MANY OF the joyous moments of parenthood sneak up on you, but none so much as the day, when, at the conclusion of the afternoon nap, you walk into the baby's room to find your toddler -- once clad in a diaper and those adorable footie pajamas -- standing at the rail of the crib wearing nothing but a smile.

The diagnosis: Naked Baby Syndrome.

Once he or she gets the hang of it, a 1-year-old can shed clothing faster than Superman, or, for that matter, Gypsy Rose Lee.

In the beginning, these spontaneous outbreaks of nakedness can be amusing in a Houdini kind of way, but sooner or later -- given the potential hygiene pitfalls and the awkward receptions at day-care -- it can become a major cause of baldness and/or ulcers in young parents.

Fortunately, a Manchester native and her inventive husband have come to the rescue by way of an invention called "Mooki's." The inventors in question are Dana (Jelley) Reid -- she was the first female commanding officer of West High School's Naval Junior ROTC program -- and her husband, Randy Reid, but, if necessity is the mother of invention, then the credit for "Mooki's" should go to their daughter, Maren.

She's the one who made it necessary.

And, for the record, from birth, Maren's nickname was "Mookimoo."

"It all started back in 2007 when Maren was about 18 months old," Randy explained. "She began removing her clothing at naptime and bedtime, and while we knew this was a perfectly normal phase of development, we worried that loose sleepwear in the crib created a dangerous suffocation and strangulation hazard. We also worried that since we avoided bulky blankets and bedding, without her clothing, she would be cold and unable to sleep comfortably."

Like most parents, the Reids tried to think of alternatives, but here is where I should point out that the Reids are not like most parents.

Randy spent 23 years in the Coast Guard and retired as a chief warrant officer. Dana is still in the Coast Guard, and the only reason Randy isn't is that, when it was time for them to start a family, he volunteered to stay home and serve as primary caregiver.

Yes, there is a special place in heaven for husbands like Randy Reid, and no one was more proud than Randy as he watched Dana -- while nine months pregnant -- accept a major, career-enhancing promotion.

By the time Dana assumed command of all Coast Guard operations in the critically sensitive DELMARVA Region -- that being Delaware, Maryland and Virginia -- Maren was six weeks old and Randy was playing Mr. Mom.

"It made sense financially and professionally that I become the primary caregiver for Maren, but I was clueless in my new role," he laughed.

When little Maren Reid started shedding her sleepwear in the crib, her parents -- including her dad, Randy -- created escape-proof toddler pajamas. (COURTESY)

Still, father and daughter forged a strong bond -- "As a father raising an infant, I received strange looks on the playground," he noted -- and things were going pretty much according to plan until one day at naptime when he came back to find Maren halfway out of her sleeper.

"I re-dressed her, but within 10 minutes, she had completely removed the garment," he said. "Each day and night, our 'Mookimoo' became more proficient at removing her sleepwear. It was a game, and she was winning."

Randy went to the Internet and searched scores of parenting blogs, only to discover that parents everywhere, having tried everything from duct tape to safety pins, were still being outsmarted -- or should I say outstripped? -- by their clever kids.

Randy's solution?

"I took a pair of scissors to one of my daughter's footie pajamas, hacked it up and turned it around to where the zipper was in the back. 'Mooki's' was born and it worked immediately."

After a year of tinkering -- a year in which the Reid family was transferred to upper Washington state where, among other things, Dana has been working with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on security planning for the upcoming 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics -- Randy perfected his product.

"My military background kicked in and I was a man on a mission," he said. "I worked day and night to design, develop and produce the 'Mooki' for manufacturing and now -- with the zipper in the back, out of the reach of curious fingers -- the doors to my 'virtual store' are open."

You can find that virtual store at mookimoo.com where his marquee, patent-pending, cotton product sells for $18.50 per outfit, but if you're thinking about holiday shopping, you'd better think fast.

The Reids and "Mooki's" have already been featured in "Inventors Digest" magazine. "Parents" magazine will run an item on the garment next month, and, when I spoke to Dana last week, her husband was preparing for an interview with "Entrepreneur" magazine.

"Believe me, I'm the one behind the scenes," said Dana, who was inducted into the West High School Hall of Fame in 2007. "I help with the business plan, but this is Randy's vision and he's the day-to-day, go-to guy."

Pretty soon, the go-to-guy is going to be moving back East.

That's because his wife was recently selected for promotion to commander, and she was also selected as one of only five Coast Guard officers to attend the Naval War College Postgraduate Command Program in Newport, R.I., that begins next year.

As for Randy, "Mooki's" is his to promote.

"The response we've received from parents has been tremendous and makes us want to help others," he said. "I feel grateful that I had the opportunity to create 'Mooki's,' and the bond between my daughter and me is one most fathers can only dream about."

And that's the naked truth.

John Clayton is the author of several books on Manchester and New Hampshire, including his newest title, "Remembering Manchester." His e-mail is jclayton@unionleader.com.