Poop happens...

I walked in to my 8 month old son's room after maybe 5-7 minutes of letting him cry. I had been taking a much needed shower, while he napped.  He decided to wake up early- just between the rinse and repeat segment of shampoo directions.  I finished hurriedly, knowing that he was a very mobile child and unsure of what he might get himself into should he figure his way out of the crib (he did liberate himself from the crib just a month later!) As I walked into his room, something hit me… thinking back (it’s 4 years later) I can’t remember if the smell or shock from the sight hit first. There he was, in his crib, cloth diaper mostly off, covered in poop! From his head to his toes, from the sheets to the poopy fingerprints on the walls- it was everywhere. I wanted to laugh and cry all at the same time. My little boy’s clever, inquisitive, impatient (mom get in here and change my diaper or I’ll do it myself!) spirit had won out over my carefully planned ‘me time.’ My first thought was ‘arghhhh!’ my second was ‘what did I do wrong here?’ Was his diaper not on right, did I feed him too many plum bits?

Yes, even the cloth diapering moms, the breastfeeding moms, the organic homemade baby food moms, have moments of realization that it's impossible to be in control of every detail and sometimes, poop happens!

I've got lots of mommy friends and we all have different styles of parenting and making choices for our children. The single most freeing piece of wisdom that I’ve' received (and hopefully have been able to share) is what this post is centered around. While we do the best that we can with what we have, it's impossible for it all to go according to plan and sometimes, the plan needs to change.

The culprit- right around the time of the incidentIt wasn’t long after that poopy incident when I was stopped by a weathered, yet beautiful face in the grocery store. She had been watching me with my son and commented on how alert and alive his eyes were. She gently reminded me that I should enjoy him because he’d grown up in a flash. I can still remember her saying, “the toys and dishes will always be there to be picked up and washed, but he won’t always be taking his first steps.” Her words really struck me- those lines on her face gave them authority.

Four years later, I still think about what she said to me. Her words are especially convicting when dinner’s not done, diapers not washed and there just aren’t enough hours in the day. It helps, sometimes a little, sometimes a lot, to be reminded of what matters.