A little bundle

Last weekend we had the privilege of a bundle of joy come to us. Out next door neighbors wanted to do something for themselves for their wedding anniversary and for one day and night and asked if we would take care of there 3 month old baby girl. Her name is Rhetta Gene.

Rhetta Gene came to the house around 10:00 am Saturday morning. OK so I know I'm not a dad but I have nieces and nephews and they were once that age and I thought I did a great job helping out taking care of them when they needed it . I thought ok Gary, you have done this before , should be a piece of cake. Heather picked her up from her carrier and Rhetta was smiling and cooing and I came over and to say hi and when Rhetta saw me her blue eyes got very big and started to water up, her bottom lip started to quiver and she let out this blood curdling scream. From the sound that came out of that little body she seemed to have fully grown set of adult lungs. I still bucked up and continued to be bound and determined to have some sort of bond with this little baby.

Heather and Rhetta bonded and had a good time. (of course Heather babysits our neighbors kids often)

as the night moved on Rhetta was fed and burped and fell asleep. Rhetta is a pretty good baby, she doesn't cry constantly unless its the usual, Being hungry uncomfortable sick etc, or even the dreaded terrible awful nasty thing that makes you want to gag, the dirty diaper. ewwwww

Rhetta went to sleep, and she slept for quite sometime to. Heather got a call from her friend and they went out for a bit. I sat at the computer and the baby was next to me fast asleep.

as the night went on she was still sleeping like a little angel. but it was quiet too quiet. then it happened . I started to hear a very familiar sound. Remember when I said she seemed to have lungs like an adult? Well this little girl could sure pass gas like one to. She was farting up a storm, wow I was hearing noises coming from that baby, I looked down at her and she was still asleep and was seemed to have a little contented grin on her cute little face. I chuckled a little bit and still kept working on the computer. then I heard her squirming and looked as she woke up. Ok, this is it Yellow alert. I had a bottle in hand ready go.

I bent down and picked her up and to my surprise she didn't cry, in fact she smiled at me. I was smitten. I held her in my arm and began to feed her. She was hungry.

So here I was at my computer desk baby in one arm with my head propped in a way that I could hold her bottle with my chin while my other hand was on the mouse going to the places on the web I needed to go. I was quite proud of my self. I was handling things pretty good. I lifted her up and put her up to my shoulder to burp her again I heard noises that sounded more adult then baby when she burped. And then it happened. the thing I was dreading. at first the smell came. I had forgotten what that smell was like and the farts began to sound like they were a little bit wet. ewwwwwww. Ok Gary, you better check. So I checked the diaper, My eyes began to water and my bottom lip began to quiver. Now I knew then why she smiled at me when I picked her up. ha ha ha look what I have for you old man . the situation was getting dire and Heather was still gone.

It was time. RED ALERT. I set her down and put on my bomb squad gear, undressed the child and took off the diaper. At that moment I was very grateful the diaper had that elastic around the legs because what was in there was sure to squish out. It seemed like time stood still at that moment I sat there wondering how could something so much come out of a little thing like that . I went to clean her up, wiping away my watery eyes with a sock wrapped around my nose and gloves on. (part of the bomb squad gear) I folded up the diaper and put on a new one. I grabbed the dirty diaper and got rid of it as fast as I could.

After that little ordeal Heather came home and fed her a little.

it was getting late and we were no used to having a baby in the home. it was time to go to bed but Rhetta was wide awake and even when we put her in the carrier she would begin to cry. We though we could take shifts and one of us would go sleep while the other would watch her. Every coo and goo goo that came from Rhetta Heather would shoot out from the bed room and say whats wrong. Heather went back to bed. It was getting later and later and Rhetta was still wide a wake. Heather came back out and said I was over tired and that she would take over. I decided to let Heather go back to sleep since she was tired to. I stayed with this little girl.

it came up to 2 am and I had her in my arms rocking her back and forth in my chair. I was bound and determined to have her go to sleep.

I walked the streets of Queens and Brooklyn New York. I was mugged and shot at. I was there when the World Trade Center was bombed the first time. I stood up to guys twice my size ridiculing me because I was white . If I could do these things I could make this child fall asleep.

At 4:30 am, mountain time. Heather was asleep and so did Rhetta.

The next morning Rhetta's parents came home and her mom came and to pick her up. Heather gave her to her mom and I came around to say goodbye. instead of crying when she saw me Rhetta smiled and giggled. it was very cool. I think we had bonded.