Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Baby Unibrows

I am a compulsive picture sharer. I catch my daughter in an adorable pose and have an urgent need
to share it with everyone I know. I
open up my “Contacts” and click about 25 names. I type a little message and send it along. I get a few responses, some one word, and
some a short paragraph, but most of the recipients never respond. This does not disappoint me so, evidently,
my compulsion to share photos has nothing to do with receiving validation about
cuteness of my kids.  I need no validation.





I look at my daughter sometimes and get a little weak in the
knees when she makes an adorable face. I cannot help myself. I think
she is, hands down, the most precious child ever to walk the face of the
earth. Do other Mothers get weak in the
knees when they look at their children? What about the unsightly children? Do their Moms know they are unattractive or does their unflinching love
and adoration blind them to the realities of the aesthetics of their
child? I have often pondered this
question but can think of no tactful way to gather evidence:





“I noticed that your son is conventionally
unattractive. How do you feel about his
appearance?”





“I love your daughter’s hair but she has a really homely
face. Do you think she is beautiful?”





I know that this is extremely superficial but one of my
greatest fears when I was pregnant with both my children was that I would have
an ugly baby. How would I feel if the
baby they placed in my arms looked up at me with the face only a Mother could love? Would I even notice? What about the little baby girl who shared
the nursery with my son after he was born? She had a unibrow that would give Bert from Sesame Street a run for his
money. Did she gaze at her new daughter
with awe and adoration or did she run right out to Walgreens for a home waxing
kit?







15 comments:

  1. I have wondered about this very same thing on many occasions. But will refrain from further comments out of fear of jinxing myself and making the baby I am carrying be born "homely" :)

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  2. I know for a fact parent's just don't know. You can look at adults and see some "homely" ones and yet they are married so someone thought they were good looking. We as mother's have the abiltiy to look through rose colored glasses! Thanks goodness. Oh and I also get weak in the knees when I see my sweet Elizabeth!

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  3. We, the old folks in central Illinois, can't believe that we were blessed with the 5 beautiful grandbabies we have, and, we have no dought if we are lucky enough to have 5 more, each and everyone of them will rival their next oldest relative for the best looking baby award that we will never give out, it's kind of like always being with your favorite daughter in law wherever you are. Now, as to the amazing beauty of your youngest child, remember me telling you about how my old neighbor used to say "this to will pass", well, when she blossoms into a pre-teen hard headed monster, the beauty may, at least temporarly pass, only to return the next time you are proud of her. (don't worry, I'm not going soft on ya, I just got done looking through old Halmark cards)

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  4. Tough subject and one that few talk about or as we were brought up to not even ponder. We are all blessed to be viewing on this side of your subject. Kids don't get to pick their parents and parents don't get to pick their kids! We all get what the Good Lord sends to us and we have to accept it. dad

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  5. Come on Angie! Your baby will definitely be cute. No worries for you!

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  6. I think you are right, Melinda. Elizabeth is pretty darn cute! She gives my daughter a run for her money.

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  7. Papa Dale-
    Come on! You know my kids are the cutest. Quit being so diplomatic :)

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  8. Dad-
    I want this blog to be brutally honest. That's why I addressed this question. Most people DON'T talk about it but everyone thinks about it, trust me, especially us neurotic Mothers. Thankfully, the good Lord has blessed me with really cute kids :)

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  9. I must say that I think I would know if my kids were ugly. When Patrick was about 5 weeks old, he went through this awful baby acne stage. I KNEW beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was REAL rough looking during that time - I was not blinded to that fact. Of course now I think my kids are pretty darn good-looking, but I can still objectively look at another baby/kid and think they are cuter than my kids. However, with your children, I think the old adage, "Beauty lies within", is true...we all think our kids are beautiful because we see them from the inside out. (Now you all are probably reading this and laughing, "Ha Ha...she has ugly kids and doesn't even know it!")

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  10. Oh, and I really worried about having ugly kids too. Isn't that horribly petty of me?

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  11. Not horrible, Jacquelyn, normal. NORMAL. I worried obsessively about that.

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  12. I have always felt free to unapologetically discuss how wonderful and adorable my children are - - one of the benefits of not having them rise from your gene pool :)

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  13. Yes, Aunt Becky, I never thought of it that way but you are RIGHT. You aren't responsible for their cuteness genetically so it is not so egotistical for you to openly discuss their gorgeous looks. They ARE gorgeous, by the way!

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  14. I have had this same thought more times than I would like to admit (do mothers know when their kids have been hit by the ugly stick?). For the sake of the mother, I pray that she sees what I see when I look at my undeniably gorgeous child. And Jules I'm with you....I hear the comments when we pass strangers and friends, "Oh isn't he darling.." But I barely hear them. I don't need any affirmation. The sun rises each morning and sets each evening and my child is cute. These are the things in life that I can count on! oh, and I'm sorry if I don't respond to the emails. Your babies are both so incredibly beautiful that a reply message would be superfluous!

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  15. I can confirm, with no reservations, that Heather's son is freakin' adorable!

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