Mama-Come-Lately

Baby Mamoush (not his real name) has been fond of noodling with his hands from day one. These days, they’re in more or less constant exploration mode: Fingering the burp cloth during feedings; reaching for lightswitches; and turning toys over for inspection.

The other day, I was changing his diaper. He’d been playing with the washcloth I give him on the changing table to keep him from flipping over, but then his hands went wandering South. And then he came across his Special Purpose (thank you, Steve Martin, for perhaps the best euphemism ever).

I said, very seriously, “Careful with that, you’re going to want it later.” He looked at me and kept exploring. “Gentle…” (It seemed like the optimum time to introduce that word.)

He grabbed a big handful of Special Purpose. He pulled it upwards. He was not being gentle, but I decided to rely on his sense of self-preservation to kick in should he get too rough. He yanked again. A huge smile spread across his face. He giggled. Then he did it again. Grab. Pull. Giggle. Again.

I will admit to being amused, but on top of that, I was relieved. Because I really don’t want to have to call the pediatrician to ask how to treat infantile self-injury of the Special Purpose.