I like kids consignment stores and consignment events for yuppie designer brands that I don’t want to spend all my money on, but for some reason love to put on my children for the two weeks they can wear them. My favorite find, ever? This never-worn Lilly Pulitzer dress. It remains my favorite Lilly of all time. Charlotte was Henry’s age (approximately 7 months) in this picture. I picked the color to go with her eyes. Gah! My beautiful baby girl! I love these.

Alas, she is not a baby anymore. My first-born is a clever, active and growing preschooler with storage bins of organized infant and toddler clothes piling up in her closet. Last week I decided to try my hand at some local consignment shops to offload some adorable stuff. I saved some special items for posterity or my sister if her next baby is a girl.

Washing, repacking and taking these clothes to the store was more emotional than I had anticipated. Greyson and I had a moment as I sorted and inspected each item. Giving up those tiny garments was symbolic of her baby days being long gone. It was partly an admission that I may be done having babies. I’m done right? I’m not having anymore children…right?

But, I got over it. Time marches on. They’re just clothes. I have the photos and the memories. Let’s get down to business.

The business of consigning took for freakin’ ever! Thankfully the women at the store helped me unload. They warned me they weren’t taking too many items under size 24 months or 2T   because they get so much baby stuff. Okay, but I had crazy-awesome stuff that my child looked ADORABLE in and anyone would want to have, so I was good, right? An hour or so later I went back to the shop to find out how I was gonna make it rain with all the mad money I was sure to get for my baller baby clothes.

I got $41 dollars for maybe a sixth of all this:

Okay. No worries. This shop wasn’t taking baby stuff. Off to the next one! Two hours of my life, running out of gas in a nearby parking lot, and driving a town away was all it cost me to get $7.41. This store told me I “had a lot of stains.” Seriously?! That microscopic spit-up dot on a name-brand onesie means I get no money?! Trust me. I did not try to consign the things with the real stains. I had stuff that looked like my kid had worn it while running through the sewer before butchering some meat. I have bought some things with a tiny stain or itty-bitty hole or snag in the fabric. No biggie. It’s pre-owned. I get it, but 7 bucks? Screw this! I’m keeping the rest of her clothes and not ruling out a third kid to put in them. Well, maybe. Nah, I’m done. I’ll just donate it. I’d go with Craig’s List or eBay, but if that’s as much effort as this was, forget it.

Dear Henry,

I made it. Right on the 6th I’ m writing this to you. Your ol’ mom may be getting the hang of this two children life.

Today Charlotte asked to hold you. I had her sit back and I used a throw pillow to support your head that doesn’t really need supported anymore. After a few moments she said, “He is getting really big, Mama! Can you take him now?” I laughed as I relieved her. That was the understatement of the month.

Son, you are well over 15 lbs. I suspect you are already 16 lbs. We’ll know for sure on your 4 month check-up next week. That means you have doubled your birth weight in 4 months. We get a good arm workout carrying you around. You can already wear your size 6 month clothes. Your baby chub is delicious and adorable! I’m sure I’ll embarrass you with that tidbit one day.

Your fourth month was a blur with big snow and ice storms and everyone in our house getting sick, but you stuck through it, all smiles. I have been loving all the one-on-one time with you. You are sweet, happy company. When you’re not eating, you’re smiling, giggling and trying to roll over. You rolled over once, but it was kind of an accident and you haven’t done it again, so I’m not counting it, yet. You love being with me in the wrap or the carrier. At the grocery store you like to face out and smile at everyone. Literally. There is not an aisle of the store where you aren’t stopped and admired.

You have been sitting in your Bumbo chair everyday. You are strong and push up with your legs when we hold you up. The cutest thing was your amazing foot discovery. You found your right foot, then your left and you haven’t let go. We chuckle at how you want to hold your feet all the time. You have started to show interest in rattles and baby toys, mostly by putting them in your mouth. Your sister loves to take them from you or aggressively cram one of these toys in your face. She means well. Most of the time.

Watching your relationship with Charlotte has been wonderful this month! Sometimes, if you get fussy and can’t be soothed, we put you in your bouncy seat in front of her while she plays and you calm right down. She tickles you and and you laugh. She smiles and you grin bigger than ever. That’s when my heart feels like it’s going to burst. Daddy and I love seeing you together.

Your few, fleeting nights of sleeping 6 hour stretches were right when I wrote your 3 month letter. Yeah, you slept like that for maybe a couple nights. Mama spoke too soon. We’re gonna have to figure out something to get you to start sleeping through the night.

You make the exhaustion worth it. You are such a good, sweet baby. I love every moment with you. I love you, my sweet, sweet boy.

