Boo Boo Le Pew

Oh. My. God.

The helmet STINKS.  Like, literally.  It's foul and sticks in your nose once you smell it.  I'm going to have to sprinkle the entire house with coffee beans.  I hoped it wouldn't, but let's face it:  helmet is to head as shin guards are to shins, except imagine wearing your shin guards nonstop.  It's bad enough just once a week for soccer and never cleaning them!  The white foam already has some yellowish discoloration from sweat and oil.

Even with the care instructions, it still smells.  I scrub and scrub and scrub and still cannot get the evil out.  There's only so much I can do and the care instructions discourage using products because it could be irritating to the skin.  I guess that just affirms that whatever gets into the foam STAYS there.

There's a natural room deodorizer spray called Fresh Wave that was recommended by the helmet people.  It arrived yesterday, so tonight, I scrubbed the helmet with a dry towel to pick up moisture and oils.  Then, 70% rubbing alcohol on another dry towel to scrub the inside of the helmet.  I did several rounds of the alcohol scrub.  I could still smell the funk.  Next, the Fresh Wave spray and a silent prayer.  I let it sit for a while, then wiped it clean and set it out to dry.  It helped a little.  Tomorrow, I'm going to try it again in the morning and let it sit in the sun.

Ew.

The good news is that Ethan still doesn't care.  I am in disbelief.  How could he not notice?  Babies are something else, truly.

His teachers at daycare have been very accommodating and are totally fine with handling the helmet.  Even the director of the school learned how do it too!  They take it off and wipe the sweat out at every diaper change.  They try to do diaper changes every two hours.

So yeah, the helmet is working out.  We are still adjusting to the added overhead and I am still clumsy when handling it.  It's awkward but feel normal soon enough.

Better yet, daycare is working out!  I was very pleased today with the pictures I got.  The teachers were on the floor entertaining the babies with circle time, story time, mirror time.... It was full of activities that I know weren't provided at the other daycare.  I have no regrets about transferring him out.  I'm done with the nanny search and don't feel anxious about rushing out of work to rescue him.  The teachers are sweet and nurturing.  They LIKE kids.

It is such a relief.  Hopefully they will still cuddle him as the stink factor can only increase during the course of his treatment.  Ha!