The end of an era
I haven't said anything about it. Not for months and months. I've been living in fear, worried that my good fortune was just too good to last, terrified that the wrong word might earn me the wrath of the poop fates.
But I can't hold it back any longer.
Evie is not wearing diapers any more. Do you realize what this means?
My children are all potty-trained.
My children are all potty-trained.
My children are ALL POTTY-TRAINED!
I haven't changed a poopy diaper in weeks. I have no use for the four half-used tubes of Boudreaux's Butt Paste that I still have sitting around the house. I no longer have wipes stashed in my purse, in the car, in the bedroom, and in the bathroom.
My diaper bag? The beautiful but bulky thing that was my closest companion, that I never went anywhere without?
It's just sitting around, all flat and lifeless and empty, but I can't quite bring myself to part with it yet. It was a gift from a dear friend, and glad as I am to be rid of its extra weight (it seriously was heavy) I can't really say good-bye.
It's not just the physical weight of the diaper bag pulling on my shoulder--it's the metaphorical weight of baby care that needing to own a diaper bag represents. When they're infants, babies need you so much. The silly little things can't even lift their head up on their own, much less do anything at all themselves. You have to feed them, dress them, comfort them, carry them, and, multiple times a day, you have to wipe their nasty little bottoms. You need all your supplies with which to carry out these tasks near at hand at all times. You need that diaper bag.
And now, I don't need it. Not any of it, at all.
Oh, I still help Evie, of course. I help her get dressed, I help her put on certain pairs of shoes. She can't zip her own coat very well. I buckle her in her car seat. I carry a change of clothes in the car in case of accidents. She thinks she can do a competent job of brushing her teeth on her own, but I think otherwise. For the most part though, like her sisters before her, she is an intelligent and independent child, and she prefers to do as much as possible herself. When she does need help with cutting up a waffle, pouring milk, or reading a story, she requests it in a complete sentence. And so my littlest baby is not really so much of a baby anymore.
This is the golden moment, the day I thought would never come, the dream I've been waiting for, waiting for all these years. Do you know how long it's been since I went more than a day or two without changing a diaper? Years, people. Years of my life I spent changing diapers every single day.
And now I don't. Poof. Just like that. No more diapers, no more babies. End of an era.
OK, so it wasn't really "poof, just like that." It was an arduous, months-long struggle that I whined about quite a lot. But now it's all behind me and it's gone from being this all-consuming thing to something that I hardly ever think about anymore. And when I do stop to think about it, when I decide it's all right to finally officially commemorate it, all I can do is wonder how in the world it's all gone by so fast.
*Note: Not that I am not happy about it. I am happy. So very, very happy.
But I can't hold it back any longer.
Evie is not wearing diapers any more. Do you realize what this means?
My children are all potty-trained.
My children are all potty-trained.
My children are ALL POTTY-TRAINED!
I haven't changed a poopy diaper in weeks. I have no use for the four half-used tubes of Boudreaux's Butt Paste that I still have sitting around the house. I no longer have wipes stashed in my purse, in the car, in the bedroom, and in the bathroom.
My diaper bag? The beautiful but bulky thing that was my closest companion, that I never went anywhere without?
It's just sitting around, all flat and lifeless and empty, but I can't quite bring myself to part with it yet. It was a gift from a dear friend, and glad as I am to be rid of its extra weight (it seriously was heavy) I can't really say good-bye.
It's not just the physical weight of the diaper bag pulling on my shoulder--it's the metaphorical weight of baby care that needing to own a diaper bag represents. When they're infants, babies need you so much. The silly little things can't even lift their head up on their own, much less do anything at all themselves. You have to feed them, dress them, comfort them, carry them, and, multiple times a day, you have to wipe their nasty little bottoms. You need all your supplies with which to carry out these tasks near at hand at all times. You need that diaper bag.
And now, I don't need it. Not any of it, at all.
Oh, I still help Evie, of course. I help her get dressed, I help her put on certain pairs of shoes. She can't zip her own coat very well. I buckle her in her car seat. I carry a change of clothes in the car in case of accidents. She thinks she can do a competent job of brushing her teeth on her own, but I think otherwise. For the most part though, like her sisters before her, she is an intelligent and independent child, and she prefers to do as much as possible herself. When she does need help with cutting up a waffle, pouring milk, or reading a story, she requests it in a complete sentence. And so my littlest baby is not really so much of a baby anymore.
This is the golden moment, the day I thought would never come, the dream I've been waiting for, waiting for all these years. Do you know how long it's been since I went more than a day or two without changing a diaper? Years, people. Years of my life I spent changing diapers every single day.
And now I don't. Poof. Just like that. No more diapers, no more babies. End of an era.
OK, so it wasn't really "poof, just like that." It was an arduous, months-long struggle that I whined about quite a lot. But now it's all behind me and it's gone from being this all-consuming thing to something that I hardly ever think about anymore. And when I do stop to think about it, when I decide it's all right to finally officially commemorate it, all I can do is wonder how in the world it's all gone by so fast.
*Note: Not that I am not happy about it. I am happy. So very, very happy.
5 comments:
Congratulations! It has to be such a wonderful freeing feeling. I am hopeful we will be there soon.
I believe a serious celebration is in order! Time to go back to Disneyland! :)
*applause* *whoops of joy* *applause* *loud, two-finger-in-mouth whistles (that I can't quite seem to master)*
yahooo! You made it! She did such a great job over here, not one slip up! You should be proud! You can put that bag to different uses now, holding swim gear or packing up to go to the park. No more diaper bag, just a tote to carry other things!
Yep, it's awesome! I've been out of diapers for a couple years now, but still have wipes in almost every room of the house! They are like duct tape - good for almost anything!
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