Jude

20 Juin 2008

So, I’ve experienced my first few days with my nephew… It’s pretty surreal. So surreal in fact that I don’t take it in all the time and I have moments of realisation during the day where my brain actually understands that this cute little thing that is just under 60cm long and maybe 5kgs in weight is a full-fledged, brand new human being. He is just about seven weeks old, I think that’s the youngest baby I have ever handled, and the things that amaze me about him are the things that come to him naturally: he breathes… No one told him how to do that, but he has picked up that habit and keeps it going; he also loves his mum’s milk and attaches himself to her breast automatically (it was a little weird at first, but since she’s my sister, I can handle it); he swallows what he eats, doesn’t spit it out. These things are part of his instincts… He has blue eyes (for the moment), an inquisitive and very funny face, and twenty tiny digits on his hands and feet. It’s the detail that’s amazing. He’s generally very happy, but even when he cries he looks so sweet, with his cute little pout. The world revolves around him, whatever room he’s in, all eyes are on him. I find it hard not to look at him when he’s in the room, he’s just too gorgeous. He’s so fragile and needy… That’s the thing that makes me fearful and blows my mind the most: he was created totally dependent on his parents. Every time I handle him I’m afraid of breaking him like a porcelain doll, so I am most careful. Seeing his parents love him is a beautiful thing; my sister and bro’s hearts are melted when they talk to him, look at him, think about him… And so is mine. I’m overwhelmed by this new creation. I’m shocked at how God so carefully knit this human being into life and his effect on everyone around him, where old and young men will sing songs to him, old and young women want to play with him, and he doesn’t get bored of gesticulating, watching, lying down, sleeping, breast-feeding, burping, pooping, having his nappy changed (he loves that in fact) and starting over again.