I spent some time today holding LMJ, watching her face roll through a cascade of expressions while dreaming that would have made Marlon Brando proud. She has this Taxi-Driver, "you-talkin'-to-me?" look, and there's also this face of absolute sweet peace borrowed from napping Golden Retriever puppies. There's this expression of profound puzzlement, as if she were calculating pi. She also has this look of relief, the kind most of us have in the morning after a satisfying bowel movement (hey, don't make that face, you know what I'm talking about) during which I'm sure she having a most gratifying poop.
Then, there's the signature smirk, half smile, half lips pursed ready to say, "you putz", genetically remastered from her father. That's my favorite.
Most strong women have a smirk (LMJ's dad, I'm sure, got it from his mother, a fierce and powerful goddess I adore). Xena, Warrior Princess, wore a perpetual one, suggesting to sword wielding gangs to "run for your miserable lives," a line I would kill to use at one of the many unpleasant IEP meetings in my career. Siguorney Weaver had one all during Alien Resurrection as the cloned Ripley straddling the line between human and alien, flame-throwing her way past all manner of monsters. All the women of Battlestar Galactica have big frakkin' smirks. Judabear has one when she describes the relentless exploits of her cat, Hansel, an animal who's part Ninja and part Pepe LePew.
So LMJ resides in good company wearing Papa's smirk, one of her many dreamy faces, as she sleeps through her baby days.
4 comments:
A little gift of writing...what an honor from a writer that you love. It's nearly 3 am and she sleeps here in my lap all swaddled. As I read the opening lines, my anticipation was overwhelming: to know we'd been given the package of a little description the likes of which two sleep deprived parents would struggle to achieve. It's beautiful. Thank you.
Ah, yes the faces. Dreaming of boobies and blankies, who knew one could express such a range of emotions?
I think Aunt MB looked pretty natural holding a baby though. And she didn't even break.
LMJ is already starting to hint that she may be a little too much like her father, and I don't really need that.
What a wonderful tribute! I'm so jealous and can't wait to meet her. I doubt I could be nearly as eloquent in describing her. She's lucky to have so many amazing "aunts" to be her role models!
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