Bath Times and Breakdowns
We decided to give Michael a bath. Big mistake. I am a nervous wreck enough about causing permanent damage to this baby as it is. So you put me around water with him and I could barely function. It didn’t even matter that we were only giving him a sponge bath. I thought I was going to drown him in a wet wash cloth. And the Bean apparently shared my fears because he was freaked out the entire time, too. The only one of us with any sort of calm was Chris, who kept insisting that “babies basically clean themselves – like cats.”
After the bath, both the Bean and I needed a good rock in the rocking chair to recover from the trauma. I rocked the Bean until he was finally calm and sleepy.
With his nerves somewhat settled, I wrapped the Bean in his blanket and he chilled on our bed for a little while with us before bedtime.
Chris then had to give both the Bean and me some extra attention to make sure we were both okay. He laid down with the Beaner for a while and talked to him until he finally fell asleep.
With the Bean finally convinced that we weren’t actually trying to kill him, Chris could turn his attention to me curled up in a corner of the room, trembling with fear over the sponge bath and with the fear that I would have to do it again. And next time, I’d have to actually use (gulp) water.
Chris came over, pulled me up off the floor, wrestled the soapy wash cloth from my tight fist, and put his arms around me. He held me really close and whispered in my ear over and over, “Its okay, sweetie. Its okay. Its just a bath. Shhh…Shhh…” And then he started rocking me back and forth and rubbing my back.
This was all eerily familiar. And surprisingly soothing. It wasn’t until he started patting my back in a firm, repetitious pattern that I realized what was happening. He was soothing me like we soothe the Bean. He was literally rocking me to sleep. Just like a baby. Like our baby. He realized what he was doing at the same time I did and we both busted out laughing.
“Sorry,” he said. “Force of habit.”
“No problem,” I said. “But you’ll cross the line if you check my diaper.”
13 Comments
Camille
Oh, too funny. That first picture changed my life. He is SO cute! That hair!
Good luck with try #2.
Mindee@ourfrontdoor
Oh you’ll all get the hang of it. A little screaming is good exercise for the lungs.
And to be perfectly, crystal clear: Babies do NOT basically clean themselves! 🙂
Liz
He’s so cute!
About thebath, just fake like you know what you’re doing! Babies can sense when you’re anxious. And I always covered Bruce with a towel and washed him one part at a time… Babies hate being naked!
Sorry for the unsolicited advice… I’ll try to keep it in check in the future! :S
He’s so adorable, even when he makes that mad face!
Brian
Chris and Katie,
Well I found your website about two weeks ago after I was bored and did a google search for “shacker” and your post about said shacker came up. I laughed so hard i nearly cried, since I’ve been in the same situation before. Since then I have pretty much been a regular, and man, its a great site. Congrats on the baby! He’s a pretty good looking fella.
Keep blogging, its a great site.
Chris my man, its always great to see you write, to hear the “other” and sometimes “true” version of the story.
If you get a chance, check out my blog. Its brand new and any tips you all got would be very much appreciated.
-Brian
Nelia
Points for Chris. He’s handling Bean’s coming out party like a champ!
Sarah @ BecomingSarah.com
That first picture is adorable! It made me laugh too =)
Good luck with Attempt #2 at that thing called bathing. I’m sure you can get away with sponge baths for awhile, though, until you’re ready =)
RatalieNose
BAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
He’s a doll!!!
(A manly doll!)
Miss M!
Don’t feel bad. Bubba was three and a half weeks old when he got his first bath because I was so freaked out about it. We kinda just wiped him down with baby wipes! LOL! I finally called an experienced mom friend to come help me and show me what to do.
I had to laugh at the part about babies being like cats. Um, Chris? Not so much.
Marla
These pictures are classic.
Michael is adorable and lucky to have such funny parents.
Christina
So funny. The first time I gave my first child a bath I was also totally stressed out-she was so upset about it. My husband was there, my parents were there, and they were video taping it! I felt like I did everything wrong, and finally got her wrapped up in a towel to take her to the changing pad for a diaper. As I walked toward the camera (and our room) I was stopped in my tracks by a “Pbthhhttttt.” A very loud, wet, “Pbthhhttttt.” My sweet baby girl had just pooped in the towel, as if to say thank you for that bath, it was terrible. Now you have to give me another. And it’s all on tape. She’ll love that when she’s 16.
By baby number three, I didn’t do baths…not till six months or something like that. Ha, ha!
Emilyc
I think I am addicted to your blog…it’s my morning laugh and God knows I need it! By the way – you have the cutest baby in the entire world. 🙂
Holly Decker
i feel ya.
or shall i say that CHARLIE feels ya?
he HATED everything we did to him the first week.
be it bathe, dress, diaper change… it was HELL.
and now?
professional.
its so hard for them to adjust. keep plowin’ ahead- you ARE great parents 🙂
Halala Mama
Ahhh…the bath. The first one I gave my son was fine. The second time, I pretty much poured an entire cup of water over his face and nearly drowned him. He sputtered, then looked at me with a look that said, “yeah, I know you are stupid, but you’re mine.” Babies are forgiving creatures.