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Hey y’all! I was out with some girlfriends over the weekend and while talking about a trillion different topics, we touched on handing down gently used children’s clothes, repurposing special outfits, etc. Here’s part of the convo:
Girlfriend: Did you keep anything from when LittleTDJ was a baby?
MrsTDJ: Yeah, him. I kept him.
They all laughed at me, but I was dead serious. I’m not sure why, but no, I’ve not chosen to keep any items from when he was a little baby. Typically, I’m the rose petals inside the dictionary, first letter MrTDJ ever handwrote to me, ticket stub from the ’92 Nature by Nature concert keeping kinda chick.
For some reason though, I’d not kept a single miniature version of LittleTDJ’s stuff. I’ve gone tons of pictures and even some video. Perhaps it’s because I’m also getting on MrTDJ about being a packrat and saving “too much crap”. When we bought our home 4 years ago, I realized that we wouldn’t have that much storage space, so I purged tons of stuff. Romance novels I’d been holding for 15 years, flyers from college football games I’d attended, etc.
Now? My first instinct is to either throw it out or if it’s gently used, pass it on. Here’s hoping that LittleTDJ doesn’t come to me one day asking for bronze baby shows. *lol* Guess I’d have to stall him long enough to buy something off ebay that looked “aged”.
Are you keeper of things? For the mothers reading, did you save any items from the first 2 years of your baby’s life?
I’ve kept SOME things. I have the shirt they put on Jas after she was born and the blanket the wrapped her in and the paci they gave her. I have her 1st christmas onesie, the outfit she wore the 1st time she went to church and I also have her 1st pair of walking shoes. That’s about it. I don’t plan to keep anything else. A little girl at my bestfriends church gets all of Jas’s clothes that she can no longer fit.
I love passing down LittleTDJ’s gently used things and the super cute things with tags on that he never got to.
I used to keep football game tickets, graduation programs, etc. I too had to purge and let go. Now I keep 1 big plastic tote for my keepsakes.
LOL @ the big plastic tote. I had one of those plastic bins. I had to let it go.
I was perfectly content with your “I kept him” answer 😉 I would imagine that I will be much like you when the time comes. Although I consider myself a very sentimental person, with the exception of food, pictures and music, it’s not often connected to things but rather the intangibles like feelings and thoughts.
High Five sis! Pictures are sooooooo special to me! And since I have such a great memory, recalling the moments and experiences are always so wonderfully satisfying to me.
I do save things in general. But only significant things that can fit into a scrap book (which I will hopefully get to create in the not to distant future)
For my son I have saved memorable items in his baby book and some really good or cute drawings as he’s been growing up, but that’s about it.
LOl @ that scrapbook. I understand. I had prego pics, his hospital band, 3D sono pics, etc. Um, yeah. My mother knows me well enough to take it all from my possession and create the scrapbooks herself. They are masterpieces!!
I hope that I’ll be able to soften a little to keep some of LittleTDJ’s artwork and such as he grows older. **groaning**
I purged much of my little boys clothes when we moved but kept a small box of his infant clothing. It’s a good thing I did because baby number 2 surprised us and thoses remaining items were put to use. Now that baby number two has out grown his newborn clothing I’m prepared to donate his clothes to charity. I’m also decided to part with several old bridesmaids gowns. I’m never wearing a satin a-line tangerine colored gown again.
That was perfect that you had clothes for the littlest bit to join y’all. LOL @ never wearing a tangerine gown again!
Sell ’em on ebay cuz! Get a few pennies back from all that invested in them.
I don’t have any children, but I have friends who swear they’re keeping their pre-teens items for when I do. . . um, that’s okay. I don’t want to add to others inability to throw things away. So I’m with you MrsTDJ, don’t keep it.
http://blackbeautysdailytips.blogspot.com
Keeping pre-teen items???? Jesus be a therapist to stop these folks from becoming hoarders!!!
Thanks for stopping by and welcome to blogland!!
Ma’am… please don’t buy fake baby shoes on ebay!! I can’t w/you. My grandma still has my MOM’S baby shoes from 1955!! I couldn’t stop squealing over those shoes! I think shoes are the only thing I’ll keep when I have children. Oh and the children. LOL You are such a mess.
LOL! Only if I have to J, only if I have to! I don’t want to boy to get all silly one day and freak out if I don’t have some little bronzed shoes! If I do, I promise to tell you all about it!
I love your honesty and your response…I wonder how many mommies actually keep most or all the baby stuff?! I did recently came across some of my niece’s dolls when she was younger and my heart melted!!
Well, from this oh so official blog survey of the 0.0000029% of the planet that reads and comments, I’d say that most do not keep many things. *lol* I’m happy you got a great feeling from the dolls!
We’re not done with the first year yet, but there are only a few things I’m keeping-one being his preemie onesies so he can see how tiny he was.
