Who makes these things anyway?

Mr. Lanteigne is really getting big. And I don't mean Gabriel. In these pictures, Owen is wearing a size 9-months outfit. And he isn't even 5 months old! I will never understand how the makers of baby clothes size them. Everyone knows that babies don't fit clothes in the ages they are marked, so why doesn't someone change the way they are made???

When Owen was born he was 8lbs 9.5oz and he wore "newborn" sized clothes. Ok, that is pretty obvious. When you look at tags marked "newborn" they say "10lbs". There is, however, a size smaller. It's called "premie" and it's marked "7lbs".

By the time Owen was 5 weeks old, and weighed 11lbs, he was in size "3 month" clothes (marked 13lbs). By the time he was 3 months old, and weighed 13lbs, Owen was in size "6 month" clothes (marked 16lbs). So you can see how quickly the size of the baby and the size of the clothes become mis-matched. I guess there are babies that are tall and skinny, and some that are short and fat, so the outfits need to be made to fit either or. Right? Does that make sense? So it would seem they clothes need to be made to fit the fattest and tallest babies of each age group.

But if that's true, than why is it that I have NEVER met a baby that fits clothes marked for their age and weight. I have a friend who had twins - 2 babies born premature, so they are quite small. And even though these babies are the same age as Owen (almost exactly) and weigh 4-5lbs less than Owen right now they still wear clothes that are considerably bigger than the sizing indicates they should be wearing.

Is it similar to big people clothes (grown ups, I mean)? Often, especially in ladies clothing stores, they will change the sizing and mark items bigger, so that you fit into clothes that you previously couldn't - you think you are smaller than you actually are. It's flattery sizing. You're not a size 9, you've never been a size 9, no one in their right mind would think you are a size 9, you're a size 11. There's no doubt in anyone's mid that you are a size 11. However, the jeans and top you just bought (and fit into comfortably) are a size 9. Did you miraculously lose weight overnight? No! The jeans and top companies figured if you think you're skinnier today than yesterday, you might love the idea of being a size 9 and perhaps purchase a whole new wardrobe! It's ridiculous! We're not idiots! We know what you are doing! We know we are not size 9 - we're size 11! But perhaps we do buy the size 9 jeans and smile all the way home.

So, is baby sizing just flattery sizing in reverse? Do Mothers want their little babies to grown up so much that companies make the clothes smaller on purpose so that the Moms and Grandma's that buy clothes will think their kids and grand kids are bigger than they actually are? Does that make any sense? Do we want our babies to grow up too fast? Do we want them to fit size 24-month clothes when they are a year old? Do we care at all? Perhaps kids clothing has been weirdly sized for so long that it is too much of a hassle for companies to size them properly. Because then some poor chub-chub like Owen comes along and I buy 9-month sized clothes and it's way too big for him.

I know this matter doesn't really matter at all. As a new Mom I'm going to buy my kid way too many outfits anyways - no matter what the sizing. And besides the snowsuit he was given that fit him in April (a record breaking April for how incredibly hot it as) he has been able to wear a very article of clothing given to him no matter what the age or weight said on its tage. And for just about every outfit, I'm going to do at least one photo shoot. So I figured between pictures of my gorgeous child who is almost 5 months old, and in 9-month sized clothing, I am allowed one rant and you can't complain. Hey - I'm just proud I finally have a blog posting that doesn't mention poo!