The First Baby Clothes We Ever Bought

November 2, 2011- Matt and I went shopping to get baby stuff for the very first time. Let's just say the aisles of bottles, car seats, strollers, bouncers, bedding, etc. was a bit overwhelming. I was naive to think I could just go pick up some bottles unaware of the fact that there were 50 to choose from, and they all advertised different benefits. Who knew? So we gave up on choosing a bottle and moved onto the next aisle, needless to say we had a repeat experience with every item we looked at. That is except for a diaper changing pad- pretty standard and only a few to choose from, and a few clothes on the clearance rack that caught my eye. Didn't need any advice for that! I guess I remember the clothes the most because it was the first time we ever stepped into Babys R Us and the first time I dared to actually buy baby clothes for our child. That was an exciting moment, especially because Jess texted us when we were at the store. When I told her where we were she was excited for us and related to the overwhelming feeling because she had the same experience when she went the first time. I think just hearing from her and how supportive she was- even having a "Juno moment" as she called it when she asked me if I was going to have a baby shower so I wouldn't have to get everything by myself, reinforced the fact that it was all real and therefore okay for me to be shopping. I think that shopping excursion was that moment when we started to cross the line from years of dreams to reality.

Why am I writing about this now? Today when I was finally taking the time to pack away clothes that Ollie has outgrown I started to put that outfit, the first one I ever bought, in his bag of old stuff, and all those memories came back. Funny how we can have an emotional reaction to tangible things that are tied to significant memories. I thought about how I didn't recall having any pictures of Ollie in that outfit, at first I shrugged an "oh well" because I know I have a million pictures of him and he would never know, but then I couldn't resist the urge to fill that little outfit with his cuteness to document how much better that little miracle of ours is than we ever could have imagined back then.

So here they are- the empty clothes. I love our somewhat hesitant smiles still trying to figure our if it was okay for us to be shopping and so excited over the anticipation of our unborn son that would someday fill them...

And here he is a little over a year later filling those clothes, our home, and our life with nothing but joy! Another day in his life...

After I put him in his outfit we played in his room for a bit. (I am the jungle gym!)

Then he read some of his books while I kept working on cleaning out his drawers...

 

Then he got bored and wanted me to pick him up and take him on to bigger and better things. Here are the emotions he goes through when he wants me to pick him up. (All this took place in the matter of one minute) First it is the cry, indicating that he is no longer satisfied with what he is doing...

 Then the open arms begging for me to pick him up...

Then the excited look like- "hey pick me up because your going to have so much fun laughing at me!"

 Then the mad look because it's not working...

 The collapse to the floor, holding onto my legs beg...

 He finally got me with his "wrestle my leg so I can't do anything else anyway" beg! Haha!

Dada is working on building my Christmas present, so our house is a construction zone. Ollie can't help but touch all the tools, and he cracks me up how he walks around with his hand in his snack cup.

Today he ate from the squirt pouch all by himself, and finished all his vegetables. Yeah!

 

He keeps practicing walking and took a few more steps to Dada who was oh so excited and proud of him.

(Compare that big smile on Matt's face to the one of him holding those empty clothes- it's that little boy inside them that has made all the difference!)

While Matt was cleaning out some drawers Ollie found some old electronics- a new toy that looks just like the ones I won't let him touch!

And then we let him go outside and enjoy the weather. It's amazing right now- 77 degrees, but poor little guy the only real thing he gets to do in our backyard is swim and the water is too cold for that. I did tell him once he starts walking I will start taking him to the park so he can run around and play in the grass. Today he found a small patch of rocks very entertaining. He started with digging them out as fast as he could.

He practiced a little standing...

He tried tasting the rocks a few times but quickly rejected the flavor each time, or was it the shock of me yelling "No! Yucky!" that got him to spit them out so fast?

He thought it was a whole lot of fun to bang the rocks on the poles- loved the noise.

Cutest little chubby expression ever :)

He spent some time reaching in to pet his old friend Rocky.

Always looking back to make sure I'm right there watching all the fun he is having!

Buying that first outfit was fun, but having this little boy fill those clothes is better than I ever imagined it would be! And Jess those big smiles on his face are all because you gave every part of this happy little life of his to him- Love you forever!!!