Monsters

We are an offbeat family.

So far, Emelia has only about ten stuffed animals and half of them are monsters. Before she was born, I got her the alien and the Loch Ness Monster because they were cute and unconventional. I meant nothing by them. I just liked them. It wasn't until Aaron's cousin Jeff got involved that the monster thing took on meaning.

Jeff decided that Emelia should learn to embrace monsters rather than be afraid of them, so he got her a C'Thulhu puppet and a C'Thulhu Christmas tree ornament (not pictured, but it has a Santa hat and golden balls on its tentacles). I've never read any H.P. Lovecraft, but I'm told that C'Thulhu is basically the most evil of all monsters that ever were and ever will be. But he makes a cute stuffed animal.

My sister Susie then got into the game by getting her a monster toy, as well. She thought Jeff was right on the money. The monster she got has eyes that pop out, and you can open his mouth, torso and head and pull stuffed pieces out. He has a brain and a bat in his belfry; a frog in his throat; a foot in his mouth; a stomach and a heart; and a toe that comes off. It sounds strange and gross, but it's really completely non-offensive and kinda funny. I actually think Emelia will love it when she gets old enough to actually notice it.

My mother didn't know she was contributing to a trend, but she provided the coup de grace with a spider baby toy. I know it's not exactly a monster, but it's something that people are usually afraid of, so I count it among the monsters.

So Emelia's monster collection is well underway, and she sure looks cute surrounded by them. I'm sure some or all of them will be her friends as she grows up, but who knows if they'll keep her from being afraid of scary things. I can't imagine there are many babies out there with monster collections. I've decided, though, that the C'Thulhu puppet will make a good constant to show her growth, so expect to see more of him in the future.

With us as parents, the poor kid was sure to be a little unusual. This is certainly only the beginning . . . .

Baby Swing

I have friends and family who swear that a swing is the only way to calm a cranky baby. It even became a joke over Thanksgiving because one of my sisters in law kept mentioning over and over that I might want to consider getting a side to side swing. I got a REALLY old front and back swing as a hand-me-down, and I wanted to try it out before giving in and buying something ELSE new (or letting someone get one for a gift -- I'm all for recycling, after all). I kept assuring Rebecca that I was taken care of in the swing department, at least until I tried the hand-me-down.

Well, I've tried the hand-me-down, and I'm a baby swing convert. So far, Emelia doesn't seem to mind that it only goes back and forth. It calms her in a way that I -- much to my regret -- cannot (unless she's hungry). As a result, she's spending a fair amount of time in the swing instead of in my arms. I'm glad there's a way to calm her (and rest assured that I do try to calm her myself before resorting to the swing), but I feel a little inadequate that the sheer presence of my body and my soothing voice and movements can't compete with an ugly, battery-operated contraption. *sigh*