My Life Revolves Around Poop

So the past few days I have been on patrol - poop patrol, that is. Who knew that the bowl movements of a baby would take up some many places in my life... disgust, worry, relief, inspection, wipe quality, diaper quality... the list goes on. For the first month of Jon Jon's life, he was on breast milk - which if you don't know, produces a LOT of poop. Like 8 poops a day. I can remember it being 3am and Big Jon would have just changed Little Jon's diaper and carefully placed him back in his bassinet, and then we would hear it - bbbllpptt - a nice big poop in his nice clean diaper - and we would lay there and laugh. You have to laugh really, other wise you'd go insane. And then the cycle would start again.

Then we switched Jon Jon to formula and the "production line" was scaled back to a very manageable once a day. Consistently stinky, and mustardy, and I thought we had everything under control. Then we had to switch Jon Jon into the next diaper size - and apparently I had bought the twice bigger size, because the poop was no longer being contained! It was going up the back, out the legs and everywhere it shouldn't be. I even had to break out the scissors and cut him out of a couple onsies as to not have to drag his big beautiful head through it! I went and purchsed the correct size diapers, and once more, we were under control.

This past week we started Jon Jon on solids - in the form of rice cereal. He was thrilled. Happily opening up his perfect little mouth and slurping up the cereal with great delight in his new experience. We fed him cereal once a day, each time his spoon skills improving greatly and more cereal making its way in his mouth and not just on his bib. And then I noticed... Where did the poop go?? When was the last time he went? 3 days ago!! So apparently, cereal has a "binding" effect and his system was having a little trouble adjusting. I called the DR to ask for advice - just keep going is what he said, Jon Jon will adjust. My Mom Group friends gave lots of great advice - prune juice, oatmeal, vegetables.

So I went to the store to pick up some juice and oatmeal, like a good mom concerned about my little guys production back-up. And wouldn't you know, as soon as we got home - bbbllpptt!!! Well I was so happy and relieved over Jon Jon's relief, I emailed Big Jon, then emailed my Mom Group - who all said "Yay for Poop" (this is why you need a Mommy group - who else will yay for poop? ) I am pretty sure Jon Jon smiled too as he was doing it :)

I never knew how important poop would be... but really when you think about it, it's one of the biggest ways babies can communicate their digestive situation: no mom, I did not like the pureed prunes, or too much rice cereal makes me grumpy. He can't go to the medicine cabinet to pop some Tums. He relies on me to "read" his poop. Kind of like that gypsy lady reads tea leaves, Moms read poop. So, Yay for moms and their babies' poop all over the world! May your days be diaper filled!