Thursday, February 10, 2011

Rookie Mom

It's Writer's Workshop day and today I'll be finishing this sentence:

You know you’re a rookie mom when you…

It was cool, crisp early December day. One of those days I needed to get out of the house for some fresh air. There was a new cafe that had opened in town and with the promise of delicious cupcakes, I set out on my way. The walk to the cafe was about a mile long. As soon as we arrived I placed my order (soup & a grilled cheese sandwich) and found a spot to sit. I took Meredith out of her Bundleme in the stroller to realize she needed a diaper change. I grabbed her diaper bag and headed to the bathroom only to realize there was no changing station. This was problem #1. I had no choice, but to lay down her changing pad on the bathroom floor (gag) and change her then and there. As you've probably guessed by now, this diaper wasn't simply wet and as I pulled it off I realized she had a bit of an explosion. This was problem #2.  But, no big deal, right? I reach in her diaper bag for a fresh diaper only to realize I am out of clean ones. Crap! Pun intended! While I'm was at it, I fished around for a fresh outfit only to realize I hadn't packed one. Crap! Problems #3 and #4.

At this point I'm squatting on the dirty floor of a public bathroom with a little poopy baby balanced precariously on her not-quite-big-enough changing pad. Convinced I couldn't possibly have forgotten both a diaper and an outfit, I kept digging around and uncovered... a feminine pad. Trying to be resourceful, I stuck the pad to her dirty white onsie, snapped her up and headed out of the bathroom.

Because I ordered soup, which wasn't easily transportable, I sat and scarfed down ate my lunch all the while feeling like such a rookie mom. Never had I felt like such an unprepared, newbie. Well, except for maybe the time I nursed a two week old baby standing up in a Nieman Marcus bathroom (what is it with me and the public bathrooms??), but that is another story for another day.


Mama's Losin' It

13 comments:

Jennifer said...

Oh my goodness--we're kindred spirits! I've nursed in the public restroom, and I've forgotten wipes or diapers or a clean outfit--they never have blow-outs until you forget one of the essentials!

Visiting from Mama Kats!

Angela Power said...

Awesome! Love this.

lol

Heidi Smith Luedtke -- LeadingMama said...

1) you had a DIAPER BAG with no diapers (I gave up on diaper bags and now just throw 'em in my purse with a ziploc full o wipes) 2) you still thought it was reasonable to order SOUP!!! Definitely rookie moves. But the feminine pad is MacGyver-like genius, my friend. As for breastfeeding in the bathroom (done it, my post on this prompt was on bf-ing) and putting the changing pad on the floor (done it, creeps me out every time). Love it when I end up changing a diaper on the tailgate of our SUV because that seems classier (and cleaner) than the bathroom floor. It isn't glamorous, is it?!

Kate (This Place is Now a Home) said...

Hahahahaha OH NO! I can just picture all of this. I ahve had to change on dirty, dirty bathroom floors, but haven't (yet) forgotten a diaper. Good for you for staying and eating -- I think I would have run home crying.

Claire {Beaktweets} said...

@ heidi, i had ordered the soup before i realized we had an explosive diaper :) i definitely would not have done that after! i ate as quickly as possible and got out of there.

@kate instead of running home crying, i just called my mom crying :)

The Mommy Mambo said...

Every Great Momma has a great poop story! LOL

I was one of those annoying moms who refused to make my baby dine in a public bathroom, though. If the other restraunt or store patrons had a problem with it (and I covered mostly) they could take their steak to the JOHN! Enjoyed you post!

basebell6 said...

LOL love this story!!!!

Emily said...

Great rookie mom story. I used to change kiddo in the car when I could! I did the same topic. Looks like a lot of us did. It's just so fun!

Grace @ Arms Wide Open said...

BEEN THERE! I totally remember when S was 2 weeks old my parents AND my in-laws came to mexico to visit. It was all of their first time in mexico so i felt obligated to take them on the city tour (read: double decker bus and all). I had the exact same thing happen in a cafe' bathroom - had to change S on the floor (nasty), returned to our table and heard him explode yet another poop. I then returned to the bathroom to begin the process all over again.

Luckily i DID have diapers! he he!

Kimberly said...

Oh, the explosive poop always comes at the most inopportune times!

Unknown said...

And Meredith is no worse off for it. She is such a happy baby. Great lesson... We don't need to sweat the small stuff

Unknown said...

P.S. Madi once pooped, peed, and threw up all over me pretty much at the same time on an air plane. I went to change her clothes and realized I forgot to bring the clean clothes to the bathroom. I walked back to my seat with a naked new born and my head hung low. We all have some oopsies along the way.

House of Milk said...

Oh my, this made me laugh out loud... especially the feminine pad part :)

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