What is it about babies?

What is it about babies? What is it about these little, helpless, toothless creatures that pulls us in faster and stronger than any other force in nature?

Our family loves babies, we always have. Being the oldest of five kids and each of us being so many years apart, it seemed that there was always a baby around. As we grew older those precious moments obviously slipped by, until our own sweet children were born. Each baby, whether our own or a niece or nephew, is loved and doted on beyond comprehension. Each with their own personality: Maddie seemed like she could see right into your soul, Paige cautious and brilliant, Isaac the snuggler, Abby was determined from day one to convince us all she was no baby, and the current center-of-attention: baby Corbin.

At six months old and with a noggin similar to Charlie Brown's, his charm demands your attention. He somehow reminds me of his cousins. He has drastically changed his mother from carefree to protective mama bear. When his daddy walks into the room they each light up upon eyecontact. We (especially me) act like complete idiots in attempt to seek his approval. Why does my voice go up an octave when we're in the same room? Over the last couple of weeks, our visits have the entire family jiggling our heads to provoke the same from him, in what we've labeled 'Bobble-Head'. What's so cute about that? It's the most adorable thing you've ever seen.

On this night, after 1/4 of our household has left for our new state up north, it really drives home the fact that once again these precious moments with the nieces and nephews and our own are quickly slipping by.