There are some things about having a newborn around that I will not miss: taking 30 minutes to get ready to go out for one errand, waking two or three times in the middle of the night for feeding and possibly fussy-time, and this awkward phase of my body where I can’t wear my maternity clothes OR my pre-pregnancy clothes.
However, there are some things about having a newborn that I know I will long for in the coming weeks and months as my baby gets chunkier and begins hitting those important milestones. I will miss the softness of his little feet that have not yet touched the ground to take a step. I’ll miss the confused wonder of his big blue eyes as he peers out our bedroom window, unaware of what all awaits him in that huge world. I will miss the long periods of sleep throughout the day that I use for doing laundry, napping, or catching up on a book. But most of all, I’ll miss Monster Hands.
The startle reflex is the technical name for what I first called “Orator Hands” and finally settled as “Monster Hands.” Also known as the startle reflex, it’s an infant’s reaction to a loss of support or feeling of falling: the baby outstretches his arms wildly and then brings them in close to his body. Benjamin especially engages this reflex when we’re changing his diaper, but it’s also adorable when he’s in REM sleep and throws his tiny arms out mid-nap. Giddy from being up for over an hour with a refusing-to-sleep baby at 3:00 this morning, I began laughing hysterically as David changed B’s diaper and his little skinny arms flailed out again and again. “I’m going to miss this so much as he grows!” I cooed between giggles.
I’ve tried several times to get a video of Monster Hands, but as the best time is at a diaper change, it’s impossible to hold a squirmy baby and do any type of quality filming. I have gotten a few short videos with my cell phone as he slept, though. I hope they make you giggle as much as they delight me.
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