I'm sitting here on the toilet (the lid is down). At my feet Zoe is curled up on the bathmat with her favorite toy. Beside me, Zach is administering a bath to Adeline. He is naked, with water level to his hip, and Adeline floats like a baby otter facing him. The back of her head is cupped by the large arches of his feet.
This is how we've washed her for most of her life. Besides one time in the kitchen sink, she's always free-bathed (yes, I just invented that); no plastic baby-centric vessel for her. It fell under our "superfluous baby crap evil corporations convince us we need" list. Not that we probably couldn't have used it, as doing it OUR way led to various challenges: her writhing around and trying to drown herself, Zach's thighs and nether regions perpetually under attack by her rapid Chung-Lee kicks and razor-sharp nails (thus, the title), the threat of Zoe leaping into the tub to join in the festivities (she just wants to be with her peeps, guys!).
But none of that matters...
Zach gets home from work around 7:00-7:30 each night, which leaves precious little time to spend with Addie. Bathtime has thus been his domain from its inception, and he does a great job of wrangling her slippery seal body and cleaning the "cheese" out from the deep folds under her chin. And it's so damn cute to watch them:
Notice the Beast's death-gaze? That's her "goddamn it woman, you forgot to feed me again this morning and if you don't fill my bowl I will EAT YOUR FACE." -look.
He's singing Don Quixote to her. How can you not fall in love with a man who sings Don Quixote to your child while cleaning her bottom?
Of course, I have sweet memories of bathtime myself...
Japanese tubs are where it's at! (and is it just me, or do you see
a resemblance between Addie and Boo in this photo?)
What are your fondest bathtime memories?
1 comment:
Thanks for including a shot of me for posterity! One of my favorite photos. Aoi can't believe how tiny our o-furo was back then, though! The one in her studio apt. in Tokyo was bigger.
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