Reportage, Week 2

Early morning, after a messy breakfast of fruit medley and oatmeal, Ashten, my nine-month-old son, required a bath. While drawing the warm water from the tank below, I added no-tear, lavendar bubble bath and tossed in a few bath toys to preoccupy him while I washed his auburn hair. After managing to get clothes off the over-excited child, I placed him in the tub and he immediately attacked the multi-colored stacking rings and began splashing suds onto the floor. He laughed and crawled all over the tub as I attempted to catch him and scrub the lumpy oatmeal off his face and hands. Eventually, I was successful-even while he teethed on his royal blue rubber ducky. Once squeaky clean, I turned to retrieve a towel from the shelf behind me. When I turned back, Ashten stood up in anticipation of my plucking him from the bath water. As I reached for him, he slipped on the slimy, soapy tub floor and ended up submerged. Underwater, he remained wide-eyed with his mouth instinctly closed. Frozen for only a moment, I immediately removed him from the bath, wrapped him, and soothed him as his cries echoed throughout an empty house.