Tuesday, January 13, 2009

The Littles


The more I think about having children someday, the more excited I get. A little bebe to sleep between RK and I, while we watch him or her breathing softly. Tiny little fingers and toes to hold and softly stroke. A little button nose to kiss and kiss and kiss. I think about the long walks we'll take, talking softly, while RK has our little son or daughter snuggled up against his chest in a little baby sling (I predict, everything will be described as "little" for the first six years). I love the thought of onesies and soft little sweaters and booties I know my mom will knit (there's already knit items in the linen closet at home awaiting the arrival of a child of ours!), the soft blankets and cozy cashmere bonnets I want to wrap this little creature in. I also think about the lack of sleep that comes with having a newborn in your life. Every time I reach over to turn off the alarm at 6:45 AM these days, I remind myself, 'this ain't nuthin compared to parenthood hours.' I idealize how this perfect little human will keep our creative juices flowing, in a different direction than ever before, just by their mere presence of perfection.

Over our years together, RK and I have taped quite a few hours of phone messages, family conversations, and general talking while road-tripping (not to mention the hours and hours of tape we brought into the relationship) and it got me thinking, when I saw this reel again here...

I can imagine us, recorder in hand, taking our child's best and worst and cutest and sweetest and awfullest moments and putting them to great use. Both our parents recorded us as kids and every time we go home to visit, we watch and hear the tapes to prove it! The memories of childhood and the way it really sounded is heart warming. I love that this wonderfully talented father, John Hubley, did what he knew best and highlighted his two children this way.
As Art Linkletter used to say, "kids say the darndest things", and we'd be wise to keep them immortalized.

3 comments:

Molly said...

I love this idea of making and keeping voice recordings as well as video & stills.
Enjoy the dreaming about kiddies, its so much part of process, preparing your psyche and thinking about how you'd like to parent will serve you so well when the time comes!

Unknown said...

my grandfather taped me all the time and my parents took to doing it too. There is a box of tapes at home with the label "Chessie talking" and it is filled! I remember one where my parents were asking me if I was ready to be a big sister and I kept saying "yes and his name is Tomasito" and my father said "what if you have a sister?" and I replied "yes and his name is Tomasito" - I don't think I called my sister by her name until she was a year old...her name is Paola and I introduced her as "Tomasito" - "Little Thomas". You should do it! It's the most wonderful thing ever. It's wild to hear myself over 30 years ago and to hear my parents...they sound the same and yet so young.

Molly de Vries said...

wonderful