Baby Spa

Bath time is a joyous event in our house.

My wife and I make sure to have everything set up 

before the baby is even undressed.

The coconut oil for his scalp and legs 

sits on the nightstand table.

The space heater is already raring to go in the bedroom.

and the central unit is dialed up to 75 degrees.

The baby’s big dry towel is placed directly next to his pajamas

and sleep sack.

Two more towels await on a rack

to transport him from the tub to the bed.

Music is the real key.

We like him relaxed while he gets scrubbed down–

usually some modal jazz with not too many notes playing.

The two small buckets next to his tub in the kitchen

are for soaping and rinsing.

For his bathwater I do a 1 to 2 ratio

of scalding hot and ice cold water from the faucet.

Upon immersion he is quickly covered in warm wash cloths

Then we pour warm water over his torso so he doesn’t get the chills.

Start with washing the scalp, then onto the face

then down to rest of the body

before ending with his baby feet.

We’re careful to never mix the soap water

with the rinse water.

The baby is then carefully removed from tub 

draped in a dry towel

and transported to the bedroom to be lain down

on another dry towel.

The soaked towel is discarded and the third towel

is used to thoroughly dry his hair and body.

We generously apply coconut oil to his scalp, chest, arms and legs.

Some nights we even bust out the wooden brush

with the fine goat hair bristles

to brush his oily hair.

The boy is then diapered and soothingly placed in his pajamas and sleep suit

before his mama offers him some “lechita”.

Then we lay him down 

in the king sized bed we bought specifically for him

and hope that he will sleep like royalty

for the next three to four hours. 

~Edward Austin Robertson

Tags: Baby Spa, Edward Austin Robertson