Yes, Afton, yes I do.
Since I am the youngest in my family, I never had to take care of younger siblings. I don't know how to take care of children under 19-years old. Children are a foreign concept to me, so the few times I have been asked to babysit, I have no clue what I am doing.
That was the case Tuesday night when both Tony and Heather had church responsibilities and asked me to watch Afton and Ainsley. When I arrived at their house, Heather gave me a brief run down of what to do.
First, we used cookies cutters to cut jello into cool shapes to eat. By the time I got the jello pieces to the plates, they looked nothing like the design of the cookie cutter.
Second, was bath time for the girls. Afterward we sat in the hallway, Ainsley on my lap looking at a book while I was blow drying Afton dry (she didn't want to use the towel I gave her).
Third, was pajama time. I got Ainsley's diaper on, but it kind of looked funny to me. I realized it was on backwards. Then I had trouble getting her PJs on. We somehow figured it out (good thing she is flexible).
Fourth, was bedtime. Ainsley did not want to sleep. After 10 minutes of crying and my guilt increasing exponentially by the minute, I went and checked on her. Once I opened the door, I was almost knocked off my feet! It was the worst smell an inexperienced uncle could smell.....a DIRTY diaper!
I recently made a bucket list of things I would like to accomplish and/or experience before I die. Changing dirty diapers, for some reason, did not make it on that list. I thought to myself, "I should have brought nose plugs and rubber gloves!"
Very clumsily I took off the old diaper trying not to gag, and with several wipes, began to clean. When Ainsley was clean, I then reached for another diaper when Afton said, "No Uncle Jonah, those are the daytime diapers!" She gave me a look like, "Duh, Uncle Jonah."
What!? Daytime diapers!? I had no clue there was such a thing as a daytime and nighttime diaper. I thought diapers where just diapers. I don't have daytime and nighttime underwear. It's all the same!
Puzzled, I began to look at the piles of diapers wondering how I was supposed to know which ones were daytime and which ones were nighttime diapers. That's when Afton said, "Do you need help, Uncle Jonah?"
Yes, Afton, yes I do. I need a lot of help, especially with foreign concepts like children.
I definitely didn't follow the schedule perfectly, but I still count it as a success, because no one died---not the girls or me.
The one peaceful part of the night was when Ainsley fell asleep in my arms, because she wouldn't fall asleep in her crib. For a small moment I thought I could have kids....just a SMALL moment!
My decision to move to Salt Lake City has been the best decision that I have made. Everything in my life---school, work, my internship, and social life---are going so well, and I am grateful for that. I have had a blast and I have learned so much---including how to change a dirty diaper.
