Arm Yourselves

It always takes Alexander and me awhile to get back into the “newborn” swing of things. There are so many things to remember! Couple that with the fact that my mind is always reeling with the (suddenly remembered) knowledge of how much pain childbirth (and the subsequent recovery period) actually entails and we’re usually in sad shape for the first few days.

And that’s how it was this time around too. On night one at home (possibly night two) Nicholas spits up:

Alexander (covered in urp): Where’s a burp cloth!!

Me (tenderly applying Lasinoh): How should I know? Burp clothes were like eighteen months ago.

How our children must roll their eyes at us! Elijah as an infant furrowed his brow constantly. Now Cole has adopted the same behavior. I’m starting to think it might be a commentary on our parenting skills.

Nicholas is now about a week and a half old. We’ve managed to find the burp clothes and are now well armed, keeping one stashed in just about every room. Already in his short life Cole has mastered the fine art of the up-chuck. I’m amazed to find spit up on the floor in his room, having either been projected from him or having rolled off his well-waterproofed mattress. I can’t quite be sure which.

The great irony is, now that we’re draped with defenses, he doesn’t urp on us. He’ll save it for his crib or his sweet little vibrating massage recliner (compliments of Nana). But the second we let our guard down – whammo! – all over our clothes. The one exception to this new-found rule happened last night. Cole finished up his 10pm nightcap and leaned back, a broad smile spread across his face. With a burp cloth resting on my shoulder, I stared down at my sweet little baby. And then he sneezed at me. And spit up at the same time. Still with that smile on his face.

I guess sometimes, no matter how prepared you might be (defensively speaking), you just can’t avoid wiping urp from your eye.