There’s a certain magic about hand-me-downs. I’m witnessing it at this very moment: our younger son Jeff Junior wearing the jacket and pants previously owned by his older brother Nicholas.
When Jeff and I learned in early 2015 that we’re pregnant again, I knew that we’re having a boy. We even had a name for him already: Jeffrey Peter Lato Ruffolo Jr. I was so confident that we’re having another male offspring that I gave away almost all of Antoinette’s baby clothes but left my favorite Nicholas’ outfits for the then unborn kiddo.
Jeff Junior recently turned six months while Nick (and Toni) are 32 months old (two years and eight months). The baby is tall and heavy and already wears the clothes Nicholas wore when he was a year old.
Every time I changed Jeff Junior into the outfits that Nick used to wear, I am filled with feeling of awe and amazement.
First, they look like they’re twin boys born two years apart. You can see that from the picture above and the picture below:
Second, there’s that feeling of “success” in my gut that tells me I’m becoming wiser because I didn’t go on a shopping spree and bought unnecessary knickknacks using the pregnant excuse.
Third, there is magic in seeing how the clothes of our firstborn son is being worn by our younger son. Memories flooded my brain and I remember Nicholas’ smile when he first wore these clothed, and right now, I’m seeing JJ sitting up and crawling, smiling because I just told him he’s so cute.
Since the second pregnancy and the birth of Baby No. 3 (Jeff Junior), I have grown to be a big fan of hand-me-down clothes. I’ve counted five sets of former Nicholas outfits that Jeff Junior have already worn. And everytime I’m done with my Nick-to-JJ ensemble, I smile.
Ah, kids.
They’re a lot of work. Exhausting, tiring, sometimes frustrating.
But there is no greater magic in the world than seeing a part of me in them. The Heaven has showered this Earth with so much wonders and three of them are right here in our home.
