But after nine months of incubation and who knows how many hours of labor, you just do not under any circumstances insinuate in any way, shape or form, that that wriggly pink thing is not perfect. I get it. I spend 30 minutes making dinner and get annoyed at anything other than enthusiastic yums. After spending 9 months on something, a few generic compliments on the fruit of your labor is the least you can expect. Personally, I would want a statue of some kind and a theme song by Celine Dion, Bryan Adams or some other Canadian soft-rock power ballad diva type.
Statue and theme song not withstanding, clearly there is an obligation to say something. As babies really can't do much or have a discernible personality, that sort of leaves you with looks. Do you just chuck your integrity out the window? Make generic, non-committal positive noises? Go out into left field and say the kid smells nice? I just don't know what to say to a face like that.
I don't even know what I'd do.
ReplyDeleteGush about how cute they are. And then tell your husband when you get home how you just saw the ugliest baby. :)
ReplyDeleteoh my gosh, I am laughing so hard at this. you don't even know.
ReplyDeleteYes, you gush about how adorable, how cute, what a little sweetheart, etc., etc., etc. You just can't tell the truth, unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteYou have to get creative with your compliments.
ReplyDelete"Oh....just look at how tiny he/she is!"
or
"Wow...what blue eyes!"
Something positive that is not a lie. Perhaps talk about how you feel about babies in general, whether it is that they are such miracles, or that you're always scared that you'll break them since they're so fragile, or whatever.
ReplyDeleteI got really scared a few years ago when there was a string of cute babies and I wondered whether I too had been blinded. But thankfully I have seen some ugly ones again so I know it is not that I have gone baby crazy. :-D
Say, "He/She looks just like his/her daddy!"
ReplyDeleteThat baby looks like my tax prof.
ReplyDeleteYou say, as my friend Mhana suggested, "My aren't you small!"