the nightgown

Several weeks ago I was at a children's resale shop in town and found a brand new with the tags on princess nightgown. It was two sizes too big for Rachel, but looked like it might fit, and besides, who cares if a nightgown is a little bit too big. She had never had a nightgown, and I knew she would love it, because it would look and feel like a dress, and she absolutely loves wearing dresses. I showed it to her and told her it was for sleeping in, like pajamas. She loved it.

She wanted to put it on as soon as we got home, but I told her I needed to wash it first, so that afternoon I washed it, and at bathtime that night, she took the quickest bath I've ever seen her take (usually she wants to play forever and I have to practically pry her out of the tub, wrinkly toes and all), so she could put on her new nightgown.

As soon as I put it on her she was laughing and laughing, just sooooooo excited about it. She couldn't wait to go downstairs to show Daddy. I grabbed the camera on the way down and took a picture.

That smile couldn't be wiped off her face. I don't know how she finally calmed down enough to sleep that night, but she eventually did.

The next morning she was all giggles again, as she danced around and around in her nightgown. That afternoon she begged to wear it for her nap. I told her no, that she could wear it again that night for bed. She took another record bath so she could jump into her nightgown.

The next night I told her I needed to wash it again so she had to wear pajamas to bed. She cried.

I've washed that nightgown about five times in the few weeks that we've had it--she looooooooves it and gets so excited every time she finds out it's clean again. Makes me want to sell all of the pajamas I have for her and go buy her all new nightgowns!