The Purple Hat Society
I’m not normally a compulsively clean or organized person. So this must be the serious ‘pre-labor nesting instincts’ kicking in. I haven’t climbed any ladders to paint the ceiling yet, although I’ve made several trips up into the attic. (If you saw our attic, you’d think painting – toxic fumes and all — might be safer!) Until now, my ‘nesting’ has come in spurts; an hour or two of cleaning, followed by some freelance work when sanity set in and I realized, ‘What am I doing’ I hate cleaning!?
However, picking out baby’s ‘homecoming’ outfit for the hospital has been weighing on my mind. Yesterday, my sister asked me about it and I was proud to say I had not one, but two outfits decided upon, one in size Newborn and one in 0 – 3 months, and just needed to pull them out of the armoire. She asked if the blanket matched the ensemble, because it should. Apparently, they don’t let you out of the hospital with, say, a striped outfit and a polka dot blanket. I assured her that I had a whole matching themed Carter’s ensemble – purple with butterflies — complete with footie pajamas, mittens, dribble bib, blanket and hat.
At least, I think it has the matching hat. I swore when I opened the box, a shower gift from one of my aunts, that it came with the entire set, including the hat. The moment I saw this outfit, I knew this was the outfit I wanted the baby to wear to come home.
But I can’t find the hat. Anywhere. We stopped at Baby Depot last night and I looked for the matching hat, and they didn’t sell it. Now I’m in a panic. The fall lines are coming out; what if they don’t carry this ensemble in stores anymore?
My husband assured me the hat was at home. I’ve just been through all the baby stuff in the house, and I can’t find the hat! This is not like me. Well, okay, the part where I lose things? That’s totally me. But to obsess over a hat? Hats are just worn to cover up bad hair days. As long as they don’t sport a logo from a company that dumps toxic waste and are relatively free of cat hair, not much else matters.
But right now, it feels like the absolute Worst Thing in the Universe would be if the baby has to come home from the hospital wearing a purple outfit with (gasp!) a pink hat. What will everyone think? I’m sure the nurses will laugh at her. Look at that new mother, who couldn’t even find a hat to match the baby’s ensemble! She might be emotionally scarred for life, or develop an odd hat obsession; or a hat-phobia. Who knows what the ramifications could be? I even had a nightmare, last night, about the baby having to go home hat-less.
So I’m off to Target to try to find the matching hat. I want my rational brain back, the one that understands there are more important things in the world than a purple hat.
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