My first two children were absolutely beautiful babies. Then my youngest son was born. He wasn't cute. He looked like a turtle. In addition, his hair grew straight out like a brillo pad. I thought maybe God was punishing me for having so much pride over the first two. I have exactly 3 pictures of his first year. I really didn't want a record of it. It was my personal angst. I knew people were lying when they said he was cute. He wasn't. What could I say? Around one year of age, his dad said out loud....Hey, I think he's getting cute. I said.....What? You knew he was weird looking and didn't say anything? He just didn't want to hurt my feelings. Moms are SUPPOSED to think their babies are beautiful. This boy turned into a VERY handsome young man and is now a record producer, but he knows the story. Did you think all your babies were beautiful or did you happen to have one that wasn't? (@Shirley Martin Thanks! Your post reminded me of this.)
I was ten when my youngest sister was born and I went with my dad to the hospital to pick up my mom and the new baby. They wheel mom out to the car and she says, "Come look at your beautiful little sister!" She opens the blanket and there is what I can only describe as a peeled rat. That was the ugliest newborn I've ever seen. Not what I was expecting; I didn't know what to say. Back then, people didn't take newborns out in public like they do now, so I hadn't seen a baby until they had started looking human. In a couple of weeks, she was a quite beautiful baby but that first day? Nope. Let's face it......most newborns are only truly beautiful to their moms and grandmas. In a couple of days, they improve greatly. My newest great-granddaughter looked like a little prizefighter at birth, one who unfortunately had lost the fight. She's gorgeous now. I can't say that any of my little'uns were knockouts at birth but they sure turned into pretty babies. One of my sisters was an unusually beautiful newborn. She looked like a little china doll. Big blue eyes, porcelain skin without "baby acne" and lots of black hair. The rest of us? Well, I was born after my mother had been in labor for 54 hours so I was pretty beat up. The other ones looked better than the peeled rat, but somewhat less than the Gerber Baby.
My firstborn was a preemie. Scrawny but big dark brown eyes and jet black slick hair just adorable; my second son was adorable as well. My last son didn't have the good looks his brothers had his hair didn't start going until around one year of age and cried to high heaven now he is as handsome as his brothers are. He doesn't like his newborn picture (snicker, snicker).
I had one daughter, and she was absolutely gorgeous. people would stop and look at her in the street in her pram and comment about how beautiful she was. She hasn't changed..