Originally uploaded by Lincoln Topliff
On the advice of our doul-everything (she was our doula but she is also our nurse advice line, lactation consultant, comic relief, photographer, emotional stabilizer etc etc etc) we let Hazel go without a bath for most of the day. Apparently babies can smell two things at birth—money and opportunity breast milk and amniotic fluid. It is in the best interest of that mother/daughter bond that you let some of that smell from the baby rub off on Mommy so they know who they are being handed too and what to latch on to. Otherwise, Daddy is the one with sore nipples and frustration abounds for all parties. It is for this breast feeding voodoo that we let Hazel go bathless for 10 or so hours. It might have been a bit long as we got distracted by her crazy adorableness and only remembered after dinner when we realized her head was still a bit crusty. This is her (mostly) enjoying a good shampoo and rinse. Sadly, they don’t do manicures here—though she is beginning to look a little “Howard Hughesish”— and she has a little too little hair to coif.