When much time has passed between like activities, and there is fear attached to the trying, people often say, "it's like riding a bike. You never forget." I discovered a bit of falseness in this statement the first time I tried to ride a bicycle after many years of not. My children were young, and we were cleaning out my parents' basement. This was a dirt basement, really just a tall "crawl space." Amazing and marvelous things were found there, including an entire antique canister set, stamped and signed. It sits on my kitchen counter to this day. But, I digress. There was also an old bike. It seemed a really fun idea to go back to my youth and ride around a bit. I hopped on, began to roll (I cannot call it riding) down the hill, realized that things were quickly getting out of control, began to scream, "Kenny, Kenny, Kenny," as I picked up speed. I have this visual of the horror on my children's faces, my father's concern, and Mr. Lincoln's puzzlement as I ended my ride by running into the side of the neighbor's house. It was not exactly the carefree ride I had anticipated.
The first day I was to keep Simeon by myself, I sort of had visions of my antithetical experience of the "it's like riding a bike. You never forget." What if I did forget all the things I needed to know to be able to take care of him by myself? I mean things have changed. Never, ever put a baby in bed on his tummy. Really? When my children were babies, the rule was to never, ever put a baby in bed on his back. It seems this on-the-back thing has really reduced the instances of SIDS. Thank goodness for whoever figured that out.
Of course, when I am keeping him, Simeon must use a bottle. Truthfully, I really know very little about bottles. I remember the bottle sterilizer my mother used for my younger brother and sister. It seemed complicated, and the improper sterilization of baby bottles brought with it the threat of instant death for any poor child whose mother did not follow the directions exactly. I am not known for my meticulous attention to details, and it is for that reason that neither of my children ever took a bottle. I nursed them until I weaned them to a cup. The need for sterilized coffee cups (I don't think we had sippy cups) did not seem as dire. I learned, however, that the dishwasher is perfectly acceptable for baby bottles now, with a weekly bottle, nipple, cap boiling. Nice.
Diapers are different. I used cloth diapers. Yes, there were disposables, but, like lots of new mothers, I did what my mom did. I used a diaper service. I once tried disposables, but MP had a terrible allergic reaction to them. The convenience was certainly not worth her discomfort. I have to admit that I love the diapers that have a colorful decoration on the front. That way, I am much less likely to put it on backwards. Have you seen how many different kinds of diapers there are? My grandsons only use chlorine-free diapers. Sometimes they can be difficult to find. In addition to which, some of the adults in their lives know how much each brand costs per diaper, and where the best deals are. And, they come in all different sizes. With cloth diapers, you just fold them to the size you want. It's all different.
I never used baby wipes with my children. When bottoms needed cleaning, they got stuck in the bathroom sink, washed off with Dial or Ivory soap and warm water, dried with whatever towel was close by, and presto....clean as a whistle. Now, we use chlorine-free wipes. These are harder to find than chlorine-free diapers. They are not cheap, either. MP can change a diaper in about 2 seconds, get Simeon squeaky clean, and only use one wipe. I am not quite so efficient. It takes me much longer, at least 4 wipes, and sometimes I even lose the clean diaper I placed beneath the baby to keep the changing pad clean. Oops, that change cost 79 cents. Mp's changes cost about 32 cents.
But, I found that some things have not changed. I found that keeping a baby is a lot like riding a bike. That incredible sweet feeling of perfect peace as a baby sleeps on my chest has not changed. Putting the baby someplace safe while I run to use the bathroom, and trying to quietly shout (an oxymoron for sure) words of comfort to him as he discovers he is by himself has not changed. The big stain of spit up on the front of my shirt, or the waiting for someone to drop by so I can take a quick bath has not changed. The total charm of a baby's toothless grin has not changed. The fact that I will do and say the same silly thing over and over just to get a giggle has not changed. The feel of that sweet baby skin has not changed. The softness of silky hair against my cheek has not changed. The sense of accomplishment we all feel when a baby rolls over has not changed. Oh, if we would only be so encouraging of all his efforts throughout his life. The overwhelming love and feelings of protection have not changed.
So, Simeon and I have had some successful days together. I look forward to successful days caring for Max when his mama goes back to work. I have great plans for these boys on the days they spend at Mellie's. Maybe some of the details of baby care have changed over the years, but the basic needs of love and care and closeness will never change. It is such a privilege for me to spend time with these baby boys. I am so grateful. And, when some time passes, maybe, just maybe, we will ride bikes together.
For today, I wish you abundant
blessings
No comments:
Post a Comment