A Mama's Got To Do What A Mama's Got To Do!

So Nina has been having a bunch of accidents (#1) this week. As such, I have been trying to convince her to wear pull-ups, but each time I suggest doing so she immediately starts sobbing, saying that she's not a baby and doesn't want to wear one! Of course, my heart breaks that she feels bad about herself so I don't insist any further.

Well...last night Nina went to bed around 7:30pm. Half an hour later she woke up whimpering because she had wet the bed. She was so embarrassed!!! She kept apologizing, almost entirely avoiding eye contact. I hugged her and told her it wasn't a big deal. We tore the sheets off the bed for the umpteenth time and got her cleaned up. Then I suggested a pull-up again. Consistent with previous occasions, she started to cry, "But I'm not a baby!" I looked at her sweet, fat face. She was right, she wasn't a baby. She just fely bad about herself! She hadn't had an accident in years and now was having multiple ones each day!! My poor baby girl. She didn't feel good, her face and body were changing because of the medication, she couldn't go to school because she spent almost the entire day in treatment, and now she was wetting herself! Life was not fair!!! Then the light bulb came on!

The light bulb in Rosy's brain isn't always on...in fact it is off way more than it is on...but when it does flicker on it can produce some pretty good wattage. So...as I stood starring at the cherub face of my humiliated daughter, the solution dawned on me.....I turned to Nina and said, "Nina you're not a baby. Accidents happen all the time. Wearing a pull-up doesn't make you a baby it just makes it easier to clean up. Grown-ups wear pull-ups all the time. Look...I'll wear one too!!" As soon as I said the words, she turned her gorgeous face toward me and flashed me the most perfect of smiles!!! She then lay back on the bed and let me put on her pull-up. I finished getting her jammies on and then excused myself for a minute.

When I returned, Nina was sitting in the middle of the bed and I....I was wearing a pull-up!!!! When I walked in she took one look at me and burst into hysterics! She laughed so hard that she toppled over, falling onto the mound of pillows next to her. She couldn't even say a word she was laughing so hard!! I did a mini-pirouette so she could see I was wearing my very own pair of princess pull-ups!! I jumped onto the bed next to her and grabbed her laughing body. I hugged her tightly and told her that whenever she had to wear a pull-up that I would wear one too!!! I kissed her and tucked her in. She closed her eyes, a large smile still on her face, and went to sleep.

I then composed myself as best as I could and marched upstairs. When Teddy saw me in pull-ups he did NOT burst into hysterics. On the contrary, he looked at me completely mortified and said, "Why in the world are you wearing those??? Take them off immediately!" When I explained the situation to him, he nodded approvingly (albeit with still a hint of total bafflement and sprinkle of disgust) and said, "I gotta go to bed!" Off to bed he went, which left Todd just laughing, shaking his head in disbelief and slight horror. Why my husband didn't find the sight of me in pull-ups attractive is still a quandary for me! Men! I bet when he's 90 and I'm 80 he might change his mind :)

I put my jammies on and proceeded to go downstairs. Each step I took produced a very awkward "scrunch" sound. I laughed at my own insanity and then I recalled reading a chapter in Jay Mohr's book, No Wonder My Parents Drank, back in June where he had described the hilarity of he and his wife trying on adult diapers in an effort to understand why his son refused to potty train. I remember laughing hysterically as he described this scene but more importantly I remember thinking, "Who would do such a thing?" Well...as it turns out....I would!!! I proudly marched downstairs! I had told myself weeks ago that I would do whatever it took to support Nina through this ordeal!! Tonight it meant wearing pull-ups!! Bring it on!

I climbed into bed next to Nina and proceeded to text my friends about my latest adventure. All of the sudden, all of my friends had turned into comedians!!! For about an hour I got an onslaught of one-liners and wise-crack remarks!!! Here are a few of my favorite:

1. Well... we all knew that Nina could always "Depend" on you!

2. I hope you don't wake up in a puddle!

3. Just let me know if you need a "huggie". Or if you could use a little "pampering"!

4. Uh-oh time to change you!

5. Bandura would call that social learning theory. You're the best mom ever!

6. Hey if that astronaut can wear one for a week, so can you. Granted she was crazy, but....

7. Does it make squishy sounds when you walk?

8. You might start a trend!

9. Can we have a picture?

10. Come on...send us a photo! We promise to delete it!

What comedians!!! And sickos with the photo requests!!! Apparently all of my friends want to see me behind bars for indecent texting! What kind of company am I keeping :)

All I know is that I love both of my children with every fiber of my being. I would do anything for them. I would give my life for Nina's in an instant. Since apparently God isn't quite giving me an answer to that request as of yet, the least I can do is try to minimize Nina's personal discomfort and even shame. There is no way my precious daughter should feel ashamed for having potty accidents. It is not her fault...none of this is! If I can do something completely insane to make her feel better then I will gladly do it!!

After my SNL buddies quit sending me funny texts, I kissed my sweet angel and crawled into bed. Truth be told...pull-ups are pretty comfy!