"(Eggs) require the gentle warmth and tender love that only a mother can provide. Or better yet, a seventy-five watt bulb."
Nothing in this world is as fulfilling as looking down at your newborn cuddled across your lap, and seeing him looking back at you; not just looking, but staring at you, watching you, studying every detail of your face with an expression of complete love and dependence. Then nothing destroys this illusion faster than moving your head to the side, and discovering that he’s fixated not on your face, but on the light bulb above your head.
The boys’ current favorite thing in the whole world is a light bulb. More than once, I’ve noticed them staring at me in the manner described above, only to realize that they’re staring at the lamp in the living room. I know that babies are essentially blobs with at this age, except that blobs have better eyesight. Their only voluntary movements, besides limb flailings that don’t accomplish anything, are to suck-swallow milk, pee as soon as their diapers are removed, and turn their heads to look at interesting objects. Right now their eyesight is so bad they can’t see the Pooh hanging two inches above their face from their gym, but that bright lamp draws their attention like flies to a honey-covered bug-zapper.
We have a chest full of toys left over from Abbie’s infancy for them to play with. We have rattles, teethers, and plush animals to go along with two baby gyms, but they don’t acknowledge any of it. I imagine part of the reason for their ambivalence is the fact that they can’t see any of it, and the other part is they haven’t yet grasped the concept of, um, grasping.
Thinking back to Abbie, this makes sense since she didn’t do much with her toys for the first several months of life; she’s just now starting to play with one of her baby toys that features several twisting dials that click when turned and a comical age recommendation of birth & up. Even though we expect this ambivalence, it must be annoying to people that give them gifts of rattles and such expecting to see their faces light up when shaken,* only to see them continue to blankly stare at the light bulb. My mother was a victim of this attitude this weekend when the twins ignored their new rattles from her, although she did get to see Abbie enjoy playing with their new toys.
I worry about their eyes. It can’t be good for a baby to stare at an illuminated light bulb for minutes at a time. When I catch them staring at the light I try to position my hand so it blocks the bulb from their eyes. Or if I’m feeling ambitious, I’ll move my head to block the bulb and pretend the look in their eyes is one of admiration.
* When the rattle is shaken, not the baby.
The boys’ current favorite thing in the whole world is a light bulb. More than once, I’ve noticed them staring at me in the manner described above, only to realize that they’re staring at the lamp in the living room. I know that babies are essentially blobs with at this age, except that blobs have better eyesight. Their only voluntary movements, besides limb flailings that don’t accomplish anything, are to suck-swallow milk, pee as soon as their diapers are removed, and turn their heads to look at interesting objects. Right now their eyesight is so bad they can’t see the Pooh hanging two inches above their face from their gym, but that bright lamp draws their attention like flies to a honey-covered bug-zapper.
We have a chest full of toys left over from Abbie’s infancy for them to play with. We have rattles, teethers, and plush animals to go along with two baby gyms, but they don’t acknowledge any of it. I imagine part of the reason for their ambivalence is the fact that they can’t see any of it, and the other part is they haven’t yet grasped the concept of, um, grasping.
Thinking back to Abbie, this makes sense since she didn’t do much with her toys for the first several months of life; she’s just now starting to play with one of her baby toys that features several twisting dials that click when turned and a comical age recommendation of birth & up. Even though we expect this ambivalence, it must be annoying to people that give them gifts of rattles and such expecting to see their faces light up when shaken,* only to see them continue to blankly stare at the light bulb. My mother was a victim of this attitude this weekend when the twins ignored their new rattles from her, although she did get to see Abbie enjoy playing with their new toys.
I worry about their eyes. It can’t be good for a baby to stare at an illuminated light bulb for minutes at a time. When I catch them staring at the light I try to position my hand so it blocks the bulb from their eyes. Or if I’m feeling ambitious, I’ll move my head to block the bulb and pretend the look in their eyes is one of admiration.
* When the rattle is shaken, not the baby.
posted by Matt at
10:19 PM
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