Monday, April 09, 2007

Why all this madness over babies?

Is it their helplessness? What is it?
These idiots with insistent ids
Who yowl when their unbridled bids
For love or milk go unregarded
For seven seconds—or who bawl
For no substantial cause at all—
Why are these egotists bombarded
With kisses, hugs, and smiles to spare?
Others, I think, deserve a share.

—Vikram Seth
13.46, The Golden Gate

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It is raining ‘em babies. What’s more, a good number of them are coming in twos.

My cousin Hemanth added twin girls to his tally last week; our Bashku has a new baby brother she’s fascinated by.

[Bashku posts: 1, 2 and 3; her mother Sowmya blogs here – mostly about her]

My friend Usha has an absolute doll of a baby who is six months old now; Sabiha’s three-month-old twins her keeping her awake all times of day and night, and at least two ladies in my small blogosphere circle – the Marauder and MadMomma – have had the stork visit. Congratulations, people! I wish you every joy.

I love babies. True, they scare the hell out of me before their necks have steadied and I daren’t hold them before then. Also I don’t know quite what to say to rheumy-eyed, inward-looking centres of self-absorption, but three months does wonders for their personalities, bringing awareness in their eyes, and intelligence and humour. They begin to grin, clutch, grimace and I fall in love again.

7 comments:

the mad momma said...

hey sheetal.. thanks a lot for the wishes.. now just wish me some nights of atleast a few hours of sleep and i will be set for life!

i wonder why said...

Believe me, wish all mothers (and fathers, and aunts) many hours of sleep at night, day and morning. I'm not sure how many more months it'll take to get it though.

Space Bar said...

came here from ludwig's blog...hi. i daren't even sing the 'small world' theme song: the mad momma etc etc.

so, just hi, and i'll be back often.

Sheetal said...

Mad Momma, Wonderperson: si, si, I hear ye. Prayers duly sent up for many hours of uninterrupted sleep and deep vats of patience. They will turn thirty some day and hopefully get off your hands.

Sheetal said...

Space Bar: just hi back :)

Hemanth said...

I still can remember, it was not very long ago, that we would go back to bed after feeding Uddhav "Ah! another half an hour of blissful sleep".. all that fun is back again, this time, doubled.

Children are ofcourse the most fantastic souls to be with and I am enjoying every precious second of it!

Btw sheetal - the girlies would be named Dhishaa and Hithaa

Sheetal said...

Hemantha: oh, you've decided on the names. v nice.