Airing the (not so) Dirty Laundry

I don't think it's hard learning to be a mom. The loving comes naturally. The transition from not mom to mom is instantaneous. Amnesia sets in and you forget what you did with your life before you became a parent. What's difficult is learning how to rearrange your own life to bring your child into it. How are you going to organize the house? How are you going to build in nap times? How are you going to eat, drive, work and sleep when you have this fragile life in your hands? Everybody ends up with the solutions that work best for them eventually, but the joy is in the journey.

I had this epiphany last night while I was doing laundry, realizing how far I've come. Before the baby was born, my laundry folding skills were well above average. I'm not some military-style freak about my laundry, but I actually enjoyed folding baskets of hot laundry into organized stacks while watching a movie. But, when the baby came, I turned into all thumbs. Presented with tiny little outfits, onesies, footed pajamas, I was as befuddled as I am when trying to fold a fitted sheet. With baby clothes, nothing flattens properly. The shapes are all awkward. Stacks topple over. I struggled to find a way to fit everything in the drawers in an organized manner. (Was I just blessed with too many hand-me-downs or does everybody have his problem?)

I am finding my own way of dealing with the new laundry in my life just like I am discovering the best nighttime routine and nap schedule for our family. The joy is in the journey, but the real pleasure is sharing that journey with friends.

On that note, these are a few things I have learned about baby clothes:
1. Don't cut the tags off anything until you are actually ready to use it! I know this goes against everything "they" tell you about washing all the clothes in scent-free laundry detergent in the weeks before the baby is born. But, trust me. Some clothes will never fit your kid. Others will be the wrong season. You may get something that you love but never find the occasion to use. These clothes are a treasure if they still have the tags. You could have another kid who would appreciate some new clothes. You could make a lucky friend very happy with some top-notch hand-me-downs. Or, an entrepreneur could sell clothes on Ebay or in a consignment shop. Whatever your style - keep the tags on until you are sure. Wash only what you know you will use.

2. Before the baby is born, divide and box all the clothes by size and season. Keep a couple unseasonal outfits mixed in for balmy winter days and cool summer nights. The long plastic bins that slip under the bed work well.

3. Shortly before baby arrives prepare the 0-3 month clothes. In the top drawer place all the white t-shirts, onsies and sleepwear. In the first weeks, this will be the most popular drawer. The baby spends a large part of the first month swaddled tightly in a blanket so a white t-shirt, a diaper, socks and a hat are all that's really needed. (In the beginning, some clothes will be so small you can press them out flat in stacks. Later, they will have to be folded. See folding instructions below.)

4. In the drawers below – now this took me forever to figure out – first fold clothes in half lengthwise and then in half again. Stack them by outfit and place the stacks sideways in the drawer so that pieces of an outfit are next to each other rather than on top of each other. Traditional stacks of baby clothes are simply unstable and get destroyed when people go tearing through the drawer to find what they want - especially in the middle of the night.

5. If you have a spare drawer, place stacked bibs, hats, socks and other accessories together. Otherwise, use a basket or bin for these items. Blankets, burp clothes and wash rags need drawers or baskets of their own. Coats and dressy outfits that are only going to be worn once should go on a hanger.

6. A baby's wardrobe requires regular maintenance. Just as the baby really starts fitting into one size, open the next box and pull out some clothes that look small or seasonal. At the same time, rebox clothes that the baby is outgrowing to make more room.