One would think that by baby number 7 I would be a pro at this whole baby thing, but if there is anything I've learned over the past 15 years, it's that there is no such thing as being a pro at babies and parenting. Each baby is so different and while there are some things that are standard, there are other things that need to change with each baby...so being flexible is probably the biggest thing I've learned.
However, there are some things that never change regardless of whether you're on your first baby or your 10th baby. One big one is that when you leave the house with the baby.....BE PREPARED. Meaning diapers, wipes, outfits, etc. Well, today I left the house for the first real time since Rosalia was born; a trip to Target with Mom, Veronica and Rosalia to pick up a few things I needed...pacifiers (Veronica misplaced 1 of the 2 I have), socks (for Veronica), etc.
As we're shopping, I'm carrying Rosalia and she pooped. I knew this was going to be bad because I had her in a Huggies newborn diaper and they are cut really small and every time she poops she leaks. So I'm holding her very carefully hoping I managed to contain the mess. Mom didn't understand my concern until I explained as I dashed off to the changing rooms with the baby and left her with Veronica. I start undressing Rosalia and discover it's worse than I thought and this is where I was unprepared for the first time...
1. Bring a change of clothes for baby!!!!!
I had no change of clothes. I know, I messed up rule number one. So I grab the baby carrying her as carefully as I can as I don't want to make a mess of my clothes. I figure there is no better place to have this happen than Target since Target tends to have tons of cute clothes. So I tell mom, we laugh and I pick out a cute dress and shirt and take that, the diaper bag (my new Thirty-One Cindy Tote) and the baby and pay for the outfit. I had the clerk take the tags off and explained I was going to change her into it. She must have thought I was nuts.
So once again I head back to the changing room and mom says (laughing as she does), "You do have diapers don't you?" I assure her I do because what mom with 7 kids doesn't have at least a dozen random diapers in her bag at all times (and in the van, stashed in various rooms in the house and probably in every random bag and purse she owns). Finally, ready to change the baby...outfit is ready and I reach in for the diaper only to discover I'm once again unprepared for the second time...
2. Always have extra diapers!!!!
So yes, that's right...the diaper that was in the bag was Veronica's. It crossed my mind to use the diaper, but a size 4 diaper on a newborn baby that weighs just over 7.5 pounds isn't going to work at all. So now Rosalia is almost completely undressed. I wrap her in her outfit and a blanket and run out to the diaper aisle....yes, thankfully we were at Target where they have diapers in abundance. I open the pack, grab a diaper and by this point Mom is hysterical because really...what mom of 7 kids not only doesn't pack an outfit but has no diapers.
Finally for the last time I head back to the changing rooms....third times the charm I'm hoping. By now I think the staff member at the changing rooms thinks I'm a total nut case and is probably unsure as to why I keep coming back without changing the baby. And yes....we get changed into a clean diaper, new outfit and she essentially has a wet-wipe bath at the store. And of course we left the house with her dressed in a sleeper and this new outfit was a dress with leggings so she had no socks. I drew the line at purchasing socks for her and just wrapped her in a blanket.
We all survived...barely from the sounds of it I'm sure. Rosalia now has an adorable new outfit, I have a pack of diapers that actually fit her and contain poop (they've now been tested) and I have learned....always be prepared.
So even mom's of big families still don't have it all together. This is the first time in 15 years of motherhood that I've actually had to buy an outfit and diapers while out because I didn't have any with me. At least I have a great story and my Mom will probably never let me forget this outing...we'll be laughing about it 20 years from now.
Her new cute outfit
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