NewMom: The Clothing Barometer

Who would have thought I’d be able to tell what kind of day my daughter has had in child care in two seconds flat just by looking through the window? It has nothing to do with smiles or tears, shouts or laughter. She’ll have plenty of all of those on good days and bad ones. No — for my reflux-prone baby, it’s all about the clothes. On the rare occasion she’s in the same outfit at the end of the day that she was when I dropped her off, I consider it an unmitigated success. I know it sounds lame, but it really makes a difference. I’ve seen the mom of another spitter in the class with the same gleeful grin when she greets her son on the days he’s still sporting his morning wardrobe.

I’ve been so excited to see the season’s worth of class pictures they post on Snapfish, only to be a little crestfallen because NewGirl is wearing a protective bib in almost every one of them. Of course, I’ve endured my share of spit-upon clothes myself. It never fails, of course, that NewGirl shares her spit-up with me just as I give her that one last kiss — just as I’ve let down my guard, and I’ve run clear out of time to do anything about it before my first meeting of the day. Just today, a friend suggested I try Burp Armor. They’re heavy duty burp clothes designed by a Dad. They seem a little pricey, but if they save on my dry cleaning bills, it may be worth it. Plus, their Web site says they give 5 percent of thier sales to Children’s Hospital Boston. That’s definitely a cause I can support.