Lacy stepped back and watched. There was plenty of work left for a midwife to do even after the moment of birth., but for right now, she wanted to make eye contact with this little being. Where parents would notice a chin that looked like Aunt Marge’s or a nose that resembled Grandpa’s, Lacy would see instead a gaze wide with wisdom and peace – eight pounds of unadulterated possibility. Newborns reminded her of tiny Buddhas, faces full of divinity. It didn’t last long, though. When Lacy saw these same infants a week later at their regular checkups, they had turned into ordinary – albeit tiny – people.” Jodi Picoult, Nineteen Minutes.

As a midwife and mother to two sons, Lacy Houghton knows a thing or two about babies. Taking those first few moments after birth to see that miracle of creation, alive in her palms, awake with wonder and wisdom. With her, this writer agree; however, we diverge at her point that a week later these Buddha-like babies are simply ordinary humans, starting to do ordinary things like cry and coo.

No, no, no; this is where things get real, and the amazement can really begin. As a newborn moves towards toddlerdom, this is where we as adults can get that same look they had when that newborn entered our consciousness, that wide-eyed look of awe as they make their way deeper into our world.

There is one little boy who is getting this all figured out and serving as a sweet model of this point. He gives slobbery kisses. He loves peas. His daddy can make him giggle like it will never stop. He could cuddle his mommy all day.

There is a lot going on in the world of Little Christopher, who is now (already) six months old. The mini-man with the cherub cheeks and steely hazel eyes was all gummy grins with the camera yesterday.

Smiling was not Christopher’s only accomplishment – far from it. He was no stranger to crawling, easily making his way to across the floor to reach his ducky or LeapFrog dog Scout; he could also sit when supported to inspect and investigate the leather straps on the basket in which he sat. He would respond with his smile when talked to, and would chatter a bit back if given a listening ear.

While the marvelous arrival of the newborn is no doubt a miracle, so is watching them grow into the personalities they embody and the people they will become. Christopher is becoming quite the little gentleman, as we can all see with awwww-mazement in the following photos: