Generosity

I cannot tell you how many boy clothes we've received thus far- SO MANY.  Like, all the clothes I already bought?  Totally premature.  I just thought we'd have to buy all our own because I wasn't having a shower (although my college BFF Natalie is throwing me a sprinkle in the spring, which is so freaking nice.  I love her.).  Anyway, I was wrong.  We received SO MUCH.  And I think it was premature on many of their parts because I don't think they are done having kids... I am vocal about the fact that if you want the clothes back in wearable condition, I don't want them.  I don't want the responsibility of keeping clothes in tidy condition.  I formula feed my children, which stains, and I am not going to spend hours trying to de-stain.   But this has not deterred anyone who has their heart set on helping to clothe dear Ben.

But I can't wrap my mind around how willing people are to part with their precious babies' clothes! It is so nice of them.  Or so mentally stable- you can decide for yourself.  I am insanely sentimental about my girls' clothing.  Like, I can't even part with badly stained white onesies because they contained my sweet Jackie and Hills.  It is bad.  Below are an array of clothing that were Jackie and Hilly's in the first 3 months of life (although Jackie is just modeling them because they are new and squeaky clean in these pics) that make me tear up when I just hold them in my hands.  I will never part with them.  I'll just have to buy these people really nice gifts when they have another baby as a thank you for their generosity.

 In the picture below, I had just taken Jax to Target.  I rarely got her dressed (other than for pictures) because I liked her to feel comfy.  So did Jim.  I guess I shouldn't be surprised when she only wants to wear shorts and a t-shirt at home.  :\

 Below is a NB outfit from Jim's secretary at the time.  Jackie was in NB size way longer than I anticipated. 2 months.

 Below is a sweet spring dress I picked up from Target.  She also has one in teal and pink (in our attic).

 Below is a froggy one that inspired this post.   I was rooting through a bag of clothes we just received for Ben and this frog outfit was included (in a bigger size).  I had a visceral reaction.  I almost traveled back in time and grabbed my baby Jackie and started giving her a bottle.

 Below are Jax and Jim watching Duke basketball in March.  Jax is modeling her St. Patrick's Day onesie (that Hilly wore around Halloween 2011) from Aunt Karen and Uncle Craig.

 Below is another t-shirt and jeans outfit.  Jeans on an infant are cruel, I've since decided, but at the time, I thought they just looked cute.  :)

 Below is one of Jim's favorites.  It's fleece and so super soft.  Whenever I would take a shower or leave the baby for any period of time with Jim alone, he would change her into this sleeper or one made of a similar material. 

 Below is a terribly mismatched outfit.  Hillers, born in the summer, got more wear out of non-feet outfits.  But I have an urge to put baby J in PJs just looking at this outfit.  She must have been cold!  This is why I don't have winter babies anymore. 

 I don't even really LIKE the blue sleeper below because it has a collar.  But still... she wore it, so I am completely attached.

 I LOVE the animal sleepers from Carters.  Enough said.  Hilly wore this like crazy too.  I will love it forever.

 Below- please, could I possibly give away the PJs Jax wore while meeting the first baby to ever completely steal my heart??? Hell no.

 Below- Jackie never wore this dress more than twice, but my mom picked it up for me on sale while I was pregnant and I remember just falling in love with it. I couldn't wait until she could wear it. 

 This is the outfit we took Jax home from the hospital in.  Everyone told me to get ready for this big ass baby.  She didn't fit into that outfit for another 3 months.  :\

 Umm... see smile below.  This sleeper breaks every rule in my book- it is blindingly magenta.  It is awful looking.  But it is the sleeper my pooh-bear was wearing when she gave me her first legit smile for the camera.  Love it.

 Lastly, my munchkin again in a sleeper I don't really like- since I feel this particular brand is stiff and the zipper seems uncomfortable.  But.........guess what.  She wore it when she was this small.

Unfortunately for our attic, this is the way I feel about... pretty much everything the girls have ever worn.  Hillers got to wear all this stuff too.  I am going to go through and find pics of my Hilly boo in these clothes.  But Hilly also has her own clothes that remind me so much of her alone.  Afterall, she was wearing 9-12 months in the summer while Jax was firmly in winter clothes by then.