Wednesday, July 15, 2009

The one where I don't say "Look! He can still wear his G+R outfit 6 months later.

"The nanny wants you to bring very beautiful clothes for Manh tomorrow. He must be very handsome for the ceremony. And he must be warm."

I can hear the translator like it was yesterday and I can see the nanny's approval in her smile as I dressed him the next morning. The heavy corduroy overalls were a bit big and I needed to adjust the straps to the very smallest setting. The shoes, a gift from a dear friend, were way too small and ended up staying in the bag. A wool hat that has since been lost, a knit jacket with a hood and a second fleece lined windproof jacket over top. It was a very chilly day. I was prepared.

Add 6 months...
and he is sporting shorts.
Then there was the famous "jailbird" outfit that the wee one wore all over Northern Vietnam. It was a lightweight knit but gave the appearance of warmth by virtue of built in feet and a hood. Not every day was cold and the Manh is a sweat machine but I wanted to please the Vietnamese grandmas on the street as much as possible so this sweet little lightweight one piece went everywhere even though it was far too big. The sleeves needed to be rolled and it bagged and sagged allowing for layering when necessary.

Here he is sporting the stripes at the Temple of Literature (about 6 months ago this very second in fact) layered up with his ceremony onesie, a sweater and pants underneath.
Add 6 months
remove the layers
and the crotch snaps won't close.
Time flies far too swiftly.
And he grows and grows and grows.

1 comment:

Ange said...

Hey - at least Ben wore his G&R outfit. My kids G&R outfit got left at the orphanage as a donation- he was too big to even wear it once. Oh well, thank goodness for that track suit!

Ben is so cute sporting his baby clothes & running around.