Another laundry post. While we love the smell of the laundry, we do not love what the laundry has done to our house. Soggy onesies have taken over, thanks to our unhealthy fear of dryer shrinkage.
It’s strange to think that Unilever , a massive multinational manufacturing corporation with over 200,000 employees and annual revenue around $50 billion, could establish one of the most personal and endearing memories that I have of my infant son. But yet, Unilever has done just that, with this:
His clothes, blankets, burp cloths, and other spit- and poo-stained materials get washed in All Baby Care Plus Liquid Laundry Detergent. So, on the increasingly rare occasions that he’s not covered in spit or poo, he smells like All detergent. Fortunately, the stuff smells awesome.
The Wikipedia entry for olfaction, the sense of smell driven by chemicals, states that “odor information is easily stored in long term memory and has strong connections to emotional memory.” Good, I’m not completely neurotic.
So thanks Unilever for that mix of water and what I hope are non-carcinogenic chemicals you call All Baby Care Plus Liquid Laundry Detergent. I’ll never forget it.
After a week of grouchiness and refusal to sleep during the day, the boy was finally able to get me to understand what was wrong with him. Who knew that someone would want to be clothed in long sleeves and blankets in the heat of the summer with the air conditioning at 78? Very thankful for the infamous footed pajamas right now.
I can spot them within minutes. They’re the ones that hold my baby, even while (gasp) standing up, with such ease and grace. They elicit coos and happy sleepiness. Their transfer techniques are impeccable–arms to arms, arms to crib, crib to changing table. Suddenly, the baby is capable of long, intelligent conversations (finally, someone speaks his language!). I’ve dodged church nursery duty all these years, and now I’m paying the price: awkwardness. Those church nursery types have no reason to google “how to hold a baby” or “how to change a diaper.” Meanwhile, after 7 weeks, I’m still stumbling and bumbling.
Sidenote: I’m still in the dark about whether that paper around the diaper legs is supposed to go inside or outside of the diaper. Anyone???
So to all of the past and present church nursery volunteers out there, I say “bless you.” I stand in awe. If only the nursery were free of other germy kids, I would gladly put my child into the care of someone like you. Until then, please come visit this blog and bestow your knowledge on me!
