Wednesday, April 24, 2013

What's That Smell?

The baby and I were at the WIC office* today, surrounded by children from nine days to four years old. I sat near the back of the room to fill out some forms and sniffed the air. I'm sure the look on my face was unpleasant, assaulted by a smell similar to when the farmers back home were spreading  fertilizer on their crops.

My first reaction, of course, was to pick up my child and make sure she didn't smell like that.

It wasn't her, which meant it was probably the small three year old (or so) behind me. Okay, well, at least it wasn't my baby, and the smell may have been putrid but I figured that once I turned in the forms I could move without seeming too rude.

I turned in the form and moved to the front of the room where all the toys were and children were playing, letting Little Miss Sleepy** watch the other children romp about. She made new friends, smiling while the children babbled at her and waving at them too. It was cute.

But that smell.

It was worse than fertilizer. I felt as though I was back in my teen years, literally shoveling horse (swear word redacted) with my father into the back of a borrowed pick-up truck, knee deep in the stuff so that I could get to the older "better" (my father assured me) stuff. I vaguely remember that he wasn't getting the stuff in the back but maybe I'm wrong.

Is it going to be like this for the next four or five years? Surrounded by other children? Smelling that smell? Will I ever get used to it? Will I become so blase about it that I'll allow my little girl to run around with fertilizer in her diaper, not even caring to change it?

Because now, almost 9 months into it, let me say simply that I'm not there yet. Not yet. Hopefully not ever.

Because...ew.

*Yes, I am applying for assistance to make sure that we have all the food that we need for the little one. I am not ashamed of this.

**She was adorably trying to stay awake throughout the entire appointment, cute and smiley but with a thousand-yard stare.

3 comments:

  1. I'd SO rather help pay for your food with my taxes than for a bomber or a freeway. Please don't hesitate!

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  2. http://veryfunnypics.eu/2012/10/30/gotta-love-kids/

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  3. Yes, that is why I love EC (elimination communication). Starting at 5 weeks, I have only had nasty diapers a handful of times since then!!! And they always came off almost immediately! Flushing baby-poo without having to look at it or touch it or touch near it is immensely satisfying (and the smell is almost immediately flushed away too!), even if EC takes a bit of work.

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