Just like college!
I was getting ready for bed a couple of days ago, and I noticed something that I hadn’t seen in a long time. In fact, not since I graduated from college.
Red streaks on my shoulder. Slight surface bruising from carrying a weighty object slung from my shoulder. In my college days, I had these on a regular basis, thanks to heavy textbooks and various other bits and pieces I needed to carry around in my dark blue Eddie Bauer waterproof backpack. So, what could possibly be that heavy that I have to carry around now?
The kids’ diaper bag.
When I was pregnant with the Munchkin, we received the diaper bag that we had registered for. It was a nice large one that came with a changing pad. But we ended up using the free one that we had gotten at my doctor’s office, simply because we didn’t have a need for the bigger one. I did use it for packing the Munchkin’s clothes and tolietries when we went on overnight trips, but we never used it on a day-to-day basis.
That is, until Baby Boy arrived.
It made no sense to carry two diaper bags, so the big one became the everyday default bag. And it is packed to the gills, prepared for nearly every emergency. When we go to church and the kids are not together, we do take a very small bag with a few disposable diapers for the Munchkin that stays with her in the nursery. But any other time, the one bag holds everything.
Spare diaper pants, one for each child. Two spare onesies for Baby Boy. A spare onesie and a spare T-shirt for the Munchkin. Diapers for each kid – when we leave the house, at least 5 apiece. Emergency disposables for the Munchkin. A&D Ointment. Lanolin and extra breast pads for me. Spare receiving blanket for Baby Boy. Extra socks for Baby Boy. Spare sleeper and bib for Baby Boy. Bib for the Munchkin. Pacifier. Comb. Baby shampoo (travel size), baby lotion (travel size), baby powder (travel size), Vaseline, spare diaper pins, and travel kleenex. Changing pad. Baby wipes in travel container. Animal Crackers (the circus ones in a box, an emergency treat/snack for the Munchkin). Plastic bags to hold soiled diapers.
We do not travel light, but we have needed all of these things over the many months that we have had a baby, and then two, to care for at one point or another. “Be prepared” is one of our many mottos around this house. So it is no wonder that I’m getting those same old bruises back on my shoulder again.
And the ultimate irony is that the diaper bag is Eddie Bauer, too.
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