It's that time again here at View from A Daddy when endless amounts of clothes that have fit perfectly for about 3 months have now started to shrink. My first thought when this happens, although I should be more aware now as the Little Lady is 2.5 years old, is that I have washed them on too high a temperature or at least someone has. I utter the odd curse and stretch the arms out a bit on the t-shirts etc but soon enough I realise that she's had growth spurt. Yes, another one.
When she was tiny it was all about the leaps and trying to gauge when her teeth might cut or her moods might change but now it's mostly about the incredible pace at which she grows. She has always been long / tall (whatever) but it never ceases to amaze me at the rate at which this one grows. I should know better, she's little - what else is there to do when you are this age. Her mind rapidly grows everyday; her body is bound to be doing the same!
So, the wardrobe clearance begins. The endless folding and lamenting 'ah but she looks so cute in that - maybe I could squeeze another wear out of it'. Again, I should know better, there is no point in this. The appealing look that once was, is lost to the peeping vest or socks that make an appearance on that 'one last wear'. In my day a kid with 'ankle swingers' was not cool so these 'one last wears' should be avoided at all costs.
Nostalgia forces us to hold on to the lovely garments that are loaded into her drawers and wardrobe. That, and the fact that she has so many you feel you couldn't possibly part with them as they have only been worn a handful of times. The impending arrival of the baby means that if it's a girl, the clothes could be recycled (again - perhaps I am deluding myself). If the Health & Safety Executive visited us for a loft inspection, they may determine that there was a significant hazard in the weight that the ceiling was bearing especially that part just above my head when I'm in bed. I have fears that one day I will be woken to the aching and groaning of the boards as the ceiling falls in and the loft's content lands on me pinning me to the spot while Mrs View From a Daddy looks over and utters the words 'she looked so cute in that'.
I jest. What these spurts serve to remind me of is that this little one is growing fast. Yes, we probably do buy too many clothes (I'm sure Mrs View From a Daddy isn't going to stop doing that), but there are so many lovely things to be sampled. The irony being that most of her days are currently spent in one of her numerous dress up out fits. If she's not Queen Elsa or Cinderella, then she's a Star or a Ghost. Before anyone mentions the need to offer a balance in gender dressing up - there is a Cow Boy outfit too (we have no limits in the dressing up department here!). So, I'm going to seize the day. I'm going to cherish the time I get to look back through her clothes and remember each and every moment we have shared with her wearing these now super small clothes.
This post originally appeared at www.viewfromadaddy.co.uk