anna and kaarel

Babies are funny. When they are born they are scrawny and, let's admit it, a little ugly. But give them a couple weeks and some "booby juice" and they explode into body shapes that remind one of the portly and middle-aged.

Such is the case of Anna and Kaarel, who is three months younger than Anna, nearly to the day. We met up with Kaarel at the home of our friend Ott's parents, who are both writers. Together they have around six children. I even asked Jaan, Ott's father, how many kids he has and it took him a minute to count them all.

Six children times {at least} six partners equals many grandchildren. I couldn't not even count all the little girls that seemed to drift in and out of doorways. There was a Mia, and there was Liisa, who is Marta's age. There were two others, whose names I don't recall, and then there was the sole male child: Mikk, who had an afro of curly blond hair and seemed a bit overwhelmed by all the little ladies around him.

Fortunately, Kaarel was born to complement Mikk in his lonesome masculinity. Anna, though, was a bit more assertive. She tried to play with Kaarel's chubby cheeks and engage him. He was half frightened, half amused, but both of them were very cute.