24 Hour Challenge

Some of you that read my blog regularly have already read this story on Facebook. I am re-posting for those who haven't. It is a rather long post, but there is a lot of dialog bits that make it APPEAR to be longer to read than it actually is. Enjoy!

So, as some of you know, my husband foolishy basically said that taking care of a baby was work, but not HARD work. He thought the house should be cleaner and supper cooked every night because I get breaks when the baby is sleeping.

After a huge fight, I calmed down and spoke to my dear husband about his ignorance and insensitivity. Then, I challenged him. I told him that he had 24 hours with the baby where he had to do all the feedings, entertaining, diaper changes, housework, cooking, etc. etc. His shift began Saturday at midnight and wasn't supposed to end until Sunday at midnight. He accepted my challenge.

I would like to preface this by saying he did do very well, better than I thought he would, but there were a few, shall we say, "mishaps".

Shane woke up for the 4:30 feeding, and it was then that I learned how soundly you can sleep when you know you don't have to take care of a baby. So I'll cut him some slack in that area from now on.

He did, however, wake me up everytime the baby was crying and said, "Does he need to be fed now? Really? Already?" so I didn't exactly get uninterrupted sleep. In the meantime, I was starting to come down with something, although I wasn't quite sure at that point what exactly I was coming down with.

Morning came and all was well. Shane started cleaning the house. I took the time to point out to him that normally he is gone to work and there is no one around to hold the baby when I'm home so really at that point I wouldn't be doing housework. This irritated him and he messed the bed up and then asked me when I would be going out so he could run the day "like I would".

I called my friends up and made a lunch date with them at the mall. I was about to jump in the shower when the baby woke up screaming for food. There was no formula made. I saw Shane take it out earlier and I almost made it myself; but, I stopped, dropped the can opener on the counter and went about my business. I knew we had one ready-to-feed can left, so I wasn't putting my pumpkin in any hunger pain danger; after all, Shane said he could do everything himself!

So the baby is screaming for food and Shane runs to the kitchen to boil water to make formula. This is the conversation that ensued:

Me: "You can't feed him that."

Him: "Why not?"

Me: "It will be too hot.

Him: "Really? Won't the room temperature can cool it off?"

Me: "Umm, no."

Him: "Oh. What do I do??"

Me: "There's one ready to feed can left, you can use that."

I proceed to the shower as Noah's screams get louder. The next thing I hear is Shane running by the bathroom with Noah. Yes, running.

So I hollered out, "SHANE, don't run with the baby." I faintly hear him put the bottle in the microwave to warm it up and Noah's screams at this point, are getting even louder and more insistent.

I holler out again, "Don't leave that bottle in there too long...it was already room temperature and it will get too hot."

I hear him utter a curse as he runs by the bathroom again and grabs the bottle out of the microwave. I just laughed and laughed.

I get out of the shower and then ask him "Did you remember to give the baby his medicine?"

"Oh yah, right," he says as he makes his way back to the kitchen.

At 12:30, I'm ready to go, but at this point, I'm feeling sicker than I did a few hours earlier. I went anyway. I had a nice lunch with my friends and then did some shopping.

Around 4, I call Shane, but I thought it was 5. I wanted him to come get me when the baby was up and fed, but he told me the time and I was like, "Crap, what do I do for then next 1.5 hours?" Normally, I would be like, "SHOPPING, WOOHOO!" but I was feeling even worse. I hung up, made it as far as the next mall bench and called home again.

"You better come get me now. I am out of it and really need to go to the doctor," I said weakly.

Shortly thereafter, we're on our way to the hospital and Shane dropped me off as it was close to Noah's feeding time again. A few hours and a prescription later, I'm on my way home. I was SO FREAKIN' SICK. Seriously, I felt worse that day than I did after giving birth. I got home and buried myself under the blankets. Shane had to go pick up my prescription and head to the grocery store and I said to him, "I cannot tend to him if he cries. I really can't move, can you take him with you?"

