One thing that people immediately say when they find out you are having a second child of the same gender is something about sharing clothes. This is kind of dumb, but I am guilty of it too. While there are far more important and better things about having two girls, hand-me-down clothes are a blessing! But it also feels like a constant cycle of clothes organization: Moving clothes from one Rubbermaid tub to someone's drawers, and clothes from the drawers to another tub, and sorting out other things to give away. Add to this fun that our girls share a small bedroom with one closet and it's enough to make me want to bury my head under a pile of 18-24 month pajamas. Today as I was going through the hand-me-down circle of life again, I actually got a little emotional. You see, Elliott is starting to outgrow the things that Abbey was wearing when Elliott was born... but this time I don't have another baby girl to save the clothes for. Of course I do realize the remedy to that problem ;0) but Chad and I do not want another baby. Still, it's a little sad. Some of the clothes in particular bring back memories of Abbey when she was 2 or 3, and make me think about how different, and yet similar, my two girls are.
I love it when they snuggle. Elliott is wearing mismatched pajamas and Japanese socks that used to be Abbey's. 
Elliott wearing "the cute heart shirt," January 2010
Abbey in the same shirt, January 2007 We are still using that cup, too.
Happy Abbey, sitting in the now-Elliott's booster chair
We don't have this shirt anymore (Elliott could not stand a turtleneck), but something else is similar...
Ah, yes. Abbey still making a crazy face, and Elliott making one of her own.
In three years I'll have a picture of Elliott in the Christmas monkey pajamas.
Sometimes when I look at old pictures of Abbey, I feel sad for another reason. She seemed older to me than she really was, because she is very smart and has always been a good talker. But I expected too much of her and was too hard on her at the time. Seeing that picture up there of her reminds me she was just a 3 year old- partly a big kid, but still partly my baby, and I wish I had enjoyed it more. Sigh. So now I try to think of Elliott as still my baby, and enjoy Abbey too, and of course, thank God for my clothes-sharing sister girls every day.
I love it when they snuggle. Elliott is wearing mismatched pajamas and Japanese socks that used to be Abbey's. 
Elliott wearing "the cute heart shirt," January 2010
Abbey in the same shirt, January 2007 
Happy Abbey, sitting in the now-Elliott's booster chair
We don't have this shirt anymore (Elliott could not stand a turtleneck), but something else is similar...
Ah, yes. Abbey still making a crazy face, and Elliott making one of her own.
5 comments:
Don't feel bad - I did the same thing with my Possum and I think it happens to first-born children in most families.
I'm like you. I hate the constant sorting of the clothes, but it's so nice to see the younger girls wearing something that reminds me of when the older ones were little. Even some of Dragon's baby/toddler clothes were handed down although now we give his outgrown clothes to a friend with 5 boys! Then I see one of her little boys wearing Dragon's old clothes and find myself reminiscing.
I loved your post Bethany. . there is constant clothes shuffling going on here too :) And, I agree, I treated Ainsley older than she really was, and she grew up a lot faster than Trey is having to grow up. Such is the life of the first child :) I wonder if in 3 yrs we will look back at their 6 yr old pictures and think the same thing?!
I can't wait to start the clothes sharing when I have another baby. I have a closet full of both genders. I get sad when I put the clothes in a box, and realize I'll never see that child in the cute outfit again. But it's fun for you to reminisce through another child!
I do the rubbermaid/drawer tango too and my kids don't share clothes! I hang onto them in case I need them again. I understand what you mean about enjoying Elliot. I feel like I've done the same thing with Reagan. Kids are resilient and forgiving. Thank God! I always love your posts. You should be a writer.
I know just what you mean about being too hard on my oldest and about the clothes. I have far too many that I can remember both of my girls wearing, so I save them (just in case!). But (gasp!) saving sippy cups! Bethany, get rid of them if there are any scratches or bite marks because chemicals seep out of the plastic.
Anyway, it is nice to know I am not the only one so sentimental about something like a pair of old Japanese socks!
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