January 26

Following Barb's lead, I made some burp cloths for a friend who's expecting.

Some points to note:

(a) When I was little, I heard my mother refer to someone who was expecting a baby. I was surprised to later learn that this friend did, indeed, go on and have a baby. To my young mind, "expecting" didn't mean "having". I guess it meant more like "hoping". I mean, expectation and certainty aren't the same thing, are they?

(b) These burp cloths are made from what Josh calls "diaper rags" and Gerber calls "cloth diapers". This discombobulates me on three levels.

(1) We have many dozens of ratty diaper rags around here. Josh would buy them by the ton when he was a prop master, probably paying pennies apiece. But he's not a prop master anymore, so I was reduced to paying $13 for 6 of them at Babies R Us. That felt weird.

(2) I had to go to three different stores to even find cloth diapers. They seem to be going extinct. Except at the places that prop masters shop, presumably. But I didn't want a ton of them. I only wanted six, or twelve.

(3) Maybe they are going extinct because they are so thin and inconsequential compared to the luscious, thick, terry towelling nappies I wrapped my babies' bottoms in 20 years ago. How does this little thing soak up ANYTHING that spurts from the nether regions? They do seem quite bulky and absorbent enough for burp cloths, however, so I am satisfied with the results.

Oh, and speaking of nappies, it's Australia Day. And Rhea's birthday (the baby whose bottom I first wrapped in nappies 20 years ago.) HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BABY GIRL!!