Babies = Kitties (Part 1 of ?)

I got to visit my nephew Ben this weekend. I’ve been sick, and the poor little guy hasn’t had all of his shots yet. Last thing I want to be is “The One That Gave Him His First Sinus Infection”. So it actually has been a WHOLE MONTH since I had seen him, which sucks when they’re that little. They change so much EVERY DAY.

I’m no stranger to holding babies, but a) before my niece was born, it had been quite a few years, b) my charmingly paranoid family didn’t seem all that comfortable with me holding her (got a gasp from one person or the other if I shifted my weight or walked around), and c) it’s somehow different when it’s a relative. Dunno. But anyway, when my sister said “you want to hold him?” I immediately got nervous and started running through all of the rules in my head.

Gently support his head.

Make the transition smooth…we don’t want him crying.

Gah! His arm is flopping…don’t crimp it awkwardly.

Hold his butt! Hold his butt!

Whatever you do, don’t drop him. Don’t even flinch.

I got him situated and I felt, well awkward. He was comfy though. REALY comfy. So comfy he made a little snorft sound and flopped his arm out.

1.  Babies and kitties can be comfortable in places that full-grown adults can’t possibly fit, and they can be comfortable to a degree that is completely impossible to reach after a certain age or growth spurt.

2.  Babies and kitties make cute noises when they sleep.

3.  Babies and kitties have cute noses and feet. (Completely unrelated to anything I’m writing about, but it’s a hard fact, dammit.)

So, as I said, I wasn’t exactly comfortable. But he sure was, so I helt my pose as long as I possibly could. Trying not to notice that my head-support-arm was developing a cramp, I paced around the room, making sure to sway and bounce to further his inconceivable comfort.

Finally, I began to feel sharp pains up my arm and decided that I was at risk of, well, dropping him, so I casually made my way to a chair and sat down. I leaned over as if to cuddle him, but really I was supporting my elbow on my leg. He flopped his head to the side, so I shifted it back into place, I then shifted myself into my own comfortable place, and both of us were remarkably comfortable. In keeping with Rule No. 1, he was far more comfortable still.

4.  Babies and kitties are very comfortable flopped lazily across your lap. As long as you make sure to position your arms and hands to prevent them from falling off, you can be quite comfortable as well.

I could have held him for hours, but unlike a kitties, babies don’t know how to simply walk away and use the litter box.

xo
en