J-Fest 2010: Things I've Saved

When Junius was a new baby, I was afraid that he and I might not survive those early, sleepless months together -- in my exhaustion, time seemed to move so slowly. Now that he's about to turn five, I look at his itty-bitty baby clothes and wonder if he was ever really that small -- and every year seems to go by faster than the one before.

Since then, I've handed on lots of his baby clothes, toys and gear -- but there are those little treasures that I've tucked away for safe keeping. Now that I've (more or less) recovered from the insanity of his newborn-ness, I can't let go of those reminders of how small and round and sweet he was as a baby.

For Junius Fest 2010 Day Two, here are five things I've saved from Junius's baby days:

1. Crocs: For his first year and a half, Junius was either barefoot or wearing Robeez. But ever since, his favorite shoes have been his Crocs. I think he loves that they're comfortable, colorful and easy to put on. I love that they're antimicrobial, so they don't get stinky from his shockingly smelly feet. He's picked a new color each year -- a little rainbow that charts his growth.
2. Coming home outfit: The first baby gift I received was a tiny little yellow onesie with a so-soft teddy bear on one side and snaps down the front. Since we didn't know he would be a boy (although in my heart, I knew he was), I took it to the hospital for the coming home outfit. I was startled when this tiny onesie swallowed up my 8 lb. 12 oz. baby -- who knew even the big babies were still so small?
3. First photo outfit: For his first professional photo in the studio at the 3 months old, Junius wore a little tan and white seersucker outfit that had once belonged to his Daddy. My MIL saved it and gave it to us when Juni was born -- we consider it his first (and definitely not his last) seersucker suit. He is a Southern boy, after all.
4. Christmas outfit: I love Christmas as much as my own birthday (and they're conveniently in the same month), so celebrating Junius's first Christmas was a big deal. He wore this one-piece footed pajama-like outfit (because, really, aren't all baby clothes just fancier pajamas?) that came with a matching velour hat with little reindeer antlers on top. He was so cute, it was almost dangerous. 
5. Swimsuit: It wasn't actually his first swimsuit (which was a hand-me-down for that very first summer), but it's the first swimsuit he wore when he was old enough to cruise around on the sand at the beach. His beautiful round toddler belly stuck out over the blue gingham trunks in the most adorable way.

There's more, of course, but those are the highlights. And in case you missed it, you can read about things Junius loves to do (that I hope he never stops doing) on Day One of Junius Fest 2010. The party continues tomorrow...