Too Big for Her Britches

Over the course of the past few weeks, Norah has reached a bit of a tipping point that is causing us no end of trouble. It is a conundrum that only the parents of the world's largest toddler could possibly face. Simply put, no diaper can contain her.

We reached this point with Gabe round about last spring, too. See, diapers max out at size 6. This is not only the largest size in terms of fitting bigger children but it's the maximum capacity size for absorbency. They are designed for kids in and around the 35 pound range. Norah has exceeded this range and her big girl bladder is producing more urine than her size 6 diapers can keep up with. In other words, she is regularly peeing through her pants.

During the day, this isn't that big a deal because we can easily change her diapers to keep up. But when she's in bed, it's a REAL problem, especially considering she still needs bottles every few hours to get her back to sleep. Over a night she will drink more fluids than some adults take in throughout a day. It's kind of messed up.

Anyway, even the "super absorbent overnight" diapers can't contain her. Nightly she is soaking herself, her bed, her pillow, her blankets, her Lulu, and, based on how bad her room smells now, I think it's running off her bed and spilling onto the floor. It is disgusting and disheartening and frustrating and annoying and there doesn't seem to be a damn thing we can do about it.

If we don't give her bottles, she screams and cries until she throws up. If we get her out of bed and change her diaper, she wakes up enough that we can't get her to go back to sleep for an hour or so. We are between a rock and a sopping wet place.

We experienced something similar with Gabe when his bladder capacity reached a size where it outstripped the absorbency of his diapers--but it happened when he was very nearly at the age where we could potty train him. Which is the way it is SUPPOSED to be. That is why the diapers only go up to that size and then they make the switch to training pants (which are bigger in size but have less absorbency because kids aren't supposed to be peeing in them actively).

Norah, however, isn't to that point yet. We've got several months still, I think, before potty training becomes a real option, and even then I seriously doubt she will have the bladder control necessary to make it through the night for several more months.

So, I guess what I'm saying is, if you go upstairs to Norah's room, just pretend like you don't notice the obvious piss smell in her room, because it's not going anywhere anytime soon.