Poop and Pops: The adventure continues

Bailey is as snug as the proverbial bug after an afternoon

snack and having her diaper changed.

It’s been over three decades since last I changed a diaper. But, like riding a bicycle, there are some things once learned that stay with you. And so it was, just the other day, that Bailey and I were spending a little quality time together.

My daughter Lauren was a little loopy from lack of sleep and I was on-call, the guy charged with sitting by the phone in case emergency action was needed. I’m not certain that babysitting qualifies as combat duty, but I probably could have used a little basic training in diapering 101 before my first big mission. I’m also thinking I might be putting in for hazardous pay in coming weeks.

The battle began as I was quietly feeding my granddaughter, holding her gently in the crook of my arm, my hand supporting Bailey’s tush and her itsy-bitsy tootsies flailing in delight. That’s when I felt a whopping huge bubble explode and squeak its way across the bottom of her diaper.

A moment later I had her bundled and burped and was off in search of the changing table in the nursery.  It shouldn’t be all that difficult carrying about a 10-pound package of baby softness; but sometimes, a squirming, wailing infant can be a challenge.

I’m thinking if someone was around to capture the next few moments, we might have the makings of a viral video: Poop and Pops! The problem was maneuvering Baily from my shoulder onto the changing table, holding her down and removing her diaper and finding a moist wipe off in the distance while she squirmed in defiance.

Then I had to figure out how best to slip the new diaper up and under legs that were flailing about and a tush and torso twisting in a squiggly dance of abandon. My herculean efforts were greeted with a tiny burp and smile – thank you very much!

This little bit of daily life is new for both Bailey and me and the wonder of it all is, in fact, the wonder of it all. The biology is clear but doesn’t capture the exquisite beauty of the adventure. Truth to tell, a new born is both the normal stuff of life and an inexplicable miracle.