---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When my first daughter was born, my…"
description: "\"When my first daughter was born, my husband held her in his hands and said, 'My God, she's so beautiful.' I unwrapped the baby from her blankets. She w..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bda/ayelet-waldman-3229_average_when-my-first-daughter-was-born-my-husba_429724.png"
---

#  When my first daughter was born, my husband held her in…

![“When my first daughter was born, my husband held her in his hands and said, 'My God, she's so beautiful.' I unwrapped the baby from her blankets. She was average size, with long thin fingers and a random assortment of toes. Her eyes were close set, and she had her father's hooked nose. It looked…” quote by Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bda/ayelet-waldman-3229_average_when-my-first-daughter-was-born-my-husba_429724.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bda/ayelet-waldman-3229_average_when-my-first-daughter-was-born-my-husba_429724.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bda/ayelet-waldman-3229_average_when-my-first-daughter-was-born-my-husba_429724.png)

> “When my first daughter was born, my husband held her in his hands and said, 'My God, she's so beautiful.' I unwrapped the baby from her blankets. She was average size, with long thin fingers and a random assortment of toes. Her eyes were close set, and she had her father's hooked nose. It looked better on him.”

[Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A father’s awe of his newborn daughter is contrasted with the narrator’s realistic description, highlighting the tension between idealized love and ordinary reality.

**In simple terms:** A father’s admiration meets the baby’s ordinary traits.

Key Takeaway

Recognize love’s depth beyond appearances.

Themes

family perception reality love

Mood

reflective warm thoughtful

Type

personal observational

When to use this quote

- parenting
- marriage
- celebrating new life
- balancing expectations
- accepting imperfections

Key Concepts

subjectivity idealization human experience

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance admiration with realistic perception?
- What does true love see beyond appearance?

A Different Perspective

Idealized views can overlook genuine connection.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Average](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/average/) [Baby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baby/) [Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) [Blanket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blanket/) [Born](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/born/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Daughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daughter/) [Daughter Born](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daughter-born-364293/) [Eye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eye/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Fingers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fingers/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Her eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/her-eyes/) [Hooked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hooked/) [Husband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/husband/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [My husband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-husband/) [Nose Looked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nose-looked-744954/) [Noses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/noses/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Size](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/size/) [Toes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/toes/) [Unwrapped Baby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unwrapped-baby-3789840/)

## Related quotes

> [“How did I love her? Let me count the ways. The freckles on her nose like the shadow of a shadow; the way she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/how-did-i-love-her-let-me-count-the-ways-the-freckles-on-her-nose-2/)

[Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/)

> [“The nose looked at the Major and frowned a little.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-gogol/the-nose-looked-at-the-major-and-frowned-a-little/)

[Nikolai Gogol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-gogol/)

> [Myrnin turned away to pick up his Ben Franklin spectacles, balanced them on his nose, and looked over them to say, "Don't do drugs.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/myrnin-turned-away-to-pick-up-his-ben-franklin-spectacles-balanced/)

[Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/)

> [“He was tall, but exceedingly lank, with narrow shoulders, long arms and legs, hands that dangled a mile out of his sleeves, feet that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washington-irving/he-was-tall-but-exceedingly-lank-with-narrow-shoulders-long-arms-and/)

[Washington Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washington-irving/)

> [Then I guess we cannot miss the famous festival in New Orleans," he found himself saying, just to take the shadows from her eyes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-feehan/then-i-guess-we-cannot-miss-the-famous-festival-in-new-orleans-he/)

[Christine Feehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-feehan/)

> [That’s my girl,” she said, her eyes holding a shared pain as she saw my confusion. “Al, where are you going to put her?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-harrison/that-s-my-girl-she-said-her-eyes-holding-a-shared-pain-as-she-saw-my/)

[Kim Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-harrison/)

> [As his hands moved to his trousers, he saw that she was pulling the bedsheets over her. "Don't," he said, barely recognizing his own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-quinn/as-his-hands-moved-to-his-trousers-he-saw-that-she-was-pulling-the/)

[Julia Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-quinn/)

> [When my daughter was born, that was the first time I cried from happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/when-my-daughter-was-born-that-was-the-first-time-i-cried-from/)

[Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/)

> [My daughter was born just after the making of 'Twilight.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-burke/my-daughter-was-born-just-after-the-making-of-twilight/)

[Billy Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-burke/)

