by Stephanie Joynes

Created on: August 18, 2008

My daughter is almost 17 months old now, and there is a huge garbage bag next to her changing table waiting to be donated to charity. It's filled with onesies, sleepers, t-shirt and pants that she has miraculously outgrown overnight. I still have to go through the bag to see what should be kept for another child, what should be thrown away, and what another child could use, but simply put we went overboard on her layette.

What you need and what you want are two different things. You will need several onesies simply because if your baby is anything like mine, she will spit up more often than you could ever imagine. The $25 Spit Happens onesie is really cute at the baby shower, but once I put the onesie on my daughter, she spewed all over it within 10 minutes.

Be practical, and don't spend too much on a piece of clothing that will continuously be in the washer. The less often you want to do laundry, the more onesies you should purchase. But remember, the longer a spewed-soaked onesie is in the laundry next to the pants that barely survived that diaper explosion can create a nasty concoction in the hamper.

You'll definitely want several sleepers for your little one so she'll stay warm at night. Make sure the snaps or zippers are easy to manage at night and in the dark when you have to do a changing. You will learn how to do this with your eyes closed, but it just takes a little practice.

Expect your child to grow quickly! My daughter went through several growth spurts and was in the 95th percentile every time we went to the doctor. We went through sizes so quickly, it was pointless to purchase only what we really needed. If you are purchasing clothes ahead of time, buy a variety of sizes knowing that she will grow into them someday. It may be sooner than you expected.

People will suggest hats, socks, and other pieces of clothing. In the winter season you will want to stock up clothing that will keep you child warm, like long sleeve sweaters, t-shirts and bunting. But here's the problem, some babies don't mind wearing a little hat, others can't stand it. Mine would throw hers across the room, along with her socks and anything else that could be considered an "accessory". That includes cute little bows, sunglasses, or jewelry (which could be a choking hazard). Wait until you can see what kind of infant you have before you buy every cute thing in sight. If you have a sock thrower, like mine, invest in more sleepers with the foot attached. If you have a hat thrower, go for something with a hood.

So, when you go to the store, put your blinders on and focus on onesies, sleepers, sweaters, bunting, blankets and the bare necessities. Buy them in multiple sizes, and be prepared to hold onto a few for keepsakes. Then emotionally prepare yourself to get rid of them when your newborn grows out of them. This may be the hardest part.

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