I spent lunch today excusing my addiction to chicken tenders by disguising it as an attempt to bring a post-op friend lunch. Of course, more important than that is that I got to hold Penelope. And let me just tell you - the fact that I did that? A miracle. I don’t think Ronda even realizes how much of a miracle that is.
I am NOT a baby holder. It feels weird admitting that, since I am about to have my third kid, but it’s true.
When other people have babies and offer them to me to hold, I usually run away screaming. First? Even after having two babies, I’m still very scared of the squirmy things. Also? Babies HATE me with a passion. I can look at a sleeping newborn and the force of my gaze will wake the child up and they’ll scream for three days straight. I SWEAR TO YOU.
But, Penelope is too cute to resist and I’m incredibly desperate to be holding a baby right now. So, I gave in and held her and she didn’t cry! She slept! Maybe I’ve shed my Baby Scaring Powers.
Or maybe she was just full and sleepy. Who knows.
Are you a baby holder? What do you do when people ask you if you want to hold their baby? Mainly because I’m looking for people to ask to hold AndyZ in a couple of weeks when I need a break and I just want to know whether or not to include you on my list.
Sadly not I’m not much of a baby holder, I’m afraid they’ll scream too. I used to be fine with my first 3 nephews but I never saw them when they were newborns, only when they were around 3 months old or more and quite comfy armfulls, as they were big boys.
My nephew by marriage was 3 months premature and very tiny. I think my fear of handling small babies comes from holding him as a small baby when he looked so delicate and was afraid I’d hurt him somehow. He’s a big boy of 7 now and you’d never guess he came so early, as he did really well and caught up during his first year.
I love holding babies. LOVE LOVE LOVE. As soon as someone I know has a baby? I just want to hold it and wonder at the beauty of a new life. Okay and I really want my own. But holding babies will satisfy that tick tock for a bit.
Oh gracious, tiny babies scare me. I’m always afraid I will hurt them or drop them or squeeze them. I’m not afraid of anything they could do to me; I’m not squeamish. They’re just so…tiny….and helpless. I am much less afraid of them once they are sitting up and such. But toddlers? They rock. I would be the queen of distracting NikkiZ for you!
I held said baby last night and resisted the temptation to wet my pants. She is just soooo teeeeeny. My baby was NEVER that small, so I felt like I was holding a very fragile, tiny thing. But, as you said, she was just too cute to put down.
I am terrified of holding babies. I’m afraid they’ll start crying the minute I touch them, or I’ll drop them, or I’ll support their heads wrong and break their neck, or they’ll spontaneously combust. It could happen.
I was never a big baby holder before I had Tyler, but now I can’t get enough of their chubby goodness.
Being a mere 5 days away from my scheduled c-section, you’re MORE than welcome to visit us and hold away…then I’ll offer the same in a few weeks when AndyZ is here.
One street is not too far away to yell for help, I promise.
I worry about dropping them, but mostly I don’t like holding other people’s babies since I had my own because they don’t ‘feel’ right. My kids fit just right in my arms, other people’s kids don’t. They’re all too long, too short, too skinny, too chunky, too squirmy, too still. IE - Not My Baby.
Sooooo, I’ll be there on Tuesday?
I love, looooooooooooooooooooove holding babies. That’s an understatement. At church? I am BEBBY HOLDER. New Moms will check on me, “Are you sure you’re okay?” I will mumble something as I smell BEBBY HEAD and promise I’m not devouring their child or stuffing said little wee one into my pocket.
Did I mention I love it?!
I am a baby holder, but only if I know the family very well. My SIL just had her fourth baby and the last time they visited, I held my niece for nearly an hour straight. Can you say spoiled?
Haha I’m pretty much the same as Sarah! I love love love holding babies. I love babies, and toddlers, and little kids, and big kids…
But oh yeah, I’m single. Drat. haha.
I wanna baby
Oh man, if I lived closer I would be begging you so I could hold him and cuddle him. I would even offer to take both young ones so you could take a nap just so I could love on both of them. I am serious I love little ones that much. I love both of my children, but I also know I would not be a good mother to three, so I have to get my baby fixes else where.
Never really been afraid of holding other people’s babies…then having one that weighed less than 3 lbs? No fear here (though I was afraid to pick mine up at his smallest if the nurses had him lying on his stomach — I actually would make one of them turn him to his back first).
Of course, Mr. W is anti-holding other people’s babies. For all the reasons you mentioned.
I.love.babies.
And?
They.love.me.
I don’t know why. I am not particularly maternal, but babies are one of my favorite age groups(along with teenagers. I know.) .
I can usually calm down a fussy baby and get them smiling or sleeping.
My friends call me “The baby whisperer”.
I’ll come over any time you want!
