Practice Baby

I got to babysit for an 8 month old boy named David Eliot J. In case you're missing it, I'm married to a David Elliott J as well. I attended his birth. It was second in a row of three over a weekend in December. His mom called at 1 am on a Friday to let us know her water broke, which was just as we midwives were sitting down after another birth we attended all that day and night.

David's was a fast birth and he arrived 20 minutes after I did. It was a good lesson for me because I didn't have the ritual of setting up the birth room, taking vitals on mom or even charting. By the time I got there, everyone was already in their place. I grew fidgety because I wasn't sure how to ground myself until Molly, the 4 year old said, "Why don't you hold the flashlight." I thanked her for giving me something to do, stood by her with one hand holding the light on mom's bottom, the other wrapped around her little waist.

I haven't seen little David since his last 6 week appointment until yesterday. He was a little confused as to who I was when he woke from his nap, but he soon cuddled into the ergo as we walked from his house to my place.

Maji was beside herself. She was so excited that I brought a baby to her, a baby that was all hers! Satchel was, for the first time ever, curious about a baby. When there have been children or babies in the house he stations himself on the couch and refuses to look. This time he was wagging his tail and peeking behind my legs.

We learned a few things with practice baby in the house:

1) Maji will probably be great during labor and then as soon as our baby exits my vagina, she'll freak and be unable to control her urge to lick the baby. We might have to assign someone the job of restraining her. Not sure how that is going to work.

2) We could use the dryer in the laundry room as a changing station downstairs.

3) We need an area rug in the living room.

4)Satchel will need some acclimation and explanation as to why the baby is allowed in the bed.

After a few hours at my house, I walked back to baby's house and put him to bed. Then he woke up and cried for an hour straight and wouldn't stop until mom's magical breasts came home. After that I emailed a lady I had been talking to about a 30 hour a week nanny job and told her I changed my mind about watching a baby that much.

Practice baby is good in small doses.