nope

Remember that freckle Ziah had on top of his head at birth? The one I so loved, figuring it would eventually be covered by hair but then uncovered by old age for someone else to enjoy as much as I, his mother, had? Well, when we first got to North Dakota, I kissed that freckle right off his head. One day I was just kissing it and loving it when suddenly I noticed it was a different shape. I rubby rub rubbed it, and off it came. A couple people had suggested at the beginning that it might be a tiny blood splotch or something, but after it survived several baths and two weeks' worth of kisses, it was looking like I was right.
    Nope.

Ziah's most common look: baffled

Remember how I thought for sure he was teething early, what with the drool and period of restless nights and seeming discomfort?
    Nope.

*
Based on Zoralee, we, Jason and I, thought we produced skinny-legged little things. My favorite cloth diaper combination for her had been Kissaluvs' Size Zero fitteds with small Thirsties covers. Since the Kissaluvs go up to 15 pounds, they worked for Zora from birth until she was totally diaper free. So while I was pregnant with Ziah, I bought 10 of those jokers. I even got them as "seconds" for a discounted price, meaning they were new, just had aesthetic flaws that wouldn't affect performance. How happy was I! Even better, the Kissaluvs website said the "seconds" tended to be skinnier legged. Hoorah hoorah! Because I pop out skinny-legged babies!!!!
    Nope.


Also based on our experience with Zoralee, we feared we produced children who would rather stay bitterly and groggily and whinily awake, NO MATTER WHAT, rather than succumb to slumber.


    Nope.
When he's tired enough, we can actually lay Ziah down on his tummy and he'll go right to sleep. I am aware of the Back To Sleep thing, but I tend toward the theory that SIDS is caused by mattress toxins, so we've taken precautions that direction. Hope I'm right and it's not another "nope," cuz he sleeps way better on his belly. :o? He also sleeps for several hours at a whack in the night, several times 6 or 8. Once 10.


We kinda thought babies must need soothing intervention for every possible life hiccup.



    Nope!
This guy is a champion thumb-sucker when he's ready for sleep. Not only is it undeniably one of the most darling sights I've ever beheld, but so far that's all he uses it for.






You might think a mama would tire of kissing her baby boy's face all the day long, that there would be days she'd think of him as ordinary, rather than super handsome and super charming. You might assume she'd stop taking such delight in fat rolls, wide eyes, and gurgled utterances.

    Nope, nope, and nope.