Baby Beware

So "baby daddy" and I had our first baby preparation class last night (5/26). The class was all about basic baby care. You know - changing loaded diapers, bathing the slippery little bundle, calming the squirmy and distressed babe, etc.

We were one of about 15 couples - and the only one armed with a camera. Hey... it's important we take good "notes." It will enable us to reference them when times are tough, when we're too tired to blink and when we question our ability to really be good parents to the little bean.

The class was three hours - with time in the middle to "get our hands dirty" with the dramas only a plastic doll can offer. One station was to practice diapering. It was here that we both promptly and efficiently took our babies and diapers and assembled them into happy duos. We even took care to not rub the top of the diapers against the babies' healing umbilical cord "stumps." Since we had some extra time at this station, Chris felt it necessary to not waste any time by letting the little plastic bodies just lie there on the table. No, no. This was the perfect opportunity to set up a pseudo-fight scene. Like I said... good thing we had the camera to capture the important parts... :)

This photo came at the end of the fight, where baby A was standing over (and, naturally, rubbing defeat in the face of) baby B, celebrating his victory.

Next up: the five "s" station - that is, the ways to calm baby through the letter "s" (just like Sesame Street, no?) - swaddle, side, ssshhhhh, swing, suck.

At this station, it was our important duty to master the swaddling technique then continue with the rest of the four s's to ensure the plastic babies were as calm as possible before they were stowed away back in their plastic crates for the next class of soon-to-bes.

I felt my swaddling abilities were excellent (or will get there, in time), but I didn't display my pride in wrap-man-ship quite as proudly as Chris. Though, I will say, my technique in cradling the baby in a swinging motion was much better than his...

Certainly we both have much to learn (really, we already thoroughly understand that plastic babies' heads are not nearly as gripable as those of our plastic victims from last night) - and those lessons will come with practice, laughs, hope, luck, probably some frustration - but mostly, with love. And we can't wait!