Growing out of Baby Memories

At eight months old and 18 lbs my son is growing out of memories.  I'll explain.

Since Clark is almost nine months, I've been rummaging through his collection of clothes that he doesn't fit into yet, taking out the long sleeves (it's winter here) and 12 mos and 9-12 mos clothes.  Then I packed away the 6 mos and 3-6 mos that don't fit or he hasn't worn in a while.  The last part was the sad one for me.  The majority of Clark's 3-6 mos clothes are onesies with cute cute animals or saying on them, like "Mommy's Alarm Clock," "Daddy's Fishing Buddy," and "My Dad is King of the Grill."  He's worn them most of his life, they are emblematic of his childhood so far (at least to me).

Most children's clothing manufacturers have seasonal runs.  They print designs or patterns for one season  or shorter.  So I probably couldn't find those same onesies in his size now if i tried.  So memories in those clothes are set and done. On to his next stage of life.

Recently, Clark learned to stand up and hold on to his crib, which is fine.  However, he extended that to the ability to stand in his crib, reach up and pull down his mobile.  That being a hazard means I had to take down the mobile. That mobile was hanging from his crib before he was even born.  He's loved those turtles that hang from his mobile since he came home from the hospital.  It's always been how we put him to sleep.  Those days are officially a wrap.  So little time, so many memories.

Guide to Baby Pajamas

The temperatures are starting to dip in most places outside the tropics (in the Northern Hemisphere). If you have a baby or infant, you have probably gone out to buy or began to think about buying pajamas to keep your little one warm at night.  My son Clark was born in the Spring and we live in Vegas. Until very recently the temperature ranged from frying pan to the fire.  Clark rarely wore anything besides short sleeve onesies, even to sleep.  With Christmas fast approaching, the temperature in the desert has dropped significantly, especially at night.  So, now we put Clark to sleep in warm comfy jammies.

We've learned that not all pajamas are alike. Some are far more friendly to you as a parent than others.  Besides warmth, your biggest concern will be access.  When your baby wakes up in the darkest hours of the night and needs changing, you want the process to be as easy as possible.  So it is important to look for pajamas with easy access to the diaper.  This usually entails snaps/buttons that run at least from each of the the legs to the crotch. With that you can remove the offending diaper, wipe the butt, and put on the new diaper with as little hassle as possible.  Pajamas that force you to unzip the entire garment, then pull the legs out, mean you may have a cold baby while you're doing diaper management. You want quick access and minimum exposure to nighttime temperatures.  Lastly, get that baby back to sleep before he starts getting ideas about staying awake.

There are plenty of very cute pajamas with zippers or with snaps/buttons that only go up one leg.  They are mighty cute, but in the wee ours of the morning with a crying baby, you'll appreciate form over function.  This also works in reverse, if there is someone you don't like, buy cute pajamas for their kid with a convoluted design.  They'll think of you in their moment of despair.  I'm just kidding, don't do that.

     - Clark's Dad

Do Not Wait Too Long to Dress Up Your Newborns and Infants

 

Admitted, I'm a sucker for cute baby clothes.  It's not unheard of for me to buy clothes for my baby or friends' babies because they were just too cute to pass by.  Damn you, Garanimals! I can't be the only one. Walmart uses this fact against me (and my ilk) by placing the cutest baby items along the main aisle.  I call it the "parent trap."

Besides what I was "trapped" into buying, my wife and I also received baby clothes as gifts.  By the time my son Clark was born, there were plenty of outfits we couldn't wait to take pictures of him wearing.  We imagined the places we would take those pictures, and how wonderful they would be.

Well, the problem is once your baby is born the clock on fitting into NB/0 or Newborn size starts ticking.  The size of your baby at birth is the biggest factors, but those newborns sure do grow quickly.  Before you know it, those super cute outfits are getting rather snug on your "little" one. 

There are going to be many sleep deprived nights once you bring home your new bundle of joy.  You are not going to want to go out anywhere.  Plus, many parents consciously choose to not leave the house with their new babies for quite a while.  There may be the occasional visitors that inspire you to dress up junior before he or she spits up or poops their way out of the outfit.   Therefore, there may not be very many occasions for you to dress up your little bundle in all those cute clothes you bought (or received).  There will definitely be fewer than you expect.

Clark wore mostly his short sleeve white onesies (it's hot in Vegas) around the house with a few cuter onesies in rotation.  He weighed over 8 lbs at birth.  He started outgrowing size NB at three weeks and 0-3 mo at around 2 months. 

So don't wait for special occasions to dress up your newborn.  If you do, you may find yourself with a closet or drawers full of the cutest baby clothes that your infant never got to where and are now too small.  Maybe, you can give them to an expectant friend or someone less fortunate.



     - Clark's Dad