and perfectly round. Now...take a look at my face. I know I look possessed, and perhaps I was - possessed by the cuteness that is little babies! I would clench my teeth together and breath through my teeth.

Babies' arms and legs just had to be squeezed! I couldn't resist putting their heads between my hands and just holding their little pea-heads! And their little, soft, cool fingers. Well, they just HAD to be put into the sockets of my eye...they just belonged there. Don't ask me why because I don't know, but every family member can remember me doing this. I know it sounds CRAZY, but those babies were just physically irresistable to me. I had to hold, squeeze, kiss and munch them. It was like a force of nature that could not be stopped.

Now that I am a mother, I still kiss their soft little cheeks. I still bite my tongue or clench my teeth when the cuteness is overwhelming. But, I must say that I do not put my baby's fists in my eye. I know for a fact I've never done it in front of my kids.

*I found a picture of me doing it as a child. My mom, James and me.*

Imagine my surprise when snapping pictures of Yaks and Diddles the other day I witnessed this:



Fist in the eye.
Heaven help my babies!