Sunday, February 8, 2009

It puts the baby on its skin.

I was doing some reading about 'wearing' babies last night, using slings and various styles of sling-type carriers. I'm extremely invested in finding a good sling that I can stick the kid in so I can have my hands free when necessary to do random things, so I really want to do my research.

The danger of online research, you realize, is that you end up getting sidetracked by other interesting things as you read. As a result I started reading about how skin-to-skin contact is something that is extremely comforting and healthy for babies, especially when they're brand-new. I've known this for a while, but it was something I wanted to mention to Andrew, seeing as how he's the kind of of person who can't abide wearing pants for longer than five minutes after he gets home from anywhere and will disrobe at the slightest provocation. I figured he'd be thrilled at the opportunity to foster nudist tendencies in our child.

I also pointed out that baby skin is one of the most magical things on earth, it being so unreasonably soft and perfect and fresh, so skin-to-skin snuggling with a baby is like cuddling unicorns or something equally fantastical. Andrew's response?

"Oh, man. I'm going to rub that baby all over my body!"

How DO you respond to something like that? I coped through laughter, but a less understanding person would be all surreptitiously programming CAS into their cellphone.

Don't worry, there will be no using our baby as a reverse loofah, I swear. Besides, I think baby Jeanes would get a lot less out of Andrew's leg hair than Andrew would out of our baby's perfect flesh.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

If baby Jeanes is like his/her Mommy his/her skin will stay babysoft all through the toddler/preschooler stage.

Keltie said...

That would be so nice! Not like I'm lizard lady now or anything, though. Staying out of the sun pretty much ALWAYS has made sure I have the palest, blandest skin ever. :)