Christmas Quick Change

It's the holidays! I love this time of year and always look forward to it, but somehow no matter how cozy, comfy, romantic, fluffy-snow-filled or completely organized my dreams are, I always end up running around like a Christmas goose with its head cut off. This year, we're not traveling, so that lessens the stress load a bit. However, my husband has been working 60 hour weeks (Mon-Sat) and we only have one car. I know, I know, but we're trying to keep our carbon foot print small, here people.

All this led to us shoving breakfast in our faces, last Sunday morning, throwing clothes on and packing the kids in the car. We dropped Beck over at our/his best friend's house so they could make some salt dough ornaments and he could be entertained while we shopped for his gifts. We kept Marlowe, my little nursling, with us, since she's too young to know who Santa is anyway.

I like to do a lot of my shopping at local stores and businesses and I had five stops on our list. Looking back, it may have been a little ambitious since they were all over town and we had to take M in and out of her car seat every time, but I wouldn't have a car available to me during the day for a whole week, so I felt we needed to accomplish much.

At our first stop I got a quarter of our list knocked out, a stocking for Marlowe, and the top secret Santa wrapping paper that is required to perpetuate the magical ruse. I was feeling good.

We hopped back in the car and jetted off to our next destination. That's when I heard it. A noise coming from the nether regions of Marlowe's car seat that indicated we were going to need to make an emergency, unplanned diaper change stop. Knowing the next boutique shop on our list wouldn't have a changing station I mentally tried to rearrange our schedule. And then....panic. I had a flashback to the night before when I had taken the last diaper out of the diaper bag because Beck had just fallen asleep and I didn't want to wake him. I hadn't replaced it. Nooooooooooo!

I had to think quickly. I told my husband to make a left and swing into the CVS parking lot. Marlowe was already getting fussy about her uncomfortable situation. We pulled into a parking space and Hillary jumped out of the car. It wasn't our normal CVS, but I knew it would have want we needed. Hill was out of the car to grab a pack of Pampers Baby Dry and a new pack of Pampers wipes, because we usually buy them together. I yelled, "get her threes," because her little baby booty crack was hanging out of her size twos.

I always go with the Baby Dry because Beck was a heavy night wetter, due to his heavy night nursing, and we've never had a leak issue, so I just started buying them for Marlowe too, why mess with a good thing?

Changing kids on the go is always a bit of a hassle, but I have it down to a science by now. Our car has a front seat that folds flat, with a hard back that works perfectly as a changing spot. I will opt for the in-car option as much as possible, because public changing stations skeeve me out and my kids always feel like they are going to fall off them...I think it's something about the wall mount. A floating changing table just doesn't give a kid confidence.

While waiting for Hillary to return with our Pampers, I laid out the changing mat, pulled out the wipes and unbuckled the baby. Just laying her in the familiar place where she so often gets her diaper changed instantly changed her mood.

Hillary trotted back out with our Pampers, the predicted wipes and a candy bar for each of us. The diaper was changed, the shopping recommenced and we even had time for a quick bit to eat, Marlowe included, before we picked Beckett up just in time for a nap. Holiday disaster averted.


I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.