3rd Child Syndrome

Simon Getting Changed, 3rd Child Style

We all know about third child syndrome. We have seen it in others. First child is raised in absolute sterile conditions. Everyone's hands are washed a dozen times a day. By the third child the standards have fallen far. If the third child kisses the dog on the butt it only merits an eye-roll. We are not immune to this. Take our diaper changing station.

For Trevor it was in his own room atop a $300 changing table. His butt soothed by the freshly washed terry cotton surface. He could gaze out the window that was just above the changing table. His diapers and other paraphenalia were tucked away in their proper place in drawers just beneath him. His soiled diapers went into the 'diaper Genie'. Now contrast the picture above.

1) Simon is getting changed at the foot of our bed. Why? Because that is the shortest distance at 2AM and his room is totally empty and painted the wrong color. I'M WORKING ON IT ALREADY.

2) Simon is laid directly on the plastic of the waterproof changing pad. Why? Because he would pee on the washed terry cotton surface if we put it on. This is easier to wipe off.

3) Simon has no window (See #1). However, he can usually gaze at a cat that is twice his weight who looks back with a gaze that says 'Just wait kiddo, one day you will have a room and I will poop in it.'

4) Simon's diapers, wipes and lotions are spread across Andrea's dresser a couple feet away. Why? Easy to find at night.

5) Simon's soiled diapers go in the gender neutral colored tub that we got for 'free' with a two night hospital stay. Why? Lets face it. Up to a point the diapers don't smell so you don't need a diaper genie to put them in. Then once they do smell the odor is so bad that it penetrates the diaper genie so that the clean plastic of the genie smells just as bad as a diaper. Oh, and the tub was 'free'.

Not-the-momma