12 Jul A Farewell to Diapers

We’ve been changing our children’s diapers for nine years, eight months, and thirteen days – but who’s counting? Our fourth child, my son, has been out of “day time” diapers for three weeks now. He has even endured a few road trips without accidents. I am sure there will be accidents along our journey, but for all intents and purposes…he is potty trained.

I would like to pause and take a moment of silence (I’m not kidding) to meditate on this important milestone: After nearly a decade of changing diapers, we are (other than a night time diaper for the time being) DONE with diapers.

I feel like crying for joy. Like laughing hysterically. Like skipping through a field of flowers. Like receiving some gold medal or plaque. I can just see it now: Awarded for successfully completing a decade of diapering babies and toddlers and potty training four children. My husband, who has also done his fair share of “diaper duty” will also receive a medal. We will all hug and cry.

In honor of this important milestone, I would like to reflect on just a few of the humorous, oft-repeated scenarios we’ve walked through over this past ten years in regards to diapers:

The “Down to Two Diapers” Moments

Unless you are a highly prepared person like my father, who never allows his gas tank to go below 1/4 of a tank, you know what it’s like to be down to your last two diapers in the diaper bag. You scrounge around in random bags, maybe finding one more, but realize that even if you ordered more from Amazon they wouldn’t get to you when you need them. Thus, a fast trip to the nearest Walgreens or Target.

The “I Didn’t Know You Ate That” Moments

Every parent has them – the stories of when they changed their child’s diaper only to discover something strange and alarming has passed through their digestive system. My sister-in-law found a quarter once. Some of my funnier “findings” include: blue playdough, glitter, silicone ear plugs, and my favorite is a story in itself:

I woke one morning at 6am to my son’s cries. I lumbered into his room bleary-eyed to change him only to discover two googly eyes we had used in a craft the day before! I burst into laughter at the sight of two eyes staring up at me from my son’s diaper!

The “Why Now” Moments

~When you’ve just bathed, powdered, diapered, and dressed a baby and they give you “the look”- and you proceed to repeat steps 1-4.

~When you’ve got precisely 20 minutes to drive to an appointment that is 20 minutes away (yes, yes, of course you should have planned in more “buffer time” but your toddler drew with marker all over the kitchen floor, so..) and as you are walking out the door, your child says, “Mama, I have a poopy diaper.” Sigh.

~Your child is two years old and usually does “#2” once a day now quite predictably. After lathering her with sunscreen, putting on her non-disposable swim diaper and suit, and spending five minutes in the pool, you smell something. After accessing the damage and determining that it is unsalvageable in your current environment, you rush home to bathe and redress your child once again.

~You are finally seated on your flight and are told its time for take-off. The fasten seatbelt sign is on and almost in precision with its ding, your child decides its time to do his business.

So, yep, I’m celebrating. I’m celebrating just going places without a diaper bag. I’m celebrating my child’s growing independence. I’m celebrating the entrance of a new season of parenting!

How about you? Are you celebrating any special milestones with your child in this season? Whether it’s first words, steps, smiles or last diapers, pacis, or bike rides with training wheels, every milestone is worth celebrating!