Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Do You Know What This Is?

I have always felt like I showed up late to the party. The having kids party that is. No, I am not of AMA (advanced maternal age - which is 35! sheesh! I'm not even 30 yet!) It's just all my friends had kids before me. And then once I was finally pregnant, thinking I would finally fit into the "mom club", I realized my friends were debating exactly how cute the yellow Wiggle was and whether or not Hannah Montana was an appropriate character for a kindergartener's backpack. Don't get me wrong, my friends are awesome and truly the best, but I was still behind. Even when I went to my first MOPS meeting, I had the youngest only child. I might always be a little behind. But the other night - well the other night made it all worth it.


Do you know what this is? This is generosity at it's finest. Alternately, it could be called Lily's Wardrobe for the next year, if not longer. It is what happens when all your friends have kids older than your own. This is the booty I walked away with after a steering meeting for MOPS. My super generous friends Justine and Molly loaded me up with bags of their daughter's outgrown clothes. Lily has a complete, and I mean COMPLETE, wardrobe for the next year. Jeans, shirts, stretchy pants in every color, as well as a couple dresses, tons of shoes, and pajamas. I also have short sleeved shirts and tanks, shorts and sun dresses, and sandals for next summer. Everything is in the right size and almost everything is in immaculate shape. I can't believe how lucky I am.
Check out her new Christmas dress:

I even received the long sleeve version of my absolute favorite tee that I found at a thrift store, which she has sadly outgrown:

Here are a couple swim suits:

A nice coat:

This is in addition to all the clothes I already have for Lily. My mom scored a ton of adorable outfits at a garage sale earlier this summer, which I didn't think to photograph at the time and am not about to take off hangers now. I have been handed down random pieces here and there. I even have a couple brand new items from my baby shower. Some people bought things in way bigger sizes, so she will have some brand new items as well. As if she cares.
My kid is seriously going to be the best dressed kid around, and at almost no cost to me! How lucky are we?!?!?

PS - If you click on any of the pictures, particularly the first one, it will enlarge it and you can truly marvel at all the swag. Please ignore the pile of books on my nightstand, the wall that needs to be touched up, and general disarray of my bedroom!

2 comments:

Notes From The Frugal Trenches said...

WOW EE!!!

It's funny at 29 NONE of my friends from school, high school, or Uni are mum's yet and yet I know within society it is a very acceptable/normal age to have kids. Funny how things work out!

Don't you wish they made adult clothing to be so lovely?

Kelly said...

I know, it is crazy! I never really would have thought having a baby at 28 would put me behind my friends, yet even my friends who waited longer to have kids and are a little older than me still had babies first, albeit only by a couple months, and in one case my friend's daughter is only 1 month and 4 days older than my daughter. But it sure gave me a wealth of resources for all those silly baby questions - though I have beaten my own path in some respects - and of course lots and lots of hand-me-downs, including toys and of course clothes!