It's official. After five years of steady companionship, I am finally parting with my baby bathtub. For some reason, this is one piece of (unnecessary, some might say) baby gear that holds a strong emotional attachment for me. I will be relieved to see the high chair, bouncy seats, and Exersaucer go. But the baby bathtub, that's another story...
It all started when we gave my oldest son his first sponge bath. Ironically enough, the baby bathtub was not even present at this event. As first time parents, my husband and I nervously swiped each and every crevice of our new addition's body under the bossy and scrutinizing loving guidance of my mother. My father, known in our family for his maudlin attacks of sentimentality, remarked, "He's so lucky to have you. Just think of all the babies in the world who don't have someone to bathe them so carefully." Thanks, Dad. There's nothing to help boost a new mom out of the baby blues like thinking about the neglected and orphaned children of our world.
Fast forward a few weeks to my son's first bath in the baby bathtub. This time, it was mother-in-law doing the coaching. Despite our efforts to perfectly time the bath in between naps and feedings, we somehow managed to screw it up and baby screamed through the whole thing. We have pictures of him in the bathtub alternately screaming his head off and madly sucking on his pacifier for comfort as if he hoped it would somehow compensate for his crappy luck in getting two clowns for parents that didn't have a freaking clue as to how to bathe a baby.
First baths went much more smoothly with babies 2 and 3, once we had some practice. Laziness Experience helped us see that we could even put the baby bathtub in the big garden tub with a few inches of water in each, allowing all children to bathe at one time, even in the early days of infancy. We've had some good times with the baby bathtub.
But the caboose of our family is now sitting steadily and happily splashing and making bubble beards in the big tub right alongside the rest of our crew. Through my work in the child welfare system, I have learned of a young woman who was formerly in foster care and is due to give birth next week. Completely on her own, she is in desperate need of things for her baby so it seems fitting that we should pass the baby bathtub along to someone else who is also ill-equipped to parent but trying to do right by her baby. After all, that's how it found us and it is leaving us seasoned parents blessed with three happy children. I hope it brings the next baby and his family as much joy as it has brought us.
Tears in my eyes! Being a new baby buncher with a 5 week old & 18 month old, it helps to remember how incredibly fast it goes by & the importance of taking time to be in the present.
Posted by: bee | May 08, 2009 at 12:50 PM