Things are going pretty well here at The House of the Rising Spositos (I say that because Brett just learned to play House of the Rising Sun on the guitar and I can't get it out of my head). But, well, lets just say that having a newborn in Manhattan has its challenges. So far, things have gone smashingly well all the times we have been out and about with little Simon. But sometimes, I fully admit we are very near to crashing and burning, and it is only a narrow scrap of luck that keeps things stable. Like today for instance. We had a going away party on the Great Hill in Central Park for a friend. It was lovely--Boy #1 ran around with sticks and frisbees and other boys for 3 hours and got sweaty and tired. Boy #2 was sleepy and charming. The Girl ran around filling water balloons and playing jump rope. But then it was time to go to sewing class in Chelsea. Boy #1 decided he didn't want to go--he was too tired and sweaty. In the chaos of the heated discussion that preceded leaving our apartment, I managed to agree to a visit to Jamba Juice *and* forget my wallet. In addition, I forgot to restock the diapers in the diaper bag. So there I am in a cozy little sewing shop with no money, no diapers and needing both of those things for my Boy Management for the afternoon.
Let me digress for a moment to talk about Simon and his diaper usage. He goes through a lot of diapers and a lot of clothes. He will load up a diaper then while you are changing him he goes again all over the changing table and himself and you. His legs are still on the skinny side which means the diapers have gaps around the leg holes and frequently, even with tight cinching his diapers leak. He doesn't like going in his diapers, and frequently cries when going to the bathroom. All of this means he would be a great candidate for going diaper free, like we did with Jonah. I am hesitant to start with Simon yet just because of all our travel coming up.
Back to the bathroom at the sewing shop. So there I was, just realized that I just threw away the last diaper. I decided to hold Simon over the toilet and see if he would go in it, the way I did with Jonah for the first time at age 2 months. I hold him over and he is all floppy and flailing around and I am kind of feeling silly because he doesn't do anything. Then while trying to decide what to do I stand up and face the mirror. I ask him what I should do with a baby and no diapers, and I am still holding him in the potty position and he takes a big dump in the sink. Then he gives me a big satisfied smile.
So I clean it up. Then I fold up an extra onesie and put it in his pants. He promptly falls asleep in the sling. I borrow $10 from a friend for Jamba. We go to Buy Buy Baby just to see if they have a small pack of diapers...but no, they are all $11. And no freebies in the bathrooms.
In the end, we got our Jamba, Simon managed to hold out and not pee until a couple subway stops before we got home, and most of it went to the big wad of clothes in his shorts. I am reminded of a friend who once ran out of diapers and stuck a maxi pad in her kid's pants until she could go to the store.
1 comment:
I really enjoyed your humorous story telling in this post and it sounds like you really made the most of what could have been a unpleasant situation.
I don't know if you have thought of this alternative, but we did the concept of diaper free with diapers. Rowan disliked a wet diaper very much and we had to change him CONSTANTLY at first-as soon as he went pee, we knew. The diaper gave me an ease of mind because of how busy life seemed to be, but we constantly made an effort to communicate with him about his elimination and offered him pottytunities all the time, but if there was a miss, it was no big deal and he knew that there was no pressure to pee outside his diaper as well. We were very successful with that method and washed very few diapers that way (we used cloth with the e.c.ing). Anyhow, despite a period from about 9 months-12 months when we were learning to communicate so many other things (eating, moving, etc.) and he went on somewhat of a potty strike, we have had a lot of successes. Personally, I LOVE e.c.ing and would do it again with any future children if it works so well as it has with Rowan. I love that I have changed very few poopy diapers in his whole life. That alone makes it worth it when you wash your own diapers!
Also, the black and white photos are lovely. He is a sweet angel!
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