A Knowing Look

It's true that as a new mother, I'm charmed by almost everything my son does. The way that he purses his lips and looks so determined when he's figuring out a new toy. The way his mouth forms a little "o" of excitement when he's balancing on his wobbly legs. The way that he drops his mouth open as wide as a shark's whenever he's hungry and sees a spoon heading in his general direction. A thousand other things. But I can see that none of these characteristics are all that extraordinary; most babies have a vast repertoire of gestures and expressions which, while particular to them to some degree, fall also within the general category of things that any new mother would find miraculously cute, but that others do not consider awe-inspiring behavior.

One thing he's done recently, however, which I do find remarkable: he adopts a knowing look, such that he seems to understand complicated emotional situations or subtle changes in mood as well as any adult. When I'm doing something particularly silly, he'll smile thoughtfully, with a bit of reserve in his expression, as if to say, "I can tell that you're trying to amuse me, and it's not quite working but I appreciate the effort." Or when I'm feeling very sad, he'll study my expression intently, as if to ascertain the depth of my distress.

I know that I'm sounding very much like a doting mom at this point; I might be grossly overestimating my son's ability to read people and situations (or his seeming ability). And I've often heard that most babies are quite sensitive to others' emotions, from a very early age. But it surprises me nonetheless that this child seems able to differentiate between feigned happiness and the real thing, for example; and that, in general, his thoughts seem to be so outward-directed. It's the kind of knowing look, and behavior, that I'd never have expected of someone his age.