This past year my husband and I decided that we were officially done, and there would be no more babies for us. Logically, next came the daunting task of what to do with all the baby stuff we had accumulated from our daughter. It was no small feat, and required a massive garage sale to get rid of the bulk. Of course not everything sold, which meant there was still some “baby stuff” to get rid of. I would save that for another time.
After putting away gifts from Christmas and seeing I still had not done anything with the baby pile, I knew I did not want to welcome 2018 with the small pile still in the basement. Off I went to Goodwill to donate.
Immediately after dropping off the last of the “baby stuff” I felt liberated for 3 reasons:
Less Bulk and Clutter
Storing anything baby requires a lot of space. Even when disassembling is required to attempt to save some space, it still won’t fit back in the box. Then comes all the clothes. I think I had a total of 13 storage bins of just clothes and shoes from newborn to 4T. After all that was said and done, it was really nice getting back all that space back.
End of an Era
My days of toddler chasing, diaper bag packing, and breastfeeding are over. Sorting through clothes and toys and deciding what to get rid of or save reminded me of my early days of motherhood. I didn’t have a clue of what I was doing and was praying that I didn’t mess up to the point where I ruined her life. While I wish she could stay small forever, I know that it’s time to move on. Cheers to surviving “the early years,” with hopes of getting through elementary with minimal scrapes and bruises.
Complete
My family feels complete. This feeling of being complete has seriously lifted off the stress and anxiousness I have felt. I had a lot of “what ifs” weighing on me, wondering how I would handle pregnancy, labor, and surviving year one with another baby. Now I can solely continue to worry about if I’m doing a good job as a mother.
Although I will miss the baby snuggles and newborn smell, I’m ready for what is in store and what adventures await us.
Did you have any feelings after getting rid of any baby items?
