Paying it Forward - One of the Greatest Lessons to Teach My Son

Good morning blog world!  You get to be the victim/beneficiary depending on how you look at it of my latest pregnancy symptom...random sleep patterns and minds that don't quiet!  Since Thursday night was a night from hell that resulted in about 2 total hours of sleep, I passed the heck out last night about 9 and now am up rearing to go at 5:15!  Poor Matt, he is probably in for another fun and exciting Saturday night of me being ready for bed at 8:30.

On to my actual point...Matt came in last night with a big box of 0-6 month baby boy clothes sent home with him from a dear friend at work.  Their little guy is quickly outgrowing them and their family is complete, so they have passed on a ton of baby and maternity things to us.  As I was going through all the sweet little clothes oooing and ahhhing and squealing with delight (um, hello! You should see these cute little pants with a crab on the butt baby J gets to rock!) I got a little overwhelmed.  These friends have have bestowed so much generosity on us that I don't know how we would ever be able to thank them or return the favor or even come close to it.  Laying in bed this morning, I realized that is not the point.  The point is, to pay it forward.  There will come a day when we are in the position to help newbie parents, and by doing that, I think we thank and honor those who helped us along the way.

That being said, I still want to thank my friends and family who have been so wonderful during this time.  The big things, the little things, the things people have done and said they don't even know they did...it all matters and it all helps makes this scary/exciting/joyful/scary transition in our lives a little easier.  In no particular order, these are a few of the things that have really impacted me lately, and things I want to remember to pay it forward with in the future.

• As already stated above...the hand me down's.  Someone asked me the other day if I minded used clothes and I said heck no!  There is the obvious reason that hand me downs save money, but honestly, last night I realized more than that, they are what we REALLY NEED from people who know!  I mean, so far I have bought baby J a sweet pair of board shorts, mini baby Keen like shoes, and a stack of Halloween wear in a complete guess for a size based only on how old he will be next October. (whoo! Target clearance!).  I mean, all very cute, but not practical at all.  Now, he has a stack of onsies and some Swaddle Wraps which I hear are amazing, but one of those things I don't really understand so I couldn't figure out what to buy.
• New gifts are great too..like clothes from Grandma who also knows what is practical and has a really good eye for "cute", or the favorite pack of blankets and toy from friends who are learning their way with their first son too.
• All the moms and dads out there that answer our questions even though sometimes they would fall into that category of a dumb question if there was such a thing.
• Some little gifts from my in law family that were just for me and not for the baby.
• The friend who is expecting her second son and writes a beautiful blog often filled with mommy and new mommy advice and loving words.  She may not write it directly to me, but man, sometimes it feels that way - like I got a letter in the mail!
• The busy new mom friend who called me a couple weeks ago just to let me know Safeway was having a great sale on wipes and diapers and then explained why said sale and brands were such a good deal.  She encouraged me to take advantage because that stuff adds up and while it may seem early, all the sudden the last few months can get overwhelming with what you need to finish preparing.   
• My friends who are also expecting their first children right now...always willing to share ideas, stories, feelings, excitement, etc. and to listen to me.
• The friends who don't have children yet, but check on us anyways.  They know they may not be able to relate 100% but being there still means the world.
• Friends and family who listen to us and check in on us even if it means they get to hear the same stories, worries, etc for the 1000th time :-)  The patience people have showed us with our uncertainty and anxiety has been so kind.
• The prayers that were sent our way when we went through a couple of scares.
• The Facebook world...all the "likes", comments, posts etc.  Seriously, as cheesy as it is, not every friend on Facebook is someone you get to see or interact with in your everyday life, but the kindness people show with encouragement on a silly Halloween picture, or the 10th single track minded pregnancy post I have written all mean a lot and all lift me up.
• The last one for now, to my husband.  If I can help teach our son to be 1/4 the man he is, we are golden.  There is no one who is more patient, loving, or kind to me and the little guy.  The last few months have been joyful, but sometimes hard too.  When I experienced some complications that forced me to slow down, thus slowing down the pace and excitement level of his life too he never once complained.  He lifts me up when I worry or struggle with the weight gain or feeling sick.  He also tolerates my random mood swings like a champ :-)

So, thank you to all my friends and family who have armed me with a great lesson to teach my son...to pay it forward.  He may not understand for awhile, but as he grows out of his clothes, or when a holiday comes and he gets new toys, we will take some of his loved toys to the shelter or to Goodwill, or to a new baby that has come into our life and he will hear me talking to him about it and eventually he will understand my words and the actions taken, and he will learn the importance of being on both ends of generosity.  And as he grows to adulthood , hopefully he will be a friend or family member people know they can turn to when they are in need.