Love,

Mama

Ron Burgundy would have been jealous of my son’s head of hair when he came out of the womb 3.5 months ago. But, it was short lived. Poor kid. We got a glimpse of what Henry will look like in his early forties if male pattern baldness sets in. It has grown back. His extremely round noggin is a little more covered these days. Here’s a visual timeline of the loss and regrowth:

I didn’t realize I would be able to relate to my son in his hair loss plight. I disgusted my dear Instagram and Twitter followers a few weeks ago with this:

Granted, I have a lot of hair. It’s fine, but I have a lot of it. I’ve always liked my hair. It’s straight, shiny and looks good long or short. A tried and true brunette, the color is deep and not the grayish “mousy brown” many women bleach out and then call “blond.” With both pregnancies, my hair was thicker and shinier. It held curl better. I loved it.

Like clockwork, he hit 2.5 months or so and my hair started falling out as I remember it did after Charlotte was born, but this time it is WAY worse. When he turned three months it began coming out  in clumps. It has clogged the drain. It became a nest in the corner of the shower that could have comfortably housed a colony of some small amphibious animal. My husband accused me of using his sink. I tried to explain the uncontrollable migration of the shedding female mane. He looked at me today and said, “Should we be concerned? I mean. Should you talk to the doctor?”

It’s all over my children. It’s stuck in their clothes and on Charlotte’s plate. Since I nurse Henry all day and night and wear him around in a carrier, he gets the worst of it. When I had him at the pediatrician for a follow-up this week I confessed the grossest part of my hair loss. One of my hairs was wedged between his butt cheeks when I changed his diaper the other day. That’s when the doctor assured me that he likely had not ingested the hair, but that it fell out when I was changing him. She did, however, warn me of the dangers of hair tourniquets. Yeah, that’s when you could unknowingly tie off a tiny toe or a tiny penis with your hair. Ugh.

I read up on postpartum hair loss and it sounds like I’ll be okay by the time he’s one. I’m definitely getting a haircut soon. I think that will help. My hair is really long right now. I’m not to the Rogaine point yet, but I’ve considered changing shampoos or doing the shampooless-shampoo thing. I’ve ditched the comb for now and try to use my brush with wide bristles. I would love to hear any other hair loss stories and advice here.

My son’s hair returning gives me hope. Who knew I’d long for a pregnancy side-effect? To my pregnant friends: Hold on to those hair hormones!

Yep. This is a post where I show off my beautiful babies. It’s shameless. I know.  Ya’ll! Look at these! My sweet friend Brooke is a very talented photographer specializing in weddings, families and kids. Check her out here and on Facebook here. Maybe it’s just me, but I love looking at newborn photography. It’s an ovary overload. It makes me want like, 20 babies. Seriously.

Brooke and I had an awesome time arranging my little man in a basket and taking adorable photos. What it is about mamas? We love taking pictures of our naked little babies. He looks so sweet and wonderful as freshly baked newborns should . I look at these and my exhaustion from not sleeping in six weeks vanishes. I love these children and can’t believe I have these awesome pictures of them. Thank you, Brooke! Tell me which ones you think would make a good canvas or framed photo in the house.

Dear Henry,

Welcome to the world, son! You have made us a family of four. You have made us the parents of two children, “somebodies” parents, if you will. You were one month old on Friday.

This month we have listened to your grunts and coos. You are warm, round, sweet and floppy. We have snuggled and gotten to know you. You have snoozed in our arms and looked at us with your dark blue eyes. We love watching you get a little more alert each day. You are a very good baby. You’re not giving Mama and Daddy a ton of sleep at night because you are so hungry nearly every two hours.

You love nothing more than to eat. We have watched in amazement as you seemed to grow by the hour. The doctors have been shocked at how much weight you have gained. You already graduated from newborn to size 1 diapers. You can wear newborn and 0-3 month size clothes, but 3 month sizes will fit you very soon. We are pretty certain you are more than 10 lbs., up from 8 lbs. 2 oz. at birth.

You are already a patient little brother. When your big sister gets a tad zealous with her love and and excitement, you take it in stride, never crying when she kisses and hugs you a little roughly. We giggled when she shared her princess stickers with you. She likes to show you your baby toys, even if you are deep in sleep and can’t see them.

When you were born you had so much hair, including some down your back and on your arms. Everyday you shed a little more and get a little more bald up top. We laugh at your balding and wonder if this means you will be spared male pattern baldness as an adult. We wonder what color and texture your hair will grow in when it comes back.

We are so excited to see you grow and spend our lives with you. Thank you so much for bringing joy to our family. We will never forget your first month. I love you, Henry,  my sweet, sweet boy.

Love,

Mama