Radiant!

OK, I can't deny it any longer. I am one of those mothers. I coo and goo over my baby, and kiss her loudly, and pinch her cheeks and talk to her constantly in the international adult-speaking-to-infant tone of voice. I secretly feel she exceeds all the other babies around her in cuteness, chubbiness, adorability, not to mention far surpassing all her siblings with her mellow nature.

Is she not the most radiant thing ever?

I try not to smother my friends and family with the obvious superiority of my baby. I don't want to alienate any of them, because I know I am going to need their support later on...say, in about a hear and a half. I don't want anyone rubbing it in my face when she is two and testing the limits of my sanity and self-restraint.

Mark and I were talking about how gorgeous she is today while we took turns holding her and making ridiculous faces at her so she would reward us with one of her radiant smiles. He was showing a recent picture around the office (see? I'm not the only one. He is one of those fathers), and was telling me about the positive and affirming reactions he received. I proclaimed that no other reaction was possible, because she was just so radiant.

Instantly, because we are the parents of small children, the word "radiant" took both our brains to an animated movie. I thought about Charlotte's Web and the radiant pig, and Mark started quoting the baby shower in Lady & the Tramp: "Doesn't Darling look radiant? That's what I said, the other day, Darling looks radiant. I haven't ever seen anyone who looks more radiant than Darling!"

We are officially those parents. Not only is our baby more radiant than all the other babies, but we can quote children's movies to prove it.