The Oregon Women's Report - Women's News from Oregon

February 25, 2010

By Christina Rainey,
Oregon mom

It’s funny how when adults interact with babies, the first thing they want to do is to make them smile.  A laugh would be ideal!  Babies laughter is addictive, once they start giggling, we will do anything to re-create it.  It’s contagious too.  Often Lauren has started giggling and before I know it, mom, dad and baby are all in a giggling frenzy.  Sometimes when the three of us are playing, and my husband and I start to laugh the funniest thing happens, Lauren starts to giggle too. It’s as if she knows what we are laughing about!  Sometimes, she’ll throw in her two cents and contribute to the conversation adding, “ga-ga, ba-ba” and some other very important toddler things.  We respond with enthusiastic nods. 

When we’re not trying to get Lauren to giggle, she gives us a few things to giggle about.  On a recent trip to the grocery store, Lauren indicated that she wanted to examine the two avocados I had just picked out.  I decided that I didn’t really have a choice.  So I foolishly handed one to her.  She carefully studied it.  She called it, “baa” (or “ball” in Lauren’s lingo) and treated it accordingly by throwing it on the floor. I took a few photos to capture this moment. Seconds passed and it was then that I discovered what we had on our hands.  Literally. Also on our coat, shirt and pants.  There was avocado everywhere!  I had a smile on my face the whole way home.

I hope one evening, someday in the future, just as Lauren is getting ready to go to sleep she’ll say, “Mom, tell me a funny baby story.” I’ll look in her eyes and say, “I have just the perfect one.” I hope this story makes you smile too.