A new baby in the family …

What a delight to have a new baby in the family! Welcome little Felix, born on the 7th July, just two weeks ago as I write today.

This lovely photograph is of my daughter Helen with her new little baby Felix right after he was born …
Just a year ago today, my step-daughter Zacyntha gave birth to little Reuben. What a beautiful expression of incredulous delight is on her face!I was so struck by the emotions captured in these two pics that I went back to look at other mothers in earlier generations …

There’s me, of course, with my babies. First with my oldest, son James, in 1980 … I think there’s wonder – and perhaps new mum nerves there too.  Baby James, with his hands over his ears, clearly doesn’t want to know …And here talking to my new baby Helen in 1983, a more confident mum, I think … Going further back, here’s my mother Mary with me in 1954. I’m just over two weeks old, and look pretty engaged …
I guess she’s proud and delighted but on the back she’s written that I look rather like a little pig!But what an enchanting photograph this is of one-year old me feeding my mother with icecream!She looks enchantingly happy too with my sister Marian in this 1957 photograph … My grandmother Doris looks thrilled with her baby son John as she rocks him in the pram in 1921 …
But it’s Nurse Taylor who’s been captured lovingly reassuring my mother as a baby in 1924, not my grandmother. Different times, sometimes less hands-on mums …
But not always so! I love this 1926 photograph of my Australian grandmother Dora with my very newborn father Dick – she’s so clearly new-to-the-job, with the baby rather clumsily  bundled up …
And the sense of her joy positively leaps out at you from this photograph of them some six months later …Skip a generation back, and here’s my grandmother Dora with her own mother Nini. I’m guessing a first birthday photograph, so taken in November 1900.  It’s a very affectionate photograph even if it is a formal sitting.By contrast the photograph of my great-grandfather Charles with his baby daughter Dora is most uncomfortable! I think you could say he’s holding her at arm’s length, which is perhaps rather strange seeing as she was his fourth child.  He clearly wasn’t what you might call a hands-on dad …Which is atypical of the dad photographs.  Even going right back to the last century, there are many pictures of men in the family deeply involved in parenting.

I love this picture of my great-grandfather William rather tentatively giving his grandson (my father) a bottle …There are wonderful pictures of his son Vin with my father. He’s proud – and confident!And that look of glee on my father Dick’s face as he clutches his father’s hair!The hands-on confidence my father learned from his father is reflected in the beautiful pictures of my father with me.  This photograph just creases me up – the look on my father’s face really defies description …Like his own father, my dad was perfectly happy to hoist me up on his shoulder – but what a hoot of a photograph this is – that expression on my face, and that pipe!He wasn’t alone to think that pipes and babies go perfectly well together.  Here’s my uncle John and my cousin Polly in 1953.  A lovely expression on his face – but I think she’s worried about that pipe!This pic of my uncle Bow with his son Tim in 1961 just has to be one of the sweetest of dad pics …My father was lovely with his grandchildren too.  Here he is with his oldest grandson James in 1980 – a beautiful thoughtful expression on both faces …And new father Hugh is clearly having a very deep bonding moment with his baby son James …Some of the most fascinating pictures are of older children connecting with new babies. There are clearly deep thoughts in my older son James’ mind as he gazes on his new baby sister Helen … This is my daughter Helen with her cousin Louisa in 1994. Helen was just old enough to realise how very special it is to hold a baby …Here is the 3 year old Louisa talking to new baby Johnny!  What a conversation!Coming back to the two new babies in our family, there are several other very touching photographs.  I love the sharing of joy between my husband Stephen and his other daughter Ellie when they meet little Reuben for the first time …And how can you not smile when you see new parents Helen and Elias beaming down love on little Felix …It was a deeply emotional moment for me when I met my first grandchild Felix for the first time last week …In later years may there be many happy times spent with these new little lads.  This is a charming photograph of another great-grandmother of mine, Mathilda Rose, here shown in about 1890 with her two little boys.  It’s my grandfather Percy with his back to us, and his brother Bill looking at the camera.  Were they reading together, I wonder?  Or perhaps it’s an impromptu nature lesson on that daisy-filled lawn …My grandfather Percy went on to have four children of his own. Despite having a demanding work schedule, he had very happy family holidays with his young children in the 1920s in Devon. That’s my mother Mary comfortably cuddled between his knees …This 1959 photograph is a lesson on how not to be all together for a family photograph! My grandmother Dora and aunt Shirley smile glamorously, but how miserable my mother Mary looks – and as for those harassed dads! And I don’t think you can say anything nice about those wriggly, grumpy and bad-tempered children!No, let there be the best of holidays – just as my young parents are enjoying here. A positively glowing photograph of them with me and their dog Chad …Here’s to happy children, happy times! (cheers to my sister Marian and her little daughter Bel!)