This of course was not a problem for him. It was quite apparent how sick I was and Shane does an excellent job of taking care of me when I'm sick. I may complain about him--alot--but, I really do have an excellent man. But that is not the point of this post...this post is about the 24 Hour Challenge, there will be plenty of posts (maybe) that highlight all his endearing qualities (maybe).

Shane arrived home and woke me up to feed me some chicken soup while he ate a delicious looking steak. I say this not because I was jealous, but because just as he was finishing cooking it, the baby woke up again announcing he was hungry.

So Shane runs to the back porch to get his steak off the bbq, and the formula heated up. He props up the baby and gives him maybe an ounce and decides he needs to eat some steak. Noah starts screaming in protest and I said, "Unfortunately, you're going to have to feed him first. He doesn't understand you are hungry, he only knows that he is hungry."

I finish my soup and quickly check my email/facebook before heading back to bed. Then I hear...

"AUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!! THE BABY IS POOPING ON ME! HE POOPED ON ME!! BABY, HELP ME! HE POOPED ON ME!! IT'S OOZING OUT THE SIDES!!"


Me: "What do you want me to do about it???"

Him: "Come and get him!"

Me: "Well no one was here to come get him when he did it to me!"

Him: "YOU'RE SO MEAN! Well, I lost my appetite for a while."

I went back to bed and Shane had no choice but to clean up the poop.

I slept until midnight, and at that point, my fever finally broke. Unfortunately, Shane's shift could not be over. I needed my rest so he took all of the night feedings.

By the morning, I was feeling much better. I was still worried that I would pass my flu on to the baby, but I was feeling well enough to care for him at least. Around 8:30 the baby was screaming bloody murder and Shane couldn't calm him down.

Me: Is he hungry?

Him: "He can't be hungry, he just ate."

Me: "Oh. When?"

Him: "I don't remember exactly, but it was recently."

Me: "Oh, well maybe he just misses his Mommy," and I took him in my arms but the crying did not stop despite my best efforts.

I then looked around the room and saw two bottles that weren't quite all eaten and I asked, "When was this bottle given to him?" pointing to the arm of the couch.

Him: "At midnight."

Me: "Ok, when was this one given to him?" pointing to the coffee table.

Him: "Ummm....4:30...(a dawn of realization coming over him) ohhhhh...OHHHHHHHH, HE'S HUNGRY! Man, I swear it feels like he JUST ATE."

ME: He hasn't eaten since 4:30!! Poor guy!!"

I then look around the house. MESS EVERYWHERE. It was clean when I left for lunch the day before, he had done an excellent job of tidying up. However, the kitchen was now piled high with dishes, the previous night's supper dishes were on the table, dirty diapers left on the floor, the bedroom was a mess, etc etc.

I said, "Soooooo the house is a mess. Why is last night's supper on the table??" (I asked this because a statement involving that question was made that had started the whole argument, so I had to fling that statement back at him.)

Sheepishly he smiles and looks at me. He had to admit defeat.

Me: "Not so easy is it?? And you only had to do it for a DAY."

Him: "Well, more than a day, because you got sick. So 24 hours and then some."

Me: "Yah, ok. I know, and thanks, you really helped me get better faster by taking the night shift so I could go to bed."

Him: "YOU'RE GOING TO BACK TO BED????"


Me: "AHAHAHAHAHA. No that's not what I said, but now you see how annoying it is when you are taking care of a baby non stop and "SOMEONE" decides "THEY" need rest. So, do you admit it? Do you? Do you see how hard it is??? Look how fast this house gets out of hand in ONE day."

Him: "YES, I admit it. It's a job with no breaks. At least I get a break from my job. Man, every three hours he needs to be fed and that's not counting the times he needs to be changed, entertained, and soothed in between."

Me: (smugly) MMMM HMMMMMM.

I'd say that was a lesson well learned. I truly believe he will not forget it and I've noticed him being more helpful. Thank God I have a husband who wants to prove me wrong and that I am bold enough to take him on.

That afternoon I snapped this picture of Noah smiling up at his Dad. I will always remember this picture because at the end of the day, the house can be a wreck with a list of things left to get done, but a smiling and happy baby is all that really matters.