Moments That Make You A Mother

So Monday was the big dog fight and probably one of my lowest moments in my motherhood journey.

But as I posted later in the week, things started turning around shortly after that. I knew that I had turned a corner when the following happened.

On Thursday, I was invited to come to lunch at a meeting that my workgroup was having. The district that I work in covers from California to Alaska and Montana, too. Despite the large geography, we get together fairly often for sales meetings. This meeting was scheduled to be in Seattle, which I live about a half hour from. My boss e-mailed me and asked me if I wanted to come show off Will.

Show off my son? Of course!

I was a little stressed about the idea, however. You know how it is in front of work people. I wasn't about to show up looking post-partumish in my usual uniform of maternity jeans which are now way too big and any sort of top that zips or buttons up. I also wanted Will to be looking his best, too. I had one outfit that I hadn't had him wear yet, so I decided to save that for the occasion. After scouring my own selection of clothes, I managed to find a shirt and pants that somewhat fit, if I sucked in my gut and didn't eat any lunch!

On Thursday morning, I was all organized. I left the house way earlier than I needed to, counting for traffic or parking delays. I wanted to get parked and feed him in the parking lot - I wasn't about to pop a boob out in front of the team, Hooter Hider or not!

I am glad that I planned on the unexpected. First off, it was raining, so there was a bit of traffic heading into the city. Secondly, the hotel parking lot was full. Luckily, the lot attendant felt sorry for me when I explained that I had a newborn with me and let me circle until I found a spot.

Finally, I settled down to feed Will who had been sleeping on the way down. Since I had woken him to feed, he wasn't that into it. I knew that a diaper chance would rectify that. As I was taking his diaper off, I realized that I only had the cheap diapers in the diaper bag and that he was wearing a barely wet expensive diaper. I almost left him in the expensive diaper, but figured that I wanted him smelling as fresh as possible when I introduced him to my workgroup.

I put some sweet smelling baby lotion on him, adjusted his too-cute-for-words outfit, and admired how adorable he looked and clean he smelled. I took him back up front to finish feeding him. It was about ten minutes into the second breast when he let out what I thought was a huge fart. It rumbled through the diaper and made me laugh. He then kept "tooting" away as I finished feeding him. I noticed that he now smelled poopy, and I decided to change him again. I took him back to the rear of the car and pulled down his pants to reveal. . .

Major. Blowout. Huge.

He has never had a blowout like his. Not even close. I blame the cheap diapers. And the fates.

He was covered, from tushy to neck. His cute outfit was ruined.

Here I was, in a parking garage, with no really good way to clean him completely. I stripped him down, used a truckload of baby wipes to try and get him clean, and then smeared more baby lotion on him. I put him in a new not-nearly-so-cute outfit.

I looked down at my son and realized that he was just as adorable, no matter what he was wearing. And I realized that his timing was impeccable. I could either cry about the ruined outfit, the fact that I was now running late for lunch, and that my own dry-clean only shirt had some suspicious brown smudges on it.

Or I could laugh. Which I what I chose to do.

It's moments like these that make you really feel like a mother.