A little about Parenting Fail

Being a parent is sure enough to guarantee you at the top of the FAIL list. It seems like at least once a week I am doing something that makes me say “That was a Parenting Fail!” in my head. Sometimes I say it out loud and Z just smiles at me.

It’s not as if I am doing anything horrible like throwing a plugged in hair dryer into her bath water, dropping her on her head (It’s ok if it’s only done once, right Hollie? ;) or leaving her unattended in a hot vehicle with the windows rolled up. But the little things. The things that are so miniscule that you can’t even believe you’ve done it. And even if they aren’t life threatening or life changing, they are Fails nonetheless.

The other day I was rubbing baby lotion on Z’s face because she has some pretty patchy dry skin. And I squirted a dab of lotion onto my finger and started rubbing it on her forehead. And there was way too much. And I think I got some in her eye. She didn’t cry and her eye is ok but I saw it on her eye. And I freaked out a bit. But the thing is, it took me FAILING as a parent to realize that the smart way to lotion up my baby is to rub it into my hands and THEN wipe her face gently with my hands. Duh?

So then I was changing Z’s diaper and she is laying on the changing table (yes I actually use the changing table for 100% of all diaper changes! One of the BEST investments we made!) and she starts to spit up a little bit and in fear of her getting it onto her clothes and changing pad, I grab the nearest thing I can reach and wipe her face. But uh.. hello.. I grabbed the already soaked-in-pee cloth diaper! Oops.. I totally just wiped my baby’s face with a pee soaked cloth diaper. So what is worse, spit up on ITEMS THAT ARE 100% WASHABLE or PEE FACE?!?! Fail. Fail. FAIL FAIL FAIL! And I can’t even blame this particular fail on sleep deprivation because my little princess is letting mommy get a good 8 hours of sleep per night and she is sleeping an average of 11 hours herself.

Those are just two parenting fail examples and I’m sure there are many more to come. Which is why I’m creating a Parenting Fail category on here. And to add to my Fail list, I’d also like to mention how I have been doing an AWFUL job of keeping up with her milestones and writing about her on here. Or in her baby book. It’s awful and makes me feel horrible! With Grandpa’s death we have been really, really busy and I just haven’t had time. I think I only took ONE picture of her in her 13th week of life. Oops.

One last thing.. This week Z is starting to really hold her head up VERY well. I am able to support her waist with my hands and sit her on my lap and she will just look around and hold herself up really well. I am so proud of her! It’s really fun to sit her up like that and watch her look around and laugh and play with me. This parenting thing is funny and confusing and awesome and What The Heck Do We Do Now? all rolled into an adorably poopy package. I’ve told myself and Gene that we can’t have any more babies until this one is paid off, hah, which will be approximately 2 years. I want my children to be about 2-3 years apart in age. And yes I want more than one child. Actually, I am completely enamored with Z and I would get pregnant right this second if it was logical and if I could afford it. But for now we’ll wait and enjoy our little peanut as she grows without any distractions.