Lessons

If there is such a thing as a perfect mother, I am not it. Probably never will be. But, I recently learned an important lesson:

When the baby sleeps in mommy and daddy's bed, it's important to put a towel down.

Let me explain.

Casey has been out of town for about a week and a half. Since I am back at work, my mom was helping us by watching the baby. Because of a back injury, it is a lot easier for her if she doesn't have to go up and down the stairs a million times a day.

To help her in this effort, Casey moved the pack and play, which has Leah's bassinet, downstairs to the living room. Leah has been sleeping with me (which, by the way, I absolutely adore!).

Leah is wonderful about going to bed. She sleeps well through the night, waking up only to nurse and going right back to sleep (most of the time), as long as her sleep is not interrupted without her consent.

The other night, I put her to bed at about 8. I came in around 10:30, and since she was still asleep, I didn't wake her up to nurse her. She woke up on her own around midnight. While I was nursing, I heard that dreaded wet, chunky noise that signals a dirty diaper.

Horrible mother that I am, I decided not to change her right away. It was only midnight; if I woke her up to change her diaper, not only would she be grumpy, she would have a difficult time going back to sleep. I decided to let her sit on it (so to speak) until she woke up around 3 or 4, when she often struggles to go back to sleep anyway.

Then, I felt a warm sensation around my mid-section. Ugh.

She had had what Casey and I have termed a "Number 3," which is code for when the diaper isn't quite enough to hold it all in. A Number 3 is the reasons moms everywhere pack extra clothes in the diaper bag, just in case.

And it was a hum-dinger.


It was on my shirt. It was on my fitted sheet, my top sheet, and my white down comforter. It was all over my baby's pj's, feet, legs and back.

I literally stood there, staring at the mess for more than a minute. I couldn't decide what to do first!

Not to mention, baby poop should be a Class 5 hazardous substance. Nothing can escape it, and it stains everything it touches!

At 12:30 in the morning, I had to get Leah cleaned and in new PJ's, then wake up my mother so she could take the baby while I changed the sheets, scrubbed the old sheets and the comforter so they wouldn't be forever stained, and scrubbed the mattress before re-making the bed.

So, now I know: when Leah sleeps in our bed, she will now be sleeping on a towel.

Lesson learned.