MOMent of the Day: Empowerment

Let me just preface today’s MOMent by saying that we were dumped on, in more ways than one.

We awoke this morning to tons of snow – at least a good foot (dump part one). This was actually not a bad thing since it resulted in a snow day of sorts for The Munchkin and me and I was all too excited at the prospect of getting to spend the entire day with her.

The day started off well. We did a little eating, a little playing, had a good story time. And then, just after morning snack, it happened.

Yes, today’s MOMent is a little thing I like to call, “Pooptastrophe 2010”:

I’m wiping down the highchair and The Munchkin after her snack when I catch a hint of some not-so-fresh air. I quickly remove her from her highchair and do the mom poop sniff test (Moms, you all know you do this – it’s the one where you bend your little one over and catch a whiff of their behind to tell if they need a change). Oh yes, it is that time alright. Off we go upstairs to the changing table. I notice as I start undressing her that this is going to require a clothes change for The Munchkin. Once I get down to the diaper, I realize the situation is a bit more severe than I first guessed.

Quite simply, the diaper failed. Well, that and The Munchkin really had a lot to put into it. Poop is everywhere. And I mean everywhere. By this point, it has smeared all the way up her back to her armpit. She is squirming all over the place, causing the contents of her diaper to go all over the changing table, more on herself, on me – it. Was. Gross. I reach for a wipe, determined to get the situation somewhat under control when, to my complete and utter horror, there aren’t any.

Oh man! I curse myself for not checking after her last diaper change to make sure there would be wipes for the next time. So Stupid. What am I going to do? Let’s recap here: I have a child with poop smeared all over her, a poopy changing table, a diaper so saturated that it’s completely useless at this point and NO WIPES!! I grab a replacement diaper and try as best as I can to position it between The Munchkin and the poopy parts (it doesn’t work, by the way, because the poopy parts far outnumber the non-poopy parts at this point), rush to the closet where the replacement wipes are supposed to be to find…you guessed it…NO WIPES.

Ok. I’m regrouping. I rush all the way downstairs, carrying a poopy munchkin like a quarterback holds a football, fumble through the diaper bag and grab what seem to be the only wipes in the entire house. We rush back up the stairs and into the bathroom where I get The Munchkin cleaned up enough to safely put her in her exersaucer until I can get a bath ready. Whew! After lots of soap, scrubbing and carefully getting the poopy items into the laundry, the situation seems back under control. I wash up, change my clothes, get The Munchkin into something fresh and we’re back to our snow day fun.

Until the entire thing happens again!!

Yes, more poop, all over (despite the fact that I have wipes this time) everything (including The Munchkin’s hair and me). Only this time I am on a conference call for work. Now, tell me moms don’t multi-task!

Round 2 ends and after another bath and change of clothes for both of us we’ve got everything under control. Conquering that makes me feel like I can conquer anything. Pooptastrophe no more. I am Super Woman.

I learned two very important lessons from my MOMent. One: I will be a wipe Nazi from now on. Two: Even when I am dumped on, nothing beats a day at home with my little girl.