Bath Time

When I took Reagan to her 6-month well-baby exam the doctor commented on what nice skin she has. Both Jocelyn and Reagan always receive compliments on their skin and how beautiful it is. Genetically, I cannot take any credit for it. Actually, I'm not sure I can take any credit for it in a non-genetic way either. Either way, when the doctor asked me what I do to keep Reagan's skin so beautiful, I told her that I did nothing special. Reagan occasionally gets rubbed down with Eucerin cream if she looks a bit dry, but other than that I couldn't think of anything other than breastfeeding that may have had an effect on her skin. The doctor didn't seem to believe me. She told me that with Reagan's super-fair skin she should be "eczema city".

When I got home, I got to thinking that maybe her skin is so great because she has never had a bath. YEP. I said it. Reagan never had a real bath until January 15th. She was 6 months and 4 days old before she was immersed in water. I admit it! Okay, it's not like she wasn't ever cleaned. She just had sponge baths up until the time I finally put her into a bathtub full of water. It worked for both of us--she got clean, and it was much easier and more convenient for me. I could do it right on the living room floor while Jocelyn watched something on TV to occupy herself. Reagan didn't mind it at all. It's not like she was out playing in mud or getting super sweaty doing anything. How dirty can a baby really get?

I finally decided it was time for a real bath when she was in the bathroom one time while Jocelyn was taking a bath and she was literally trying to jump from my lap to get into the tub. I ordered a little bath seat so she could take a bath in the big tub with Jocelyn. I knew it was what she wanted anyway. She loves it!

In the first picture she looks a little hesitant, but believe me, that only lasted for the half-second it took to take a picture. She was probably wondering why she was sitting in a chair in the bathtub and was shocked that she was actually allowed to take a real bath. Poor baby!
She splashed around like she had been taking baths for months!

She especially loved that she was with her big sister! How fun!!

So, Reagan's days of sponge bathing are over. She will never go back. She loves her bath chair too much! That's okay with Mommy, but the big question is: Will she still have beautiful skin? I'm thinking she probably will--Jocelyn screamed through "real" baths at a very young age and still had many compliments on her skin! Time will tell...