What's Your Mommy Uniform?

Many professions require a specific type of dress whether it is professional attire, scrubs, fatigues, a bright polo shirt and visor or orange smock. Depending on the type of work that one does it may dictate that certain duds are worn to make the job easier or to look the part. So, I got to thinking...

...although our "profession" is way more than just a silly 9-to-5 job and is a privilege, honor and right to bring up our own precious babies, I wondered....

What's Your Mommy Uniform?

I have found since I became a mom and especially a stay-at-home mom, that I tend to stick with a similar type of a dress because it is comfortable for caring for children and there is a lack of concern over the welfare of this clothing since it will come under fire with the forces of babyhood (a.k.a. spit up, pee, poo, snot, milk, any type of food imaginable, etc.)

My style has always been very casual and pretty plain. I like basics and don't get caught up in trendy fashions. Interesting, I like some trendy fashions that I see, I just don't wear them myself. Pretty plain. Plain Jane. Simple. Boring.

However, since Peanut & Jelly Bean were born, I have become a "sporty" dresser because it is flexible, comfortable (using that word again) and well, forgiving (some things stretch when necessary especially when you are breast feeding or recovering from a c-section scar).

When my girls were still in the hospital, I spent my days in track pants, nursing tank tops, zip up sweat jackets and gym shoes. The track pants were more comfortable on my tender belly and were easy to get on and off. If nursing, a nursing top or nursing tank provides easy access to your baby. I was able to get away with a nursing tank that worked like a bra. A zip up jacket kept me warm in the cold hospital while I would nurse the girls. (If you are doing "kangaroo" care, then a zip up jacket is easy to get on and off. Kangaroo care is when you hold your baby skin to skin while nursing or bottle feeding. It helps to stimulate a newborn especially preemies and keeps them warm by using your own body heat.)

Over the past 27 months, I have continued to have a sporty type of dress when caring for my girls. I typically wear jeans, a T-shirt and gym shoes. Everyday. Everyday of my life. With the exception of Sunday mornings when we go to church and then I wear dress pants, comfortable shirt and black dress shoes. Every Sunday. Every Sunday of my life.

I have cute clothes - dresses, heels and shirts that need to be ironed, but I just can't bring myself to go the extra mile to dress up for any particular event. Heels? Out of the question. What if one of the kiddos decide to take off down the church hallway. How on earth could I chase them quickly in a pair of those? Dresses? I have way too much bending and kneeling to do that would require too much concern over my modesty. Ironed clothes? Why would I spend all that time ironing something that will end up crumpled up after holding a baby, chasing them down to change diapers or get dressed?

Seriously, I think about all this stuff. I am sure this may seem like a silly irrational thought pattern. But that is where I go when I think about my own style. Be functional. Be kid-ready. Be ready for spit up on the shirt. (Maybe it isn't the shirt that is my uniform, but it's the spit up that is on the shirt that is my uniform! Hmmm...deep..)

Hopefully in time, I can become a more careful dresser. Maybe I can dust the ole heels off and give them a go when twindada and I can find someone to watch the girls and actually go on a date. Dare to dream. It could happen...

But for now, this is my Mommy Uniform.