Emma Dalton-Brown, Gleaner Writer

POSITIVE Parenting

"He's not so ugly. Normally newborns are ugly, but he's gorgeous," were the first words I uttered as the doctor placed my baby boy across my chest. He was slimy, with large puckered red lips, and seemingly curly blond hair that grew out of a slightly bruised head, due to being suctioned. Yeah, sure he's handsome! I bet all mothers say that about their sons! The thing is, I genuinely thought that he would come out looking SO much worse than he did. I am not sure what I was really expecting. Perhaps a more alien appearance, with a skinnier frame. Looking back now, I guess he was rather 'mawga'!! However, all new parents think their baby is beautiful, isn't that right? Who are we trying to fool?

Seeing him for the first time was all a bit of a shock frankly. The last thing I could remember, before the moment above, was being in excruciating pain (I think that I BRIEFLY mentioned this fact last week), and the doctor getting the suction equipment ready. I have absolutely no recollection of our son entering the world. Even at the time I thought it rather strange. Where had he come from? I'm being serious. In hindsight, I wonder if I fainted. One minute I'm in between 'pushes', with mention of him being suctioned, and the next he's laying on top of me. How much time had passed between the two memories? What had really happened? It never occupied my mind then, but now I am curious. I guess some questions in life always remain unanswered.

My husband and I had decided what we'd call him from when we knew that we were having a boy. In the months that followed, I hoped that he would look like said name. Fortunately, upon meeting him, I didn't need convincing that we'd chosen the right one. Even his little personality, which came out like a gush of water flowing down a waterfall from the get go, matches it to a 'T'! I'm afraid that I shan't be revealing it, because a woman I met at the hospital changed the name of her son when I told her what ours was. We're flattered, of course, but it'd be rather annoying if such an unusual name became 'run-of-the-mill' for 2009!

Immense joy

Any parent will tell you that the immense joy one feels upon the birth of his or her child is almost indescribable. I had some inkling of what it'd be like, but my husband did not have a clue. I recall telling him at the end of last year that once our baby arrived, our nieces and nephews would not get our undivided attention during family vacations anymore. He insisted that I was wrong, but I just smiled. A week after our boy arrived, I brought the subject up again. Yes, he agreed, things had indeed changed! That being said, I don't think there will be any jealousy issues as such, because each one of them is excited about the arrival of their baby cousin!

The truth is that my husband has fallen head over heels for the wee person who lives with us now. I am, as they say, chopped liver! I provide the necessary nutrients for him (actually for both of them, if you count the cooking I do every night!), and as long as I bag and freeze my milk, the two could live quite happily without me. When it comes to gunning for my beloved spouse's attention, I have indeed met my match. Meeting the little man has changed us both. For the better.

Emmadaltonbrown@gmail.com