Goodbye Baby Goodies...

I sold my baby gear today. The bumbo seat. The wipe warmer. The swing. Oh my.

As I sat in the second hand store, watching them sort and test and poke at my precious baby gear, I was in a fog. A fog of memories...shopping for all this stuff with such joy and anticipation. Opening the wonderful packages at my baby showers. The way my babies looked all bundled up and sleeping in the swing. The sound of the wipe warmer clicking shut after a midnight diaper change. The feel of my babies against my body as I carried them in the front carrier...I always loved how their impossibly soft fuzzy heads were at just the right height that I could simply put my head down, close my eyes, and breathe in their sweet baby smell.

Seventy-five bucks. For my used baby stuff. For my baby memories.

Oh, I know, I know. I wasn't selling my baby memories. But have you ever noticed how a particular fabric pattern, or a particular sound or smell can bring up incredible memories? I hated to part with the stuff. Sure, a certain corner of our bedroom is now cleared out. But I'll never have another baby again? How can that be? How is it that I will never again tuck my sleeping babe into that sweet little blue and white flowered bassinet?

"Did they buy it, Mom?" was the inquiry of my two oldest kids. The money from the sale funded their school supply shopping.

"Yup. We're done here."

"Yay! Let's go! I want a 'Hello Kitty' backpack, okay?"

"And I want a 'Hulk" one!"

"And I want glue sticks, not the gooey white kind. Sticks, okay, Mom?"

"Do you think we'll be able to get a treat after shopping?"

Yeah, they're done with this baby stuff. I guess they're ready to move on. Wait for me, kiddos. Wait for me.