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We have been dealing with ye’ olde constipation in Tadpole land. I’m not sure if it has more to do with the formula or some of the solid foods they are eating. When we were visiting my mom for New Years Derby started to look so miserable. You could tell he needed to poop but it wasn’t happening. I called the Doctor but they were hesitant to try anything stronger than changes in his diet due to his bowel surgery. So no baby laxative just prune juice. So after 2 days of pouring a little prune juice into every formula bottle I started to get worried. Shouldn’t something be happening??

While in Oakdale Tadd and I decided to take the twins to Target to look at baby shoes (since there isnt one in Santa Barbara). Let me rephrase that, I went to look at baby shoes while Tadd looked at Wii accessories. I had them both in the same cart checking out shoes (these are only $5?? I need the black velvet AND the sparkly pink. It is a GOOD thing we don’t have a Target by us). Then Derby starts to act fussy and I am trying to shush him while looking at a fake pair of Tod’s in his size. Finally I absentmindedly picked him up so I could continue what I was doing. I realize he seemed a little wet. My cooing of “Oh Derby did you pee, my little sweetie” turns to horror as I realize I have poo all over my arm. I look at the cart and see a little pile of poo and before I can wipe it off Loen smears her hand in it and yes some got into her mouth. I am horrified, I am covered in runny poo, Derby is crying AND WHERE THE HELL IS MY HUSBAND?! So I am using my clean hand to call Tadd and I’m hissing into the phone for him to get his butt over to the shoe aisle. Evidently he cant understand me but meanders over to see whats up. I am sure the horrified look on my face is enough for him to realize there is trouble. I became that mom who is the reason shopping carts are so germy, I left the yucky cart in the aisle (I felt bad, but really how was I going to clean it up?). I had to artfully hold Derby so people couldn’t see all the poo on us. It was raining outside and we were at the back of the car stripping my son down and using about 50 wipes to make him presentable. Not to mention having to wipe poop off of Loen’s nose and putting her white jacket (of course it would happen when she was wearing white) into a plastic bag. Derby seemed much happier though!

So after that incident we have been walking a fine line between giving him enough prune juice so he doesn’t get constipated but not so much that it turns into crapapalooza. This is not the glamourous side of parenthood. One upside of all of this is that Derby started to eat solid foods again. During the midst of his super grouchy I feel constipated ordeal he was refusing his bottle but decided that strained fruits might be the ticket. See, every cloud has a silver (brown) lining!