I've got a mobile 8 month-old with a wicked case of the runs and you want me to do *what*?

Ever since my son became mobile at the ripe of age of 6&1/2 months I've had to learn a new mantra.

"The chemicals we use to clean our homes are more harmful to my child than the dirt and germs that inhabit them."

My son discovers one of the dogs toys and slobbers on it before I get a chance to whisk it out of reach...(chant mantra)...he crawls alllll over the kitchen floor and immediately sticks his hands in his mouth...(chant mantra) he makes a bee line for the garbage can...(chant mantra)

I thought I was going to turn into one of those obsessive-compulsive parents that barely lets their child's feet touch the ground and has to run home to boil their binkies after a terror filled 2 second trip to the floor. I refuse to let this happen.
So after 8 successful diaper-rash-free months of life (I'd like to believe has something to do with using cloth diapers, but, hey, I’m no doctor) my son has developed the most heinous case of it.
It all started about a week ago when the diarrhea (cha cha cha) fairy came to visit. I guess sometimes those germs win the battle.

Anyways, the doctor says we just have to let it play out, so a week later I have a son with bright red baboon bum with oozy-bloody sores and it breaks my heart.

The punch line? The doctor says, "Try leaving him without a diaper on as much as possible."

Excuse me? I've got a mobile 8 month-old with a wicked case of the runs and you want me to let him go commando? Are you insane?

So right now we are spending a large part of our days playing in the nice tiled bathroom and playing in the tub.
Just one more perk of running a business from home. You can, if you choose, spend many hours chasing after a leaky bottom.

Jealous?