The Mimi Monologues: 'It's a Girl Thang....'

It seems like yesterday. The day Ashley and Jim got "THE" ultrasound. The ultrasound confirming that the new Baby on Board (the first time around) was a GIRL. With that news in hand, I went to town to the cutest baby clothing boutique this side of...well just about anywhere.

Now I KNEW that said baby girl was a LONG time from wearing the accessories you see in the picture above. But I knew that she would. And she DID. Well, sort of. Those were not the most PRACTICAL shoes. And the hat? Ok, Gracie saved her hat (which dipped down and covered both eyes in the beginning) for her 'Hat Love' days - and I did get some pretty neat-o pictures of our pint-sized fanshionista in her fancy hat. Of course don't expect me to locate them today. But they're around here on my hard drive....somewhere!

But stylin' like a girl didn't stop with fancy red polka-dot shoes and hat. Oh, no. Gracie's mom had quite a feminine little wardrobe ready and waiting. Such as the fancy pants above with Gracie's brand new "toe-toes" peeking out.

Tragically, it was about this time that Ashley's sense of fashion went...well, you know where. When, a few days post-delivery she made an appearance in her flashy striped skirt and floral top, ok...I just had to find my camera. Yes, friends, this is the kind of get-up that would make Anna Wintour (Vogue's Editor-in-Chief) need to go lie down for a bit!

Soon enough, Gracie's mom re-established her sense of fashion and before we knew it - wow! Another "fashion statement" was made - this of a very different nature. Last July Gracie made the announcement that she was about to become - yep! - A BIG SISTER!

And you know how that turned out. That's right; in a few short months we were once again welcoming a sweet baby girl and alllllllll the fashion statements yet to be made. Baby girls are pretty special that way...a mom gets to relive (to a point) those fun, carefree days when you dressed up your baby dolls for fancy tea parties and other elegant outings. I kind of know about this because having been blessed with two daughters, I've sorta been around THAT block. And the reason I say "to a point" you can relive those days, but hey! Nobody in their right mind would've invented a "Betsy-Wetsy" that, well...pooped.

(Now this is not to say a Baby Boy wouldn't be welcomed with many open arms in this family. Can you imagine with all these girls around? Wow - he'd be some kind of rock star, that is FOR SURE!)

So in April came the arrival of Miss Emily Mae. Shortly thereafter, Ashley, in the image above, must have been contemplating the many fashion options to be for her two pretty daughters. And - like Vogue's Anna Wintour - she just had to go lie down for a bit.