The Baby in the Mirror

William has discovered a new friend: the Baby in the Mirror.

About a week or so ago, I was sitting on the bed, nursing William. He started arching his back, like he does when he pretends like he's going to roll over, and I noticed that he was craning his head backwards. I followed the line of his gaze, and sure enough, he was looking at his own reflection in the larger mirrored closet doors. He dove back into nursing, but after a few seconds, he had to tilt his head backwards again to see if the Baby in the Mirror was still there. He did this several times, giggling each time.

When we were in San Diego last weekend, I nursed William on the sofa in our hotel room each night before bed. He began twisting around in my arms, and I couldn't figure out what he was doing. Then it hit me: he was looking for the Baby in the Mirror! But with no mirror around, William couldn't find him, and it confused him. Where was the Baby in the Mirror? He always eats when William eats. What had happened to him? Was he okay? Was he going hungry.

Poor little guy, so worried about his friend. David and I, mean parents that we are, were very tickled by this.

So now we have regular visits with the Baby in the Mirror so that William will know his buddy is doing okay. William especially likes to visit with his new friend first thing in the morning, right after he wakes up. We sing the "who's that baby in the mirror?" song, while William smiles at his reflection. (I'm no Cole Porter, so it's a pretty simple set of lyrics. I don't think I need to copyright them or anything.) Sometimes, he gets shy, and he buries his head in my chest before peeking out to see if the Baby in the Mirror is still there. William also seems to like the Baby in the Mirror's mommy because he smiles a lot at her. The Baby in the Mirror's Mommy looks just like William's Mommy. Sometimes, he reaches out and touches the mirror, trying to touch the baby or his mommy. He doesn't yet understand why he can't reach an actual person, but he doesn't seem to mind.

He always looks for the Baby in the Mirror when he's nursing now. It makes nursing sessions take a little bit longer, as he interrupts his own meal to make sure that the Baby in the Mirror is eating, too. Nurse, nurse, nurse, crane head, smile, admire smile, nurse, nurse, nurse.

And it's especially fun to watch William when he realizes that, hey! The Baby in the Mirror came with us to Target! The Baby in the Mirror gets his diaper changed in the ladies' restroom at Barnes & Noble, too! The Baby in the Mirror does all the same stuff that William does!

I know that one day, William will learn that the Baby in the Mirror isn't actually a person. He will come to realize that the Baby in the Mirror is just his own reflection, that the Mommy in the Mirror is just my reflection, that it's really just the two of us, hanging out in William's room or the dressing room or wherever. He will tire of making eyes at the Baby in the Mirror, preferring to play with his toys. We'll stop visiting the Baby in the Mirror each morning, and maybe I'll even forget the lyrics to the Baby's song. William will be more enthralled with other things, with toys and household items less elusive than a smile in the mirror.

But that day is still in the future. And so, in the meantime, I plan to enjoy these days. These days, the days when William is still entranced by the sight of a face that looks just like his own, so near, and yet always so unreachable.