I AM TOTALLY a baby holder. I could hold babies all day long. Even when they are fussing.
Actually, I guess I’m kind of the opposite of you, my gf’s sister says I have the touch when it comes to her kid because I can get him to stop crying.
I just really enjoy holding them…I’m a sucker for babies.
If I lived close by, I would hold your baby all the time for you.
Put me on the list. It’s when they’re 6 months old and are constantly slamming their heads into the bridge of my nose that I have a problem.
Pick me! Pick me! I love to hold babies!
I absolutely adore holding babies. I am so very happy that the Bee, at 12 months, still wants to be held and likes to hold on.
But, she doesn’t take naps on me anymore.
Utah and Alabama aren’t that far apart, right?
I’m with you Elisette. I love babies. The way they look, smell, cry even … my business is dedicated to them! I would hold my dd forever. Actually I think I did hold her 24/7 for the first six weeks of her life. But it never feels quite right for me to hold someone else’s baby. I’m glad I’m not the only one
While I do love holding a newborn, I have never been one of those people who are all, “MY Turn!! Give the baby to me! I get to hold her now!”
That’s just weird.
I’m so over holding babies. I always think I want to, but after about 30 seconds and getting a good whiff of that baby head smell, I’m like, “Yeah, this one isn’t mine so I’m not working overtime. Here.”
I am a baby holder. I’ll be happy to take a turn holding AndyZ!
I’m surprised they cry at you — babies usually seem hypnotized by my curly hair, and I think your hair is even curlier than mine.
Totally not a baby holder. I don’t like tiny babies and they don’t like me (except my own…I hope). In my younger years, I worked in a shelter and every time someone came in with a baby all the women would coo and ask to hold it…I would be the one running out of the room.
Oh I’m totally a baby holder. I would hold babies all day if I could, I just love them. They smell so good and they’re so cute!
Basically if someone offers to let me hold their baby I say “gimme gimme gimme!!”
Especially now since I have baby fever!
My dad and I are both baby holders, so much so that if we are out at a restaurant or something, frequently one of us (usually my dad) will go to the restroom or wander around the place and return with someone’s baby. Nobody ever thinks it’s weird or inappropriate, he’s just that type of grandpa.
I wasn’t a baby holder until I had my own. Since then I luuurve to hold them and smell their heads!
I am totally a baby holder. I’m thrilled to give any Mom a break, and I’ll even change the stinky diaper.
De-lurking to tell you that I think holding a baby is as much fun as holding a sack of sugar. Except a sack of sugar won’t generally throw up on you.
The only exception was of course, my own beautiful child. And I’m sure even the non-holders really wanted to hold her because she was so tiny and perfect.
Or something…
Oh, my… am I ever a baby holder. I see a baby and can barely resist yelling “gimme gimme gimme”.
Holding babies is the BEST. I always ask to hold babies! Too bad I am a few states away…I would love to hold AndyZ!
The newborns scare me. From nine months on I’m okay.
I also held Miss Penelope today and I am also in love. She is such a little cutie! I was never a big newborn baby holder until my daughter was born. Now it is like second nature!
Newp. Not a baby holder. I make the excuse that just holding one would make me want another, but the real story is that I’m just not into holding other people’s babies. I hope that doesn’t make me seem cold, but it’s just not my thing.
For the record, I have pretty much attachment parented my son–cosleeping and much, much holding and snuggling and the whole nine.
total baby holder, here. i also sing to them. i’m actually a bit of a baby charmer.
i bet when i have my own babies, they will hate me,
I won’t hold anyone’s babies until they are at least 6 months old, but would prefer to wait until they are a year old. I just tell people I prefer not to hold newborns.
Some people have it and some people don’t. My mom? She is the best baby holder on the planet. Put any baby in her arms and they are asleep immediately. She says it’s because she’s squishy in the right places, but I think they can tell that she’s calm so they just follow her lead.
I have never been a baby holder, was always terrified of dropping them or holding them wrong, and they’d always start crying. Until I had mine - then I realized they are much sturdier than they appear, and much more fun to hold!
Hubby was the same, but he cracked me up in the hospital, trying to talk everyone else into holding her, saying “it’s the greatest thing! You have to try it”. The looks of horror on the faces of his friends were priceless. I had to talk him down - remind him that people who don’t want to hold babies just REALLY don’t want to, and you shouldn’t push them!
OOOOOOOOOOOOO… I LOVES me some baby holding! Even if I don’t know the person, the minute I see a baby, I just want to go hold them and smell their little “new baby smell!” The littler, the better! But, as soon as they cry or barf or something, I’m out!
I love holding babies.
I love babies. I want like a million.
I love holding babies. Sign me up! You’ll have to get to NJ, though.