She was always ready with huge tongue lolling smiles, arms and legs pumping like crazy, breathing rapidly, all the while urging her vocal chords to join in.
Tuesday night I held her in her bath, and gently pushed waves of warm water up her chest to right under her soft chin.
That was the trigger.
‘Keeeh hee hee hee.’
Over and over again. ‘Keeeh hee hee hee.’
A rolling hearty laugh that made her wobble and shake. The kind of laughter I’m certain neither you nor I have laughed in many, many years. From the very balls of her feet up to her throat, causing it's own little baby bath tsunami.
A perfectly scaled down version of the rasping laugh of a two pack a day 60 year old smoker, albeit with a head full of shampoo, sopping wet, and stark naked.
We could do no more than stand, gaping like idiots, laughing right back at her.
She was most likely oblivious to the risks she was running in choosing that particular moment to debut her laughing abilities, the combination of me struggling to hold her through my own laughter, and us leaving her submerged to the point of the onset of pneumonia in the hope of a repeat performance, may result in her never daring to try it again.
She did duly piss all over me shortly afterwards, so who knows.
We’ve had the ultrasound heartbeat, we’ve had the 3D video, we’ve had her first screeches and her babbles, but in truth none of it comes remotely close to this. None of it.
The difference between her not existing, from being the stuff of daydreams, something always just out of reach, to lying there laughing heartily up at the both of us is beyond calculation.
Long may the difference continue to grow, immeasurably. Unquantifiably.
Infinitely.
If you haven’t read about the Hadrian's walk already, please do here, and if you can help somehow, regardless of how small, please do.
36 comments:
Love it! Now to just get it on video for the rest of us to hear. :) And what about some more updated pics huh? xox
I agree - more pics please. I love your writing. You have captured that moment perfectly. There will be many more and I look forward to hearing about them
I knew the first belly laugh would be one of your most amazing moments. Life's great isn't it?
That's fantastic!!! My Mam said her happiest moment was when she heard my eldest brother having his first chuckle, he was on the ground "rolling" and started laughing, and then the sound of it made him laugh even more and he couldn't stop for ages!!!!!
That first belly laugh is the best.
It's a most unforgettable moment.
Boy wonder and his big sis often laugh so much together that their knees buckle and they fall over - it never ceases to take my breath away. Long may it thrill you.
There is nothing like your child's laughter to lift your spirits to heights never before known. And it only gets better, the natural highs from their first gurgle, first word, first step...
O boy! Those giggles, chuckles and belly laughs. Makes you feel warm and fuzzy. We as adults could learn a thing or two from our kiddies. Ive got a clip on my phone of my baby - 2yrs - first laugh. I love listening to it. My eldest - 6yrs - loves to chuckle and usually up to mischief, but i love it. May you and ET experience many more of these breathtaking moments with your gorgeous Sanne. Yolande W, South Africa. xoxox
Ah yes. Shame they never get as cute again. ;-)
Bless her little heart! It is indeed a joyous, wonderful sound. It was sneezing, that used to set my eldest off (many years ago now though, but still remembered fondly). Gave new joy to the meaning of having a cold!
I love the sound of babies chuckling; it made me smile just remembering my own!
Isn't baby laughter just the most odd and glorious thing? It doesn't sound possible- THAT laugh from THAT little being.
And now you will spend the rest of your life trying to evoke it again.
Ah.
Sounds like you're turning into normal parents. (Perhaps, normal should be in quotes.)
Love this! Such a sweet story.
I was babysitting my wee niece a few weeks ago and had her in the bath splashing away. She's only learning to talk and every now and again comes out with a word or two.
I said to her 'oh look at the lovely bubbles, can you say bubbles?' and clear as a bell she said 'BUBBLES!' all happy. Well! I melted! I kept her in the bath for HOURS, repeating 'bubbles, bubbles' over and over. The poor child's teeth were chattering by the end of it!
So you are not alone!
Oh my. :) Certainly the stuff of very sweet dreams. :)
You just gave me that warm fuzzy feeling in my tummy there... such a gorgeous description! :)
The best part about finding their laugh, is it never goes away and it always invokes the same emotion in you. I love it.
I love being on this side of this blogging adventure with you. Laughing with tears in my eyes.
Oh, so happy for you all. So so happy.
The first time Melly laughed, I thought she had the hiccups. Now, she has the most contagious belly laugh you've ever heard. She has been known to make an entire restaurant laugh along with her.
One of the many moments you will hold in your head like a snapshot.
you know who i got to know a little bit>>>>river>>>>she runs a very welocome type blog
wow, an incredible piece of writing. Do please record Sanne's laugh, we want to hear it! I still love making my daughter giggle, two years on!
Fantastic, just, fantastic!
forgot to add I have my daughter giggling as my ringtone!! Delightful!!
@Making Babies - Oh the pressure!
@The Moiderer - hehe, thanks.
@River - it certainly can be.
@Kate - hahaha brilliant
@tiff(threeringcircus) - absolutely
@AnnB - Awww
@Irish Mammy - yes, pure magic.
@Yolande - absolutely brilliant, yes.
@Mwa - spoilsport
@Geri Atric - Oddly, sneezing terrifies her! its the one thing that will set her screaming
@Kori - *cough*
@Ms. Moon - yep yep!
@Russ - we'll never be normal! wash your mouth out.
@Karen - hahaha yes she was borderline puneish when we took her out.
@WhatAboutNovember - :-)
@Marylin - indegestion?
@Hockeymandad - yep yep!
@anymommy - awwwww
@Sadia - heheh funny
@merinz - I hope so
@Putz - er, ooooohk.
@Corkmum - Thanks, the ringtone idea is nice.
@hotmamamia - certainly was.
Ooooh just you wait. Just you wait till the hugs and the "I love you, Daddy"s.
Oh, yes! The laughter of our much wanted, hard earned babies is the most incredible sound EVER! My girl is startled by sneezing, but thinks coughing is so funny.
beautiful.
See now, remember I said, all those months that didn't happen... if they had, you wouldn't have had this, with her... Sanne!
What a lovely post! Babies are so captivating and may you have many more captivating moments in the years to come! xx Jazzy
One of the many times and many times to come that will melt away the years of heartache.
THAT is why we have babies.
And the tax credit.
Boo still has that laugh. And it never fails to melt my cold black heart.
Ah! You made my cry again. I shall start charging for fluids lost.
I'm sure Mwa's comment was meant light heartedly because it is of course bollocks. The firsts are treasured, and there's just more and more of them. And it just gets better it really does; William was doing jigsaw puzzles this morning I was proud and happy as hell. And he's cute as. So, um, yeh.
Hehe, giggles.
@Iota - hahaha
@Dora - Other people's sneezing freaks her out!
@Chelsea Lietz - Awwww ;-)
@Jo - A somewhat odd logic perhaps.
@jazzygal - Thanks, & welcome.
@Angie [A Whole Lot of Nothing] - I thought you yanks didn't believe in the merits of tax
@Kelley @ magnetoboldtoo - probably why he's kept it...
@Catherine - hahahaha
Absolutely. Perfectly expressed.
Oh my god, love this.
I'd love to have a laugh like that again.
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