Baby Baths

I have realized, once again how different I am than all my "friends" out here in Maryland. I always just said it was because I was younger then them. That one day I would catch up to the marriage crazy or now, the baby fandom. But I just don't see how that will ever happen. I cannot turn into these people! I believe I have too much common sense.

So yesterday I was with certain friends and their 3 month old was scheduled to have a bath. Mother took forever to get everything ready. A bedtime outfit, new diaper, towel, baby tub in the big tub, wash cloth, the space heater to keep the bath room nice and cozy. Yes, that's right, when the kid gets a bath, they turn on a space heater in the bath room. Now, I guess this makes some sense if there's a blizzard outside and you don't want to turn up the heat in your entire house, but when it's 75 outside and the place is warm?! The kid will do fine in the bathtub without a space heater. Seriously. Now, maybe she took so much time getting ready because I was holding the baby and she didn't feel like she had to rush. But really, it shouldn't be so hard just to give the kid a bath.

I also learned in this adventure that mom had never given baby a bath alone, dad had always been there to help. And she was a little freaked out. And that many books were read in order to learn how to properly bath a baby.

I guess I was just given a great benefit in having little brothers because not knowing how to bath a baby seems so ridiculous to me. I just don't understand it. I try to tell myself this person is a new mom and has never been around babies, but the worrying and all the reading and the calculating of feedings and everything just drove me nuts. In my mind motherhood does not have to be so stressful.

She of course just thinks I am naïve and once I actually become a mom I will be just as crazy. But please, god, let me stay my normal self even when I have a child!