Changing Perspectives

I was talking to one of my girlfriends the other day about kids, you know because that's my life, and an interesting observation come to me. I was thinking about my sister because she's having her first baby really soon. We had her shower on the 7Th and she got some really cute stuff. There were a lot of adorable outfits which made me think back to my first baby.

When I had my first child, I wanted to have everything perfect for him. He had to have just the right clothes, and his outfits had to look perfect. When he got messy I would change him, which resulted in probably 3-4 outfits a day. I wanted the name brand crib and bassinet. The perfect stroller system that had the amazing car seat with it. The name brand diapers that were supposed to be so much better because they had the word Huggies on the box. He had everything in order and not a hair out of place.

Then I had my second child. A girl this time. I still wanted to have everything nice and neat but I noticed that it sometimes took me a little longer to get the outfit changed or the diaper changed or to get her hair done. It didn't matter that the diapers said Luvs on them instead of Huggies as long as I saved a couple of bucks. She still looked okay, but not as put together as her brother did in the earlier stages.

Then came the third child, another boy. This time I was grateful for the hand me downs. The second hand store where we got a great deal on the crib and mattress set. The stroller and car seat that I was able to borrow from my sister in law so I didn't have to buy another one (because I had gotten rid of all of my old stuff after Gabbie, thinking we were done). And all of the clothes that I was able to borrow from the same sister in law. I didn't have to buy anything for the first year of his life. My third child usually stays in his same outfit all day unless there is a major catastrophe. I even let him stay in his Jammie's all day. There are also the days when he will run around in just his onesie.

It's funny to look back and see how the progression has taken place from one to three kids and the changes that it's made in my perceptions of what is important. A healthy loving environment for them to grow up in. It doesn't matter what the diapers say on them or what the labels on there clothes read. As long as my kids are healthy and happy, then so am I.