Monday, May 24, 2010

They're just clothes, right?

I have a list of "things to do" that are not urgently needed to be completed, but if I can get them done before the little lady arrives I will consider myself somewhat amazing ;) One of the things on that list was to go through Devon's old clothes and sort them. I have kept every piece of clothing he has worn his entire life. I have them in 6, vacuum sealed storage bags in the top of his closet. I needed to sort them into a throw away pile, a try-to-sell-to-a-kids-re-sale-clothing-store pile, a keep-for-Devon-when-he-gets-older-pile, a give-to-the-new-baby-pile and a clothes-from-his-first-year-turn-into-a-blanket pile.

The throw away pile was easy. Throw out anything that was showing age spots, yellowing or permanently stained. The keep for Devon pile was also easy. Sentimental stuff. I kept his take home from the hospital onesie, a teeny tiny pair of shoes, some hats, and a few other items that have special meaning to me. I just want him to be able to see just how small he was when he was born. He probably won't care when he's older, but at least he will have a few things and know that I cared enough to save them for him.

I had an OK time with the blanket pile, but the try to sell stuff was, lame as it may sound, tougher than I thought.

I consider myself to be able to get rid of stuff pretty easily when I know I won't ever use/wear/need the item ever again, but I had the hardest time deciding to part with his clothes. Nothing good will come of saving them. They are just taking up space so WHY can't I just get rid of them? I KNOW I sound ridiculous ... They're just clothes. I'll truly never need them again. I'll just blame the hormones, but it feels like his babyness went so fast and now he's a toddler and all these little clothes that I painstakingly selected for him no longer fit. Even though I had a hard time adjusting for the first few months following his birth, I really was (and still am) a happy Mom. I really feel like I did savor the time when he was so little. I baby wore him every where. I have 4 carriers. I don't think his bum touched a grocery cart seat until he was over a year old because I loved having him close to me all the time. He's 20 months now and I still pop him in the carrier on occasion only now when I wear him on my back instead of my belly he puts his arms around me and says,"Hug". Getting up for feedings was so challenging, but more than that I remember waking up and seeing him asleep with the moon light on his little face.

I always hated it when people would say,"Enjoy this time. It goes so fast." I always thought it was such a trite and condescending thing to say to a new Mom. It does go fast, but LIFE seems to go by faster once you have kids. The same people also annoyingly offer up the equally eye-roll worthy,"Enjoy your sleep now because you'll never get a full night's rest again!" Lame. Thanks for that totally useless, snarky, non-advice.

Anyway, I was sorting through the clothes and got a little weepy when Devon handed me a shoe that clearly would not fit him. He sat down next to me, took off his size 6 shoes and said,"On! On!" so I would put the blue, size 2 shark covered shoes on him. It just made me SO sad! I had to explain to him that he was growing into a big boy and they wouldn't fit. He seemed confused until I put them on him anyway and they fit like the glass slipper on Cinderella's step sisters. He took the shoe off his foot, went and got a book and we read for half an hour. It's a sad day when you have to start telling your baby that he's big. OK so it's just sad for Mom's ;)

5 comments:

Kim said...

I had all of Sam's clothes & shoes from preemie to size 7! I just had a hard time parting with them but it made for a great garage sale! I had 80 pairs of shoes...all Sam's. It's a bit pathetic but I didn't care. There was a memory with every pair.

The Wilkes said...

My goodness you're almost done with the pregnancy...you'd better enjoy your sleep now because it will be long gone soon enough! Ha! JK! :) That comment annoys me too...it's like older moms want to rub it in that you won't be sleeping but it's not like you don't know what coming...you've already been through it with your other child.

Crystal Pistol said...

Just wait until random strangers start saying, "YOU SURE HAVE YOUR HANDS FULL!!". You'll want to stab them in the eye. Talkin about not-helpful!!

Johnson-n-Johnson said...

oh, well, I am totally a get-rid-of stuff kind of girl! But, baby stuff is so hard. i still can't take the crib down, because it keeps me hopeful that more babies will come!!! Good luck with the last few weeks. You are doing great!

yo nance said...

I just say...Save it ALL. Just kidding. You don't want to turn into your mother, do you? But I am happy you are saving some of the little clothes. I wish I had some baby things that you kids wore. I have your blessing gowns, but that's about it; it would have been fun to have a few more baby outfits. I guess some of them are kept through photos. XOX