Think like a baby

During a training seminar on child development years ago, I was surprised to hear that babies are born with only two natural fears: fear of falling & fear of loud noises. Let that soak in for a minute. Every other fear or worry that they are saddled with come from us, from the environment in which they grow and from their peers. Babies come to us with two perfectly reasonable fears. We give them the rest.

Meet Cash and Turner, the newest babies I know. Their parents are wonderful people, who were expecting their arrival in approximately 3 months. The boys had other plans & showed up last Thursday. Cash weighs 2 lbs 4 oz. and Turner is tipping the scale at 1 lb. 14 oz.

Cash & Turner are currently hanging out in state-of-the-art bassinets in the Neonatal ICU of an amazing hospital, so I’m thinking that they feel pretty secure, as far as the whole possibility of falling thing goes. Sure, they don’t know that they are in the NICU, but they know that they are still. And secure. One fear checked off the list.

With regard to the fear of loud noises… from what I understand, it takes a certain blend of militant-drill-sergeant-meets-nurturing-motherly-type to be a NICU nurse, so those boys probably have no worry of hearing a loud noise. Until their big sister can finally get her hands on them & then there are worse things to deal with than a happy squealing big sister, aren’t there? (Maybe not to a little boy.) Fear number two taken care of- courtesy of nurses who aren't scared of anything, even humans the size of a couple of iphones.

Everything these boys need has been given to them, even before they knew they needed it. First by their mom & dad & now by an army of floating heads in medical attire, who randomly appear over their safe little beds. Things that they will need in the future are being gathered & given, by people who already love them because they love their parents. People are working right at this moment to ensure their parents will have as much time as possible to worry about nothing but holding them & whispering for them to grow, whispering how much they are loved, whispering to them about all of the wonderful things they want to teach the boys.

But right now Cash & Turner, as you are merely days old & fearful of almost nothing in this whole big world, I am learning from you. Learning to think like a baby, and not be afraid. Welcome to the world you sweet wee miracle babies. I can’t wait to know you.