Poopy Parcel

I knew I would do some gross things as a mom--clean up throw-up, wipe butts, pick boogers--but I didn't think I'd ever be mailing my baby's poop off to some researchers.

But that's what I did today. And I might be doing it for the next 15 years!

You see, Leo was recruited to be part of a long-term study called TEDDY to determine what environnmental factors may cause children to develop Type I diabetes. He was tested in the hospital and he apparently has a gene that puts him at higher risk for getting the disease. There are only a few testing sites in the US and the main one is here in Atlanta.

We agreed to do it because it would mean extra monitoring of Leo to see if he is trending towards developing diabetes. Plus, we might help these nice scientists figure out the cause. Then I won't feel so bad for not donating at Walgreen's.

So now Leo is called a TEDDY child and we have to go to the study's headquarters once every three months to get his blood drawn and his weight and height taken. They will also ask me a bunch of questions about what he's been eating.

And once a month I have to mail in his poo. After he's four, I only have to do it once a quarter.

He was cooperative now but I'm not sure how it will work when I need his poo at age 15.