I Fought The Bow, And The Bow Won

I have always been of the school of thought that those huge bows/flowers that people strapped to their babies' heads were ridiculous.  Are people really that desperate to let people know that the tiny human they are carrying is a girl?  Those things can't be comfortable.  What purpose do they serve, exactly?

Then my daughter was born.  It began with a gift of small tasteful bows from a friend.  I smiled politely and thought I would pass them along to another family.  Then one day, as I was dressing her, it's like they were calling to me.  "I could just try one on her," I thought to myself.  From that moment on I was hooked.  Soon I was online ordering bigger and more absurd bows and flowers.

I'm not sure how to explain this 180.  I still think those headbands are ridiculous.  Shoes on babies are ridiculous.  Dressing a baby in white is ridiculous.  Tights on anyone is pretty ridiculous.  And yet, somehow, this happens:

Now, that's not to say she's dressed in bows and frills at all times.  A girl's gotta play and her comfort is important - she is just as likely to be dressed like this:

Still, I've found that I can't resist the occasional dress/bow combination.  This surprised me about myself, but I guess it shouldn't have.  I like dressing Leo up just as much - although now that his opinions about style are emerging I'm choosing my battles.  He is often sporting his signature look of a button down shirt paired with sweatpants.

Should the day come that she says/demonstrates that she does not want to be dressed in bows (or dresses, or pink - or heck, just about any style choice), we will of course respect, support and accomodate her.  Whether it's about gender identity, style or comfort - I hope she feels free to dress the way she wants.  Until she can convey her tastes, though, I may have some fun choosing her outfits for her.