The Grin

This entry contains elements which may not be suitable for young children. Parental discretion is advised.

Newborns cannot smile. Smiling is a developmental milestone in the life of infant that comes after hours, days, weeks of observing other faces and learning to use those muscles. Frowning, crying, and the scrunched-up face of effort come naturally from the very beginning. Smiling takes a while.

So we have learned to observe, as all new parents do, the sign that Gwendolyn is moving some milk through the lower reaches. The scrunched-up eyes, the solemn grunts, the wide-eyed pauses ("Is it out yet, I wonder?"), and the quaking limbs of effort show us that something's going on which will require parental attention later. (But not too soon, lest we get hit by evacuating product.) Gwendolyn knows the universal human experience of moving her bowels.

But every once in while, after a particularly dense push or a rumble that echoes through the double-gusset diaper. Even though she's only 12 days old, when the product has been shipped, I could swear that the corner of Gwendolyn's mouth goes up just a bit, to show she appreciates the value of what's just come to pass. She may not be able to smile yet, but I'm pretty sure I've seen her grin.

I wish I could share her joy at the realization of a full diaper.

~emrys