Grease Him Up

While at my sons four month check up, I mentioned to the doctor that he tends to have an on again, off again rash. I felt it might just be dry skin and she agreed. My biggest worry was his face because that is the most visible nod I had read that you should not put the Johnson & Johnson lotions (aka baby cologne in our house) on a baby's face. Our doctor said that when her children were young she would just take Aquaphor at night, grease them up and slide them in to their pajamas. I have never used Aquaphor before, so I thought this meant that our doctor would put a whole lot of lotion on. She also suggested Cetaphil and Aveeno for babies for during the day.

So, I stopped by Walgreens on the way home and picked up one of each. That night, I changed Joseph's diaper and before putting on his pajama's opened up the Aquaphor. I laughed! It was thick like Vick's Vaporrub. I put some on my fingers and yes, it had the same consistency. "Well", I thought, "here we go." The "greasing up" part was not that difficult, but keeping any pet hair, lint, etc off of my son before I could put his pajama's on was not easy. Then the really fun part began, putting the pajamas on. I will not lie. This is one very slimy difficult mess. When I picked my son up to put the pj's down underneath him, he almost slid right out of my hands. It was one of those "you had to be there" comical moments. Even Joseph was giggling by the end of the whole procedure. I carry the Cetaphil with me in the diaper bag. It came in a tube that fits very nicely in one of the spots for baby bottles. The Aveeno I use throughout the day here at home whenever Jo's skin starts to look a little dry. It really has helped and his skin feels soft and moist. Daddy is no longer afraid to give him early morning snuggles for fear that his beard will tear up his skin. At this time, we have set aside the Johnson & Johnson lotions. Maybe we will use those this summer. Here are some helpful tips to greasing up your baby in the evening: - Have a wet washcloth nearby to wash your fingertips. It makes it easier to handle their clothing. I have used wipes, but find it easier to use the washcloth in the middle of the process. - Put the pj's down underneath your baby before you start greasing. - Put each body part in the pj's as you finish. (This is where the washcloth comes in handy. You can just wipe the fingers of one hand to grab the piece of clothing you need to lift.