Chapter 66 Diaper Days
Lucas spent the next few weeks hovering around Elizabeth like a cat on a mouse. Her due date was quickly approaching.
"Elizabeth, are you okay? He asked every five minutes.
"Darling, I will tell you when I'm not okay. You do not need to ask me every five minutes." She said annoyed by his hovering.
"Can I get you something; rub your feet, your shoulders, anything?" He asked wanting to feel useful and supportive.
"Lucas please, you just asked me that. Can you calm down we need to get over to the Coulter's so we can help with the babies." She said firmly.
"Is that really a good idea?" He said running his hands through his hair. "I don't want a repeat of the picnic."
"Lucas, it will be fine! Gladys and Julie will be with us. Quit worrying so much." Her eyes were now pleading with him to relax. "Besides you need to change some diapers." She laughed.
"You think that is funny Mrs. Bouchard." He said now assaulting her neck with his lips.
"I need to make sure you get plenty of practice since very soon we will be changing plenty of our own." She winked.
"Why do we reuse diapers again? The whole thought of putting a diaper back on my child that has been soiled with doodie is absolutely disgusting." He said curiously.
"Lucas Bouchard, unless you are planning on spending hundreds of dollars having baby diapers made and sent to us there is no choice." She told him.
"I would rather spend hundreds of dollars than reuse a diaper that my child doodied in. How on earth do you even clean something like that?" He asked seriously.
Elizabeth laughed, "I should have expected you to say that knowing how well groomed you are and how thorough you make Jack wash when he takes a bath."
"Come on Elizabeth, you don't find it disgusting to reuse a doodied diaper?" He asked seriously.
"Lucas it's just the way things are done. You are so adorable." She said kissing him deeply.
"I will make the diapers myself if it means I do not have to clean them. Show me how?" He asked seriously.
"Lucas Bouchard, are you serious right now?" She asked with a chuckle. "We need to be going. You can ask Rosemary to teach you."
"Okay I will!" He said firmly. "I can't believe someone has invented a disposable diaper. Maybe I should."
Lucas loaded up his family and headed to the Coulter's where he never left his wife's side. When they walked in they could hear the babies squalling.
"Oh my!" Elizabeth said.
"They have not stopped crying all night. I have barely slept." Rosemary said exhausted. "When one cries they both cry."
"What can we do Rosemary?" Elizabeth asked.
"Lucas, you can change their diapers and Elizabeth if you will rock them for a few hours while Lee and I take a two hour nap that would be wonderful."
"Why do I have to do the diapers?" Lucas asked while Julie and Gladys giggled in the background.
"I am glad you are all amused." He said sarcastically.
Lucas took Matthew in his arms, "Ohhh man it smells so bad." The whole room exploded with laughter at his apparent distress.
Lucas studied the diaper as he laid Matthew on the changing table. He gathered the clean diaper and then removing the old diaper he wiped off all the access doodie with a wet nap. He took the towel and dried Matthew off and then proceeded to put the clean diaper back on. "That wasn't so bad." He said out loud as they all watched him. As soon as he picked Matthew up the diaper fell off and everyone busted out in laughter as the baby soaked Lucas's vest for him.
"Just great!" He said annoyed.
"Darling, I do believe you need to get that diaper on tighter." Elizabeth and Julie chuckled.
"You think?" He said irritated.
"Momma does daddy not know how to change a diaper?" Jack asked.
"No Jack, I don't think he does." She explained.
"Oh Elizabeth, this is the funniest thing I have witnessed in awhile." Julie giggled. "Your husband, always the entertainer."
"Julie! Stop it." Elizabeth said teasingly.
Lucas laid the baby back down and tried to pull the diaper tighter but afraid of hurting the baby didn't want to pull it too tight. He picked him up again and the diaper fell off. Julie and Gladys were now rolling with laughter.
"I can't do this Elizabeth!" He said now feeling embarrassed and like a complete failure.
"Darling, yes you can. You have to remember to put the rubber pants over the top of the diaper to hold them on." She said adoringly.
"Oh okay!" He said now putting Matthew's diaper back on and putting the rubber pants over the top of the diaper.
"Now don't forget to clean that soiled diaper out before you put it in the bin." She reminded him.
"Say what?" He raised his eyebrows.
"Elizabeth, you can not be serious." He turned his head in disgust.
"Scrape the poop in that bucket for compost and be sure to put the lid back on it. Then use the sink to thoroughly rinse out the diaper with that lye soap and then throw it in the soiled linens bin for washing." Elizabeth explained.
"I can't believe I'm doing this." He said out loud. Lucas scrubbed the diaper for twenty minutes in the sink trying to get all the soiled stains out of it. "This is ridiculous and not value added I might add." That was the businessman coming out of him.
"Lucas honey, when you get done with that one Annabelle needs changed as well." Elizabeth said suggesting.
"Why can't Julie do that one? After all she is a little girl." Lucas asked uncomfortably.
"Nope, you are going to do it." Elizabeth said firmly.
Lucas traded Elizabeth, Matthew for Annabelle and continued to change her diaper as well. Now he was thinking about doing this with his own children here soon and was less than pleased at the amount of time spent cleaning and changing diapers. When Rosemary and Lee woke up from their nap Lucas asked Rosemary to show him how to make diapers.
She showed him how and gave him the initial material to get him started and told him there was a good shop in Union City that sold everything he would need to make them continually. Watching him stab himself over and over with needles trying to sew, had everyone in a fit of laughter.
"Lucas Bouchard, you are too cute." Elizabeth said teasingly.
"Laugh now, but I will have the last laugh." He said in response.