Miriam had her first bath last night (yes, she was a grubby baby, it's been over a month, I'm the worst mother on earth, blah blah blah). She loved it. Her eyes opened wide and she kicked her legs around in the water. If she could have giggled, she would have. Naomi and I were also bathing at the time, and Naomi poured water over her hair while I held her chest deep in the tub. We have pictures of this, but there is grotesque nudity (mine). And, if the Mommy Police wants to know, there was more than two inches of water in the tub. Significantly more.
I think there's some kind of pheremone thing going on with the smell of our kids. In the middle of a bad night when Naomi is on my last nerve, it calms me to smell her head. Getting a whiff of Johnson's Baby Schlock at a moment like that can drive me over the edge.
I never use soap on my kids. Why would I want them to smell like a mass produced fragrance when they are born with a natural dewey delicious baby smell? I smell their heads all the time. They'll probably be in therapy one day, saying "I could never talk to my mom because whenever I got close to her she would sniff my head. It drives me nuts. She still does it!"
Sometimes at the end of the day, especially in summer, my kids will come in and sit on my lap. I smell their sweaty little heads and say " You must have had fun today, you stink." Then I promptly send them off to the shower. I like shampoo, I used to be a hairdresser! But I also like the sweaty little kid smell.
Posted by: Lisa V | Saturday, January 14, 2006 at 01:05 PM
I secretly tell my husband that Noah is my crack because holding him is so addictive. I just love holding him and smelling him and feeling his warm body next to mine. Endorphins are the best drug in the whole world.
Posted by: heather | Saturday, January 14, 2006 at 07:24 PM
We have a running joke in my family that we're going to sniff my son out so that there is nothing left to sniff.
Horror of horrors, more than two inches? :)
Posted by: Ms. Mom | Saturday, January 14, 2006 at 11:06 PM
I'm glad I'm not the only one sniffing my kidlets! I guess as long as I refrain from sniffing their butts I'm not as insane as I thought I was! Good to know I have company in my head-sniffing. (Toes smell good too!)
Posted by: Crazy Mom | Sunday, January 15, 2006 at 11:35 AM
So, I don't need to use soap on him? Wow. I learn so much here!
Posted by: Ayris | Sunday, January 15, 2006 at 01:04 PM
I am totally a kid sniffer. I love the smell of my baby girls. Delurking here as well as an avid reader. :) Keep it up Momma!
Posted by: Shannon (Sentimental) | Sunday, January 15, 2006 at 08:07 PM
Siiggh... nothing wrenches my heart like baby smell... and I mean BABY smell... not baby PRODUCT smell...
What IS that smell anyway???
Posted by: Manuela | Monday, January 16, 2006 at 04:37 PM
I don't think you were a bad mommy for not washing Miriam. I didn't even let them rinse V. off after her birth. And you know what...I give her a bath about once a month even now (6 months later). Her skin has always been super soft, never had cradle cap and she always smells delicious. Bathing is way overrated (except for lovely splashing time with mama and sisters) and baby smell is pretty amazing.
Posted by: chicagomama | Tuesday, January 17, 2006 at 10:38 AM
We rarely bathed our babies--and the kids are always pretty clean--and I love the smell of their hair, too!
Posted by: running2ks | Thursday, January 19, 2006 at 06:52 AM
ooohhh.. I do the head-smell thing too. Just today I caught myself, eyes closed over my kid's head at a crowded rec center. I'm sure there were other people there who thought I was a little weird!
Posted by: Kate | Saturday, January 21, 2006 at 08:11 PM