about what to do with boys. We have two girls. I know how to dress them in pink. They play with barbies, they take bubble baths and they like glitter. We make sure that we throw some sports in there to balance things out. Can't have a tooooo girlie girl on our hands, now can we? ;)

Now, here is this adorable little baby in our midst. We found some cool clothes to put on him. Of course they are 20 sizes too big for him. Ok, I exaggerate. But, they are a size 12 month and frankly, he can fit into a 6-9 month outfit and have room. He will be 16 months at the end of this month. Anywho...he is a munchin (in the cutest way). But, it isn't clothes that I am so worried about. Enough friends gave us some boy clothes and he will be stylin' with those bahama shirts and shorts. His pale skin might blind the world, but, that is ok....so does his mom and 2 sisters. Dad leads the pack with a little bit darker skin (that could possibly be because he has dark hair on his body and we are all blonde). TMI..i know (too much information)

BUT...what I was trying to get too was... bathtime. Or actually, the first time I changed his diapers. You would have thought B and I went back to 2nd grade. Here is me going "B, get in here...I don't know what to do" He came in saying "what do you mean you don't know what to do". I pointed to Nikolai's boy parts and said "that...I don't know how to clean THAT". B was a little bit concerned that I couldn't call it by it's correct name. :) But, out of all the diapers I have changed in the world...I totally wigged out on this one. B also was trying to figure out what to do. He was like "I know I am a guy and all, but, I have never had to clean a boys diaper before". So back and forth this poor baby was lying there with a look on his face that if he could talk it would say "if you two don't wipe my hiney in about 2 seconds...I will make sure that I give you something to talk about for the rest of your lives".

Anyway, we were on the horn back to the States to talk to my sister..his mom, my mom. "MOM...how do you clean a boys part that is uncircumcised?" She told us and B's mom told him and I think we both almost passed out. After picking each other off of the floor, we finally gave Nikolai a bath and acted like grown ups. For goodness sake...how hard could it be, right? He is a baby!. Well...the first bath was very comical. Nikolai loved the bath until it came time to wash his privates. (I think he may actually harm us physically in life for writing this about him) B and I were both going back and forth "You do it...no you do it....I don't know how...what if he gets hurt...what if he breaks...what if he pee's on us.....what if we don't do it right..should we call the doctor or something?" Needless to say....our few minutes of hysteria, and grade school dorkiness was soon over. We grew up and we grew up quickly. Nikolai got his bath and now, it is no big deal.

It was no different when I had our first child. When the nurse came in and left the baby with me, I was like "NO....you can't leave me...what I am supposed to do with her?!?!". There are a million and one books. But, no one really prepares you for the real deal. I don't think that nurse ever came back. I think I was released that day. They were like "Here...here is your baby...have a nice life". No different at the orphanage.... He came to us naked and handed him over just like the nurses did in the hospital with both of our girls.

But, for goodness sake people...warn your friends how to diaper and wash a baby boy. I might have to go to therapy now. :)