Clothing Crisis

This morning while dressing Carter I was, as usual, crippled with indecision about which cute outfit to put on him. Preppy stripes? Footed duck jammies? Onesie embellished with witty phrase? Looking over the profusion of adorable choices, I happened to glance down at my own stained tee and saggy yoga pants. Suddenly I came to the startling realization that my son's wardrobe is far better than my own. Between the preloved hand-me-downs from friends' sons and the collection we've amassed from generous baby gifts, his drawers are full to bursting with 0-3 month clothing. In fact, my little fashion plate could probably wear a different 0-3 month outfit every day until the three month mark without repeating.

While I rotate between the same handful of decent-looking tops and somewhat-flattering pants, Carter is perpetually decked out in a parade of fantastic duds - or rather, he would be, if I had the wherewithal to dress him up every day. However, more often than not I forgo the snazzy Ralph Lauren jumpers in favor of comfy sleepers or a onesie and socks, then spend the rest of the day feeling guilty about not dressing my child better. Evidently the indecision with which I have always faced my own closet has now trickled down upon my baby's. Curses!

Not only has Carter now outgrown all his "Newborn" clothing, he is also too big for several of his 0-3 month outfits. My best friend Erica had given me an organic cotton red onesie with white piping and matching hat and socks - it was the first clothing anyone gave me for the baby, and I'd planned to have him wear it home from the hospital. However, it was far too massive for his tiny body when he was born, so I had saved it until last week. I tried it on him, only to find that it was now TOO SMALL. I missed the window! The poor child looked so uncomfortable, so I took a few pictures for posterity and have since retired that outfit to the back of the closet.

Behold my child, AKA the Christmas Elf:


His "Why the hell have you done this to me, mommy??" face:


Unfortunately, after 3 months, he's out of luck - I only have a tiny collection of 3-6 months clothing, so his wardrobe will diminish significantly come December. Also, I have decided that before I go back to work in December (argh!) I am treating myself to a wardrobe upgrade, too. Babies R Us and Banana Republic, here we come!