Happy Bath= Happy Mom

Since coming home from the hospital I have heard Wyatt bellow a newborn wail only once...


and it was during his first bath.

I wanted everything to be perfect. Matching turtle towel and washcloth: check. Tiny bottle of Aveno ultra-expensive oatmeal baby shampoo: check. Frog shaped water bucket to not only effectively but cutely get the suds off his head: check. I was as prepared as a new mother could be for this momentous occasion in my son's life. With Bryan by my side, camera in hand... I slowly lowered Wyatt into his bath.

Now one of the things I did not have is one of those great little rubber duckies that tell you when the water is too hot. In our case though, the duck would have turned blue. I had read so many baby books that I had scared myself into thinking that I would make Wyatt soup during bath time if the water was too hot. So instead I made the water a little bit warmer then say... a kiddie pool that one, maybe two just to be fair, little kids had peed in. Bryan tried to tell me it was cold but I wouldn't listen. I am mom... mom knows best. Duh.

So of course, upon entry Wyatt screamed for his life... afraid I was trying to make him into a Whale shaped ice cube. I yelled at Bryan to take pictures to which he responded "Why would you want to remember this??". Before the plastic frog cup even knew what hit him he was being flung for through the air. I grabbed Wyatt out of the tub handed him off to Bryan, who was proudly holding his turtle towel and gave up. I walked out to the dining table, stuck the 'First Bath' sticker on May 12th and retreated to my bedroom.

When I failed, rather then take the high road and 'try, try again' I decided to put an end to bath time altogether. Yes, I still washed Wyatt down every few days but did it instead while he was on the changing table rather then in the whale shaped newborn bather I desperately had to have. Finally I decided I had to do it. I am mom... mom does not know best BUT she does not give up.

So last night, while Bryan was gone I filled up the bath, got all my things ready- this time trading in the tiny turtle towel for a big soft, fluffy one- cranked the heat in the bathroom and stripped Wyatt down. I slowly lowered Wyatt into the water making sure not to lose eye contact and tada- we had bath time success. Not a single tear was shed as I washed him down... he even cooed a bit as I scrubbed one of his chins. He loved it... which made me love it. Even after we were all done I let him sit in it for a bit, just to get used to the water. It was perfect.

So here is what I learned. I am mom. Duh. I do not always know what is best BUT in trying to figure it out I am giving the best I can give which in the end... is the best there is.