Kinda overwhelmed

Okay so the one thing that I've learned from the second I found out I was pregnant is how amazingly generous other moms are. I remember, being only like 5 weeks along, sitting at Mike and Molly's and one of their good friends Sofi, who has in turn become a sweet friend of mine, had brought along a little Christmas outfit that her son just wore over Christmas and asked, "Which one of you will have 3-6 month old at Christmas?"

It was me, so she tossed it my way.

And that was just the beginning. I've had so many friends bring me clothes, blankets, etc. Heck, every time I see Molly she has a handful of outfits that baby James just grew out of that she's passing down to Baby J.

So here's the thing- Molly, queen child-watcher that she is, has developed some really close relationships with the moms she babysits for. Moms that are a few years older than I am and are done with having babies of their own. They are so sweet to want to pass down anything and everything they think someone else could get use out of.

Because of that, I wasn't too surprised when one of these sweet mamas - who lives minutes from me - asked if she could drop by on our doorstep yesterday some maternity clothes she had that she obviously doesn't need any more, and an infant seat for our baby. I honestly was expecting maybe a dress or two and a few tops.

I have been really frugal when it came to maternity clothes shopping - I bought some cute stuff but have been wearing the same few pieces over and over again, it seems. And I really couldn't justify buying anything else when that money could be much better spent in other areas. I think a $50 pair of white Gap maternity jeans were my biggest purchase - and I had to tell myself 100 times before purchasing them that it was okay to spend a teeny bit of $ on myself.

So I get home last night and there are two HUGE (must have weighed 20 pounds a piece) shopping bags absolutely stuffed to the brim with gorgeously nice clothes. I'm talking like pairs upon pairs of jeans and shorts, plus more dresses and tops than I could count. I just stared at Chad stunned as I pulled out item after item after item (it must have taken me 20 minutes to take everything out of the bags.)


I even started tearing up. I told him I felt like one of the poor families on Extreme Home Makeover after they moved the bus.

This woman had absolutely no expectation of anything in return - she was quick to say take whatever I want and don't worry about things I don't... to do whatever with them. Which obviously means, in this sweet mama world, to pass them along to someone else who can use them.

It's a generosity that you don't see much any more. And it's something I learned from so many amazing moms around me... and I hope I never forget to pass on not just stuff but encouragement to every other new mama that so many ladies have given to me.

I've gotta say, becoming a mom is seriously like entering the super-coolest club ever.

Can we like develop a secret handshake or something?!