Confession. I don't really like bath time. I'm not talking about MY bath time because let's be real... my personal 5 minute speedy shower is one of the top five favorite moments of my day. Maybe even top three. I'm talking about baby bath time, friends.
Okay, I admit, bathing her in the bathroom sink those first few weeks when she was a teeny tiny thing was pretty sweet and almost downright enjoyable. Who doesn't love a clean, swaddled, sleepy newborn? Nobody. Nobody doesn't love that. But bathing a wiggly, slippery, not tired, pre-toddler who just wants to pull up on the side of the tub and escape is a whole different ballgame. Doesn't it just feel like WORK? I don't need any more work. I know I need to clean my daughter but.. I'm so tired. She can wait another day right? Babies don't really get too dirty, right? Right??? I'm not even ashamed to admit that some weeks have gone by with only like 2 baths. Tops. Y'all I have TRIED to like bath time. I have tried to make it less work and more fun for ME (because Baby Girl has a great time regardless of how Mama feels). I fill the tub with toys, and bath books, and bubbles, and foam letters and water of course. I bring in a chair for me so my knees don't hate me and I put my feet up on the toilet seat ottoman because I live a life of luxury. If it's late enough in the day (4pm?) I pour a (plastic. safety first) glass of wine and sip it while she splashes. See, self? This isn't hard, it's practically vacation! Sometimes I believe the lies. Wine goggles and such. (I'm not an alchy, it's fine).
I even drove across town a few months ago when BG started hating her baby tub to buy a her a bath seat secondhand from another Mama. I thought having her sitting up and happily contained would make it SO FUN for everyone!! (I would have bought her a brand new one if they hadn't all been pulled from the shelves because some dumb people thought bath seat = bath babysitter and left their children alone in it and that didn't end well and so it's obviously the bath seat's fault. So no bath seats for you!! Or something). ANYWAY, I bought the seat and while it helps because it's not totally up to me to keep her upright, it doesn't make the experience magical or something I look forward to all day.
I didn't mean to make this post so whiney. I'm not usually a person who whines a lot. It's just that with every cute bathtub picture people share on IG or FB of smiling, soapy babies I feel like I'm missing out on some grand motherhood experience. Like I must be doing something wrong. Then this evening while soaping up my girl with our favorite Honest Company tangerine baby wash (Yum), using her favorite pink elephant wash cloth, I thought maybe I was kind of liking this sweet moment we were sharing. Then she pooped in the tub. Floating poops just sealed the deal.
I don't like bath time.
(I super, super love post-bathtime pajama snuggles from a squeaky clean baby girl, though!)
SLH.
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