You know what isn’t awesome? Being awkward with babies.
It just so happens I am very awkward with what few babies I have encountered and let me tell you, it is very unpleasant. I blame it on my utter lack of experience with said creatures. You see, I am the youngest of my family (well, besides my nephew who was born when I was only 6-7 years old) and therefore have no idea how to change a diaper or even hold a baby correctly. I am now a 20-year-old female who made a fool of myself when given the opportunity to hold a distantly related baby cousin a few months ago. I did not ask for such a thing! The baby was practically forced upon me! Next thing you know I’m in a chair, with this baby laying on my legs in a weird position and people judging me as I look around frantically for help on how to move this child into a more socially acceptable position. “Just lift him up and sit him down! He’s not going to break,” says the grandmother of the boy as if it’s really that easy to correctly pick up this fragile sack of potatoes. Le sigh…it’s not that easy!
As a young woman, it is quite embarrassing to not be a natural when it comes to infants. It seems like everyone else who is a natural must be a better woman than you. By no means do I dislike babies. They are amazing little things- probably the most amazing things on earth, actually. And I’m pretty sure I do have a maternal instinct (judging by my obsession with cats), I just don’t think I’ve really ever had to access it before. If you never have access to something, how are you supposed to be comfortable with it?
I guess I should just stop caring what others think and find my own way with babesters. Yes, babesters- a made-up synonym for babies. I’m only 20, it’s not like I need to learn how to be the best mother by tomorrow. I’ve got years to go before I really have to worry about such things. So until then, I’m gonna live it up!
Toodles!