> [My daughter was born with a genetic condition called cystic fibrosis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/everlast/my-daughter-was-born-with-a-genetic-condition-called-cystic-fibrosis/)

[Everlast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/everlast/)

> [Our daughter was born in Chicago, and she's already showing it. The temperature has to be approaching zero for her to wear a hat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandar-hemon/our-daughter-was-born-in-chicago-and-she-s-already-showing-it-the/)

[Aleksandar Hemon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandar-hemon/)

> [Shortly after my first daughter was born in 2007, we had to move into a homeless shelter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-land/shortly-after-my-first-daughter-was-born-in-2007-we-had-to-move-into/)

[Stephanie Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-land/)

> [ When my first daughter was born, I had to figure out a new way of \[making music\] so that I wouldn't wake her up. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-schwartzman/when-my-first-daughter-was-born-i-had-to-figure-out-a-new-way-of/)

[Jason Schwartzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-schwartzman/)

> [Which was why, some six hours later, Alexia Maccon's daughter was born inside the head of an octomaton in the presence of her husband,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-carriger/which-was-why-some-six-hours-later-alexia-maccon-s-daughter-was-born/)

[Gail Carriger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-carriger/)

> [ I have a lot of good days I'd like to relive, but that \[ the day my daughter was born\] was one that's still… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-peterson/i-have-a-lot-of-good-days-i-d-like-to-relive-but-that-the-day-my/)

[Cassandra Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-peterson/)

## More by Ayelet Waldman

> [What I do with my kids is - and I think they probably do ignore us - is No Alcohol. If they're drunk they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/what-i-do-with-my-kids-is-and-i-think-they-probably-do-ignore-us-is/)

[Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

> [You know, I feel like my job is to write a book. Then filmmakers come and they make a movie. And they're two really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/you-know-i-feel-like-my-job-is-to-write-a-book-then-filmmakers-come/)

[Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

> [I went from resenting my mother-in-law to accepting her, finally to appreciating her. What appeared to be her diffidence when I was first married,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/i-went-from-resenting-my-mother-in-law-to-accepting-her-finally-to/)

[Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

> [Courage is impulsive; it is narcissism tempered with nihilism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/courage-is-impulsive-it-is-narcissism-tempered-with-nihilism/)

[Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

> [Most writers spend their lives standing a little apart from the crowd, watching and listening and hoping to catch that tiny hint of despair,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/most-writers-spend-their-lives-standing-a-little-apart-from-the-crowd/)

[Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

> [The thing about youthful offenders is that no one seems to care about them. Most people don't like adolescents - even the good ones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/the-thing-about-youthful-offenders-is-that-no-one-seems-to-care-about/)

[Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

> [I was born in Israel, to Canadian parents. My father immigrated in 1948, part of a wave of young men and women who came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/i-was-born-in-israel-to-canadian-parents-my-father-immigrated-in-1948/)

[Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

> [Lots of medications work for a month, or a year, and then stop working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/lots-of-medications-work-for-a-month-or-a-year-and-then-stop-working/)

[Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

> [If you focus all of your emotional passion on your children and you neglect the relationship that brought that family into existence... eventually, things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/if-you-focus-all-of-your-emotional-passion-on-your-children-and-you/)

[Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

> [I think I wish I had never spanked my children, but I have. And they remember every instance like they tattooed it on their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/i-think-i-wish-i-had-never-spanked-my-children-but-i-have-and-they/)

[Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

> [With prodigious bravery and eviscerating humor, Roxane Gay takes on culture and politics in Bad Feminist-and gets it right, time and time again. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/with-prodigious-bravery-and-eviscerating-humor-roxane-gay-takes-on/)

[Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

> [Because of my bipolar disorder, I tend to these mixed states, which are depressed but loud and agitated. So I can be terribly irritable.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/because-of-my-bipolar-disorder-i-tend-to-these-mixed-states-which-are/)

[Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

> [It's hard to separate your remembered childhood and its emotional legacy from the childhoods that are being lived out in your house, by your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/it-s-hard-to-separate-your-remembered-childhood-and-its-emotional/)

[Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

> [“Even if I’m setting myself up for failure, I think it’s worth trying to be a mother who delights in who her children are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/even-if-i-m-setting-myself-up-for-failure-i-think-it-s-worth-trying/)

[Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

> [I hate homework. I hate it more now than I did when I was the one lugging textbooks and binders back and forth from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/i-hate-homework-i-hate-it-more-now-than-i-did-when-i-was-the-one/)

[Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

[Explore all 136 Ayelet Waldman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

## More Average quotes

> [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/)

[Brian Reade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-reade/)

> [There were times last year when people looked at the scoreboard and thought my batting average was the temperature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-martinez/there-were-times-last-year-when-people-looked-at-the-scoreboard-and/)

[Buck Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buck-martinez/)

> [The average condition of the people improving or deteriorating, depends upon whether population is advancing faster than improvement, or improvement than population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-average-condition-of-the-people-improving-or-deteriorating/)

[John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/)

> [In comparative terms, there's no poverty in America by a long shot. Heritage Foundation political scientist Robert Rector has worked up figures showing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/in-comparative-terms-there-s-no-poverty-in-america-by-a-long-shot/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [The average well-being of our societies is not dependent any longer on national income and economic growth. ... But the differences between us and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-g-wilkinson/the-average-well-being-of-our-societies-is-not-dependent-any-longer/)

[Richard G. Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-g-wilkinson/)

> [I really focus more to hit for average, just try to put the ball in play as much as I can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-soto/i-really-focus-more-to-hit-for-average-just-try-to-put-the-ball-in/)

[Juan Soto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-soto/)

> [You give me enough shots, I'll average 20. You give me a particular system where I stick close to the basket, I'll average 10 rebounds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bosh/you-give-me-enough-shots-i-ll-average-20-you-give-me-a-particular/)

[Chris Bosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bosh/)

> [The average ordinary citizen can do a lot of different things when it comes to the climate crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/the-average-ordinary-citizen-can-do-a-lot-of-different-things-when-it/)

[Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/)

> [The average American expends more time becoming informed about choosing a car than choosing a candidate. But, then, the consequences of the former choice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/the-average-american-expends-more-time-becoming-informed-about/)

[George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/)

> [My phone rings, they call me up and say, 'Chael, your testosterone level is too high.' I say, 'Well, how high was it?' They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chael-sonnen/my-phone-rings-they-call-me-up-and-say-chael-your-testosterone-level/)

[Chael Sonnen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chael-sonnen/)

> [In one century, we've added 28 years to our average life span - a change so rapid that our brains couldn't possibly have evolved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/in-one-century-we-ve-added-28-years-to-our-average-life-span-a-change/)

[Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/)

> [So-called Western Civilization, as practised in half of Europe, some of Asia and a few parts of North America, is better than anything else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/so-called-western-civilization-as-practised-in-half-of-europe-some-of/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [I feel like what motivates me is what would motivate the regular average person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rico-nasty/i-feel-like-what-motivates-me-is-what-would-motivate-the-regular/)

[Rico Nasty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rico-nasty/)

> [We're trying to do something so that when the average person uses Pinterest, it has to make the service better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-silbermann/we-re-trying-to-do-something-so-that-when-the-average-person-uses/)

[Ben Silbermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-silbermann/)

> [The extraordinary woman depends on the ordinary woman. It is only when we know what were the conditions of the average woman's life -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-extraordinary-woman-depends-on-the-ordinary-woman-it-is-only-when/)

[Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/)

[Browse all 2,816 Average quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/average/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "When my first daughter was born, my husband held her in his hands and said, 'My God, she's so beautiful.' I unwrapped the baby from her blankets. She was average size, with long thin fingers and a random assortment of toes. Her eyes were close set, and she had her father's hooked nose. It looked better on him.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ayelet Waldman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/when-my-first-daughter-was-born-my-husband-held-her-in-his-hands-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Average"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/when-my-first-daughter-was-born-my-husband-held-her-in-his-hands-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bda/ayelet-waldman-3229_average_when-my-first-daughter-was-born-my-husba_429724.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bda/ayelet-waldman-3229_average_when-my-first-daughter-was-born-my-husba_429724.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bda/ayelet-waldman-3229_average_when-my-first-daughter-was-born-my-husba_429724.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When my first daughter was born, my husband held her in his hands and said, 'My God, she's so beautiful.' I…” — Ayelet Waldman",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Ayelet Waldman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "When my first daughter was born,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/when-my-first-daughter-was-born-my-husband-held-her-in-his-hands-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/when-my-first-daughter-was-born-my-husband-held-her-in-his-hands-and/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
