Goodbye Baby A, Hello Miss A
The other evening I spent over an hour folding up A's baby clothes and packing them into a large plastic storage tub. I was amazed at how nostalgic I felt looking at all the tiny sleepers, outfits and especially her little black Robeez.
Again I was struck with regret about how little I enjoyed that time in her life. (I know Beth, I'm over it. Really. I am. Almost.) Maybe I'm deluding myself but when I think back to those days now they didn't seem so bad. She couldn't go anywhere or get into anything. She couldn't take off her clothes or hide her shoes. Why was it so hard? Oh, because she rarely slept and didn't eat well. Right. That's why.
Still, packing away those clothes made me think about a lot of things. What if our next baby is a boy? Very few of her baby clothes would be suitable for a boy. Not even the sleepers. Somehow the thought of pulling all of this stuff out again for another little girl seems exciting and the thought of possibly having to get rid of most of it is sad. Not that we wouldn't like to have a little boy, but... you know. Or maybe you don't. I don't even know if I know.
I guess I'm just surprised to see how fast she is growing up. She is learning to do new things all the time. She is climbing and descending stairs. She can get down off of our bed. She is saying more words all the time and talking more in general. She's just so big. She used to be such a peanut. Here she is just over a month old in one of the sleepers I packed away. She's all yellow and sleepy still. It almost seems like a lifetime ago...
6 comments:
Awwww, I got all nostalgic myself as I read this. You’ve described my feelings perfectly. I cry every time I pack up Ella’s things. I know we are never going to have another girl so I know I can’t save them. My mom kept some of my clothes and Ella wore a few outfits but the material has become fragile and the styles are dated.
The easiest way that I’ve found to get rid of baby clothes is to do so in stages. Pick out the ones that you doubt you’ll ever use again, either because they are too worn or the style isn’t something you’d like. Save the others until the next time A. outgrows clothes and then go through the clothes again. I’ve found that as time passes (and the boxes build up) my nostalgia isn’t quite as great..
Even though its fun to use some of the same clothes again on a sibling, you will get many more clothes as gifts and it’s always fun to shop while pregnant and buy those cute outfits you can’t live without. You also get tired of seeing the same clothes over and over again (aside from the favorites of course)
I know it’s not so much about the clothes as it is about missing the baby stage. The truth is, even if you could have enjoyed every single blissful moment, you still would feel exactly the same as you do now. Be careful not to set yourself up by saying “Next time will be different. Next time I will make sure I relax and enjoy more” because next time will very likely fly by just as quickly. I learned this the hard way. Even with my third, I still feel like I missed out.
I can so relate. I get so sad every time Boo outgrows something and I have to put it away. I'm saving everything in the off chance I ever have another boy, of if my sister in law has a boy, or anyone I know has a boy so I can come on over with Hand-me-downs.
It really did go by so fast. Just last night I was thinking to myself that I missed the early days of non stop breastfeeding, because that way he wasn't getting into things, or trouble, and would actually let me hold him.
Never fear...I have already packed three bins of boy clothes...and he is not even six months old!!!!! It will all go to you!! :)
It is sad packing away all the sweet little clothes. I have my favorites too that I'll probably never part with. I had saved all my girl stuff thinking if I had another one I'd have it made. But I know I would've wanted new stuff too. Styles change and I wouldn't have wanted all the pics of the second kid in the all the same clothes as the first. I'm weird that way. But I didn't have to worry about all that after all! I too have lots of boyness if you are blessed with a blue bundle next time around!
I totally know exactly how you feel. I kept all my daughter's things and now I'm a little sad to not be able to use them since we're having a boy next. We're getting other hand me downs from my sister and it's fun to buy new stuff, but I kind of wanted the nostalgia of pulling out her things and remembering what she was doing.
Putting your child's clothing away is a sad time! I know I had a hard time with it. I had an even harder time with it when I finally decided that it wasn't doing me ANY good sitting in my garage gathering dust, and I donated a bunch of it to my friend. Now they don't even fit her little one! It's amazing how fast babies grow!
It's a sad time, but another fun stage is coming...the time when your "baby" turns into a little girl! :)
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