I have a brand new niece! She was born yesterday and although I haven’t met her yet, her pictures are pretty cute! My mother informed me today that she thinks the baby looks like me, when I was a baby, and I am both flattered and deeply skeptical. I mean, she’s one day old. Most one day old babies look pretty much the same, colouring and the existence or otherwise of hair notwithstanding. Also, I am completely skeptical of family resemblance claims unless those claims come from some non-emotionally invested third party. I don’t know how it is in your family, but in mine, discussions regarding who the baby looks like are wrought – wrought! – with emotion and bias. Similar features can be imagined, or, alternately, refused to be acknowledged, depending on the family member who shares said features.
I have a very bizarre example. My older son is the spitting image of his father. This is universally acknowledged, with the exception of one member of my husband’s family, who did not see the resemblance at all. Instead, this person persisted in comparing my son to another family member, at every single opportunity. I cannot say why, but this bothered me to no end. I have since made peace with this irritation; children look the way they look and that has nothing to do with the little people they are.
That said, I just got grumpy thinking about it.
But back to the important news – my new niece. I’m very excited she’s here, and I’m looking forward to shopping for baby gifts. Do you think she’s too young for a bikini?
Once again, I am so thankful for boys.
“Both flattered and deeply skeptical”—ha ha ha ha ha!
I love the part about people being emotionally involved when they make statements about family resemblances. So so true! Love the bikinis too.
Congrats.
Everyone in my husband’s family says our son looks like him, which is true, and everyone in my family says he looks like me, which is also true. We happen to look alike, people, get used to it.
But one grandma or aunt or someone on my husband’s side tried to say he looks like my sister-in-law and you should have seen the look on my face. No. He doesn’t. Shut your trap. I was ready to throw down.
So yeah, I get that weird defensive family resemblance thing.
Congrats on your new niece. My mom always says my son looks like himself.
LisaDay
Congrats on the new babe. Shopping for girls is much more exciting than shopping for boys. That’s why I made sure to have one of each. 😉
Congrats on the new arrival! Very exciting! The bikinis are absolutely adorable.
You’re so right about family resemblances being biased. And my mother-in-law has an obvious bias for the kids she THINKS looks like her (even if they really don’t). Of course, none of my kids look like her in her estimation, but both of my sister-in-law’s daughters do. Isn’t it odd how that happens?? Drives me crazy too.
Okay the one that looks like it has room for a chest in it is hilarious.
Congrats on the new family member!