A Lesson in Laundry

This week I learned something whilst doing laundry. ( I also learned I would like to use the word, “whilst” more often. It feels so much more Jane Austen than just your everyday “while”)

Upon doing the first in what will be many, many loads of little girl laundry in which the clothes belong to TWO little girls instead of just one, I was struck with several realizations. First, time really does fly. So fast I can hardly fathom where the last 2.5 years have gone since I was folding, preparing, re-folding these tiny newborn sleepers for Lucy before her arrival. Second, the sizes are so much more obviously different when they are side by side! My skinny minnie’s clothes look HUGE next to her baby sister’s! Not to mention for her I’m folding pajamas, play clothes, socks and underwear– no more diapers for her! She has gotten to be such a big girl overnight!

The difference is what concerns me most. I think it’s easy when you have only one child of one gender and then you know you are having another of the same, to fall into this auto-pilot mode of expecting everything to be just as it was before, just a repeat. This is something I’ve noticed about my own heart and mind lately that I am having to condition myself to having TWO completely different little girls, with TWO completely different sets of needs.

Though Lucy has been fairly calm and such an “easy” child with all major milestones, I know we may get a real firecracker with little Abby. If her movement in-utero is any indication, that is exactly what is in store for us.

So back to the laundry, I realized how great an opportunity folding the clothes of these little dear hearts is to pray for them and their specific needs. I pray that God gives us what we need to parent two different, though possibly similar, children and that we do it with His grace, patience and love. I also pray He reminds me of these little lessons and opportunities in a few days when I’m buried beneath a sea of onesies and pajamas– must remember the fact that babies go through multiple changes of clothing as opposed to my, “Mommy, I need a napkin, I have a crumb on my hand” daughter.

Here’s to seasons of change!!!