I’m very curious to hear how many things you choose to keep or not to keep. I have an amazing picture from the day after our son was born – he’s curled into a little ball, and my husband’s hand is splayed across his back. His palm covers LittleTDJ’s entire back. I just love it. I may have to post it.
sadly YES i save a bunch of stuff…like programs (funerals, weddings, graduation), ticket subs, clothes, shoes, a bunch of STUFF that i am going to be purging because I have WAYYYYY to much stuff…so imagine when the lil moves here and then i have a lil one! SMH
Even funeral programs girl???? Um yeah, you’re gonna need to go ahead and get rid of most of that stuff. I know you’re in the DC metro! *lol* Don’t make me FIND you!
Love your response!!
I’m definitely not a keeper of many things. I have one of those paper hat boxes that I keep sentimental “stuff” in. I’ve had it for 20 years and there’s still plenty of good room in that thing. It’s on the top shelf of my closet so storage is not an issue.
I have three things from LG’s infancy – blankets that were crocheted/knitted by my mom and a close friend. The rest of that stuff? Long gone!
Girl! During that first year, there was some days when his little future was in jeopardy, ok??? LOL @ there being plenty of room left in your box. I did have 2 crochetted blankets and I gave them to a coworker who was having a baby and needed things.
You’re funny LOL! Glad you kept him! I keep stuff. Too much stuff! I need to get rid of this stuff.
Purge girl! Purge!! Don’t make me come to Cali to help you! LOL!
I’ve kept NOTHING! Except irrationally, a loc of hair from his first haircut. People talk about me all the time: what if you have another? Then I’ll buy him all new stuff. Because I will not have all of that stuff piled up in my house. I have limited storage, so I can’t have too much clutter!
BWAHA @ the loc of hair!! Girl, what are you gonna do with that???
I have my baby’s first bronzed sandals because by the time she was really able to wear shoes it was summer time and they were her very first pair shoes and the dress she wore her first day home in a shadow box frame but that’s pretty much it.
I actually like the idea of the shadow box frame. Not just having them laying around, but turning them into a piece of display art.
I started out keeping things then I ran out of space and patience. I have pictures of my son when he was a newborn. That’s good enough for me
High Five!! Rolling with team PHOTOS ARE ENOUGH! =)
My first child is only 14 weeks old so I still have all of her things… my husband and I want another baby soon, so I’m keeping it all… just in case the new kiddo is a girl. If it weren’t for that, I’d be doing exactly what you did.
In that case, practical usage, I totally understand keeping it all. Your little princess is too adorable so I know y’all have tons of pictures already!
I kept some things, like the outfit they wore home from the hospital, and a few other small things I was attached to. I have recently decluttered and a whole bunch of stuff didn’t make the cut, but I felt good passing it along to someone who really needed instead of it cluttering up this house.
Agreed! Passing it on is a great feeling. They go through everything so quickly and there are a couple of pieces that I didn’t get the value out of, so seeing it on another child is satisfying.
I wrote a post about this very same issue when my baby was still an infant. I opted to give just about all her stuff away because I didn’t see the sense in keeping it or saving it for later, when someone else could use it now. I kept a couple items for sentimental reasons, but that’s about it! Give and you shall receive! lol
Yeah, I thought I totally would be the “save it all” mom, but clearly I’m not! Give and you shall receive!
I used to keep stuff like certificates from school and report cards etc. but with 5 kids that quickly came to a stop! But I have lots of pictures!
Have a great day hun!
LOL @ the 5 sets of everything piling up! I can only imagine. Yes ma’am, the pics are FULLY SUFFICIENT for me! Have yourself a great weekend! I’ll be over to your “space” soon to get my Friday jam!
I have nothing but ultrasound scans. As far as photos I still haven’t recovered from losing hundreds of baby photos on my old laptop. The husband mistakenly gave it away because it wasn’t working! He didn’t tell me until months later and by the time I contacted said person they had junked it. Ugh!
Hugs and Mocha,
Stesha
**crying in solidarity*** Ooh Stesha, I’m so sorry!!
Every moment I think about it I get OJ Simpson & Joe Jackson mad! Real mad:)
Hugs and Mocha,
Stesha
I have all of little man’s clothes. Currently going through them to see what I’d like to give away. My mom kept stuff from when I was a baby. She has clothes and blankets. My baby now has one of my blankets and a few other things. It’s pretty cool. I’m trying to hold on to some stuff too while not getting to the packrat level! LOL
I do think the idea of keeping it and passing it down the generations is cute, but I just can’t. *lol*
Y’all gonna see me shame faced buying crap off ebay in 15 years!
I thought about this over the weekend as I was cleaning up and found the ID band that was tied around Lewis’ foot at the hospital. I stuffed it in my scrapbook folder for the scrapbook that I doubt I will ever create. I have pictures but that other stuff just takes up room.
Look like most other people didn’t keep everything either! Now I don’t feel bad for throwing away that braid of his from his first haircut LOL. What am I really going to do with that?
Woo hoo! Join our team ma’am! Team PHOTOS rocks!!!
Um, yeah, about that braid. I’m gonna need you to talk to Pookah’s Mom about that hair. LOL!
I still have EVERYthing! I’m telling myself I’m saving for the next one. So, check back in a couple of years, after baby 2, and see if I’m still holding on to the crawling knee pads that RJ wore for all of 2mins! LOL