Picture This

After dinner is complete and living room toys are put away, take toddler and baby upstairs into baby's room.

Place baby in crib. Turn on the crib mobile for entertainment.
Todder will typically follow you around at this time, so no entertainment is necessary for her.

Using the bathroom in the baby's room, begin by turning on the faucet in the bathtub.

Wait until the water is appropriate temperature, then close the drain.

Place baby bath tub under the facet and fill until desired fullness (a little less than 1/2 way, usually).

Remove baby tub and place it on the bathroom counter.

Allow water to continue to run and fill the bathtub.

Fill sink next to baby tub with warm water.

Undress toddler.

Ask toddler to run to her room (naked) and place dirty clothes in the hamper.

Check on baby in crib.

When toddler returns to the room, place her in the bathtub.

Turn off the faucet in the bathtub.

**The order of the next few events may be reversed . . . if baby is crying when toddler is placed in the tub, baby is bathed first. If baby is content, toddler is bathed first.**

Wash toddler . . . arms, legs, face, hiney.

Wash toddler's hair. Rinse.

Place conditioner in toddler's hair.

Brush toddler's teeth. Allow toddler to brush her own teeth for a minute or s after you are satisfied with your brushing job.

Rinse conditioner from toddler's hair.

Praise toddler for being cooperative during bath time and allow her to play with her tub toys.

Remove a baby towel from the cabinet under the sink and drape over the closed toilet seat.

Return to baby's room.

Undress baby while in the crib.

Turn off the mobile and bring naked baby into the bathroom (where toddler is playing in the bathtub).

Place baby into baby tub on the counter.

Wash baby . . . arms, legs, face, hiney.

Wash baby's hair. Rinse (using the clean water from the sink next to the baby tub).

Drain sink.

Rinse baby a few more times with tub water (because she seems to enjoy the warm water).

Remove baby from tub and lay onto toilet seat. Wrap her in the baby towel quickly -- never letting go of baby.

Return to baby's room with towel-wrapped baby.

Toddler continues to play in the bathtub.

Dress baby on the changing table. Lotion, diaper, jammies.

Brush baby's hair.

Place baby back into the crib. Turn on the mobile again for entertainment.

Return to the bathroom.

Dump water from the baby tub into the big bathtub -- while toddler is still in the tub. Toddler thinks this is a funny game.

Remove toddler-size towel from the cabinet under the sink and place on closed toilet seat.

Pull bathtub drain.

Remove all toys from the bath tub -- with toddler's help -- and place in various areas around the tub.

Drape washcloths used for baby and toddler over the faucet head for drying.

Allow toddler to stand up and walk over the edge of the tub, exiting onto the bath mat.

With toddler standing on the bath mat, wrap towel around toddler.

Remove water from the toddler. Towel dry hair as much as possible.

Allow toddler to run (naked) back into her room.

As you walk through baby's room, peek at baby to make sure she is still entertained by the mobile. Many times, she is losing interest at this point in the process . . . but she must remain in the crib for a few more minutes.

Follow toddler into her bedroom.

Let her run around, pick out bed time reading material, and locate her "lovey" while you are gathering dressing materials: a pull up, jammies, and a comb.

Convince toddler to come stand by you so that you can dress her.

Put Pull Up on toddler.

Lotion toddler (sometimes this step is omitted -- depending on if baby is screaming from the crib at this point).

Put jammies on toddler. Encourage her to do as much of it by herself as possible.

Comb toddler's hair (while listening to "No pull my hair!" most nights).

Allow toddler to return to book selection and lovey location.

Return to baby's room and pick up baby.

Smell her -- because she smells like heaven just after a bath.

If she was screaming, apologize for leaving her there.

If she was content, compliment her for her patience.

Locate a pacifier somewhere in baby's room and stick it in your pocket.

Return to toddler's room.

Turn on toddler's CD player with bedtime music.

Climb into toddler's bed with baby in your arms . . . rest baby on toddler's pillow.

If necessary, use paci to pacify baby.

Have toddler climb into bed, grab lovey, and settle in for stories.

Read two or three stories to toddler (or, sometimes, read ONE story THREE times) while baby rests on pillow. Both children listen intently (hopefully).

Climb out of toddler's bed with baby in your arms.

Kiss toddler goodnight.

Tell her what you are going to do the following day. This is just a habit -- it is fun to let her know what's going on in her life.

Turn off the light.

Leave the room, close the door.

Return to the main floor of the house with baby in your arms.

And that is how my evenings go these days. It takes about 35 hectic minutes to bathe both girls and dress them for bed, but it works.