That New Baby Smell

The other day, another mom of a student in my 1st grader’s class held her baby out to me and said, “Amy, will you hold her for a sec?” For some magical reason, all of my kids were occupied at that very moment, and my arms were free.

“I’d love to!” And I meant it.

The moment that itty-bitty angel was in my arms, it was there. Like magic. That new baby smell. Though I knew it well, I couldn’t remember the last time I was overcome by it that way. Yeah, yeah, I’ll admit that my baby, “Pink”, isn’t the baby she used to be. (It’s hard not to admit when I can barely catch her these days … she’s nimble, that one.) But when did her new baby smell fade?

Was it when she started eating things like broccoli? Or when she finally discovered she could get on her hands and knees? Or maybe it was when I got so busy juggling three kids I forgot to take it all in.

Whenever that scent disappeared isn’t really the issue. It’s that it’s gone.

I’m not saying I’d want it back. Because I know that that utterly intoxicating smell comes with exhausting demands. But for a moment, it was like holding a little piece of heaven. And who couldn’t use that?