Still, I issued last minute instructions as I headed for the door. If she's fussy, taking her for a walk will help - so will her bath. Her pajamas are in the middle drawer of her dresser. Don't forget her bedtime snack. Her milk is in the refrigerator in the blue cup. He nodded at me from the couch where he sat with our daughter watching TV and waved me out the door.

When I returned hours later, the house was quiet. Our daughter was in bed. So far so good. I was curious how the evening had gone.

"How was she?"

"Fine."

"Did you take her for a walk?"

"Yes."

"Did you give her a bath?"

"No."

"Did you change her into her pajamas?"

"No. Oh, but I did take off her jeans."

Okay, I sighed, so she's sleeping in her t-shirt. No big deal.

"Did you at least change her diaper?"

"No."

By now I could feel my pulse beating in my temple. "WHAT???"

My husband was as astounded at my reaction as I was at his complete deviation from our standard routine. I know that each parent is going to have their own style and skipping the bath I could have lived with, but there was my poor dirty baby put to bed in her t-shirt and bloated diaper. I could just imagine her lying there with frozen feet. When I asked him why he hadn't changed her into her pajamas, his response was that I should have left him a list.

Maybe that lame excuse would work with some dads, but I don't accept it from my husband - the man that spent enough time in graduate school to be a doctor (but isn't). He's around every night when I go through the routine, even if he isn't always directly involved in it you would think he would have absorbed it through osmosis. And really, why do I have to leave him a list for him to know to put her in her pajamas for bed?

My daughter woke the next morning a little stinky but none the worse for the experience. The second time I left her with her father, I left him a step-by-step list written in big bold print.

Maybe it was the list, or maybe it was his pride, but something got through to him. I've left him in charge many times since that first night and while he still might not wash our daughter's hair he does give her a bath and put her pajamas on before bed.

Jennifer Ismail is a stay at home mom to her daughter Sarah and infant son Benjamin. She enjoys writing lighthearted essays from her personal experiences. Her work has appeared in the newspaper as well as on 20ishparents.com and babyuniversity.com. Email the author.