Baby Louise
Louise is a cute baby girl who has never seen her mother's face clearly. Louise has albinism, a condition characterized by very little pigment in the hair, skin and eyes. Since albinism results in a lack of melanin pigment in the eyes, as well as changes to the eye and optic nerve structure, babies with albinism often have poor vision.
Before being given a new pair of glasses, Louise had only been able to bond with her mother by the sound of her voice, her unique smell and the touch of her skin. As Baby Louise sees her mom's face for the first time with the help of glasses, her mother is rewarded with a grin.
Seeing and hearing clearly, Louise has a beautiful and emotional response as she listens to her mom sing "Amazing Grace:"
Baby Louise 2
As a parent, I am guilty of plowing through all of my children's firsts, with only pictures to serve as memories. This touching video caught me off guard — it made me take a moment to remember just how special it is to see your child experience the world for the first time.
For most parents, it's easy to get caught in the hustle and bustle of feeding, clothing, bathing and breaking up fights. It's even easier to forget those first moments in babyhood, when your child begins to recognize you and bond with you as the number one love in their life, for a time.
Baby Louise's reaction is exactly what you would expect from a child who had never seen her mother's face. Her innocence, her sweet smile and her happiness are great reminders of why we all got into parenting in the first place.
After just a few years in the parenting trenches, it's natural to get bogged down and frustrated. I'm there too. Take a deep breath and really let Louise's little miracle sink in. Parenting flies by, and we don't get to have our kids' devotion for that long.
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