I have never been a patient person, while my wife is someone who understands the joy of delaying gratification. But yet both of us are like children on Christmas morning, every morning, hoping to discover that our daughter has lost the last bit of her umbilical cord to reveal the most important news of the day -- whether she will go through life with an innie or outie belly button (the cord will not be featured in pictures as it resembles a piece of shriveled dry, bowtie pasta).

The other excitement around the cord falling off is that then Charlotte can be bathed. For right now, it is only sponge baths and cups of water over her head. While her default smell is that of new baby, she occasionally emits a bit of funk around the neck folds and armpits. Having lived with boys for many years, it is a funk that I know all too well.

Bath time is for both mom and dad according to the 1980's era baby care instructional video we watched as part of our pre-delivery classes at the hospital.

"It's good to wait to give your child a bath until at night when your husband can be home. This can be a good way for all of you to bond," suggested the video.

Until we can bathe her, I'll try to avoid bonding when I see my daughter in the office each morning.