footsies ...

People kept telling me he had little feet. I thought the shoes still fit. A quick stop in stride rite for a proper measurement for a size check, thinking he may need some news ones.

Husband and I chattered over one another stating all the facts about his footsies. Me talking about his foot being small or so people tell us, him falling and i'm scared of shoes being too big, but i just don't know his size and husband cutting in to say that maybe his footsies are fat, or tall, and short? and how much are the shoes, do they have coupons, and well, lets just 'suppose' we were to buy somewhere else with mentionings of ebay...

The young girl took one look at his feet. "He's a wide, " she declared as she put him into a sturdy standing position, before she'd even placed his foot into the cold metal sizer.

"A wide?! Well, ? how do you know...? "

"I can see it just by looking at them. They're wide," she says confidently. "And i've worked here over 3 years," she added. She looked 16. but probably wasn't. I'm sure parents question her and give her doubting glances that silently say 'oh what does she know, she's just a kid working in a shoe store'... she told us about their training each year, to learn about the new shoes. the facts about the shoes. the design of the shoes. the make of the shoes. 3 years of baby shoe training. wow. and she still works here.

As she finished up measuring his little footsies, I quickly flipped over each shoe on the rack, looking for the most affordable option.

49.99. okay. wow.

next one 49.99. okay.

try again. 49.99.

49.99... what the ?

49.99 !!!!

Husband beat me to it, "where do you put the sale shoes? or clearance?" he asked doubtfully, glancing around the store. I had already scanned the store on my own, spotting not one 'sale' sign much less clearance.

"All the shoes are the same price. and usually are. we don't have clearance items," she said, as she took his left foot out of the sizer. "Okay, he's a 4 1/2 wide!"

Oh My Lord, i thought to myself. I've had him in 2's and 3's!!!!!! BAD MOM. I swear his foot went in them! maybe a bit tight but i'd never imagined he was practically two sizes too small for them!! My poor child. Is this why his big toe looks a bit awkward? because i've been stuffing him in too small for his foot shoes?!? Sigh.

I didn't say a word. I just gulped.

"a 4 1/2 Wide!! Oh my gosh... we've been putting him in - " husband started and i quickly cut him off with a loud "OH WOW.... a Bit bigger than we Thought!!! Geeez!!! haha" being too embarressed with what he was about to admit.

According to our stride rite shop girl, he'll be this size for aprx. 2 or 3 months. So we left the store shoeless and heading home to the comforts of ebay for his odd size.

"Why did you keep talking about Ebay to her!?" i said as he came back with "Why did you keep cutting me off?!"

"Well we're going to look on ebay!" he said as I answered "i didn't want her to know we'd been cramming him in a 3!!"

Abram just looked on from the backseat. Grinning. and Barefoot. Fun times of shopping with mom and dad!! he must be thinking:)

Whew, a big Thank You to Ebay! We now have 3 pairs of shoes - all stride rites - on the way to our home now. Two 4 1/2 wides (one sneaker and another boot) and one 5 wide for the future. Also, a couple pairs coming from a cousin in GA too! Hand-me-downs! Yeaaaa!

Meanwhile i have a pair of fours that truly seem comfy on him (i swear!) and he's wearing them until this first order arrives... and we've sent a note to daycare they can take his shoes off if they feel they aren't comfortable for him. no other details disclosed ha.

That night, while putting him to sleep, i was singing to him, the usual round of songs we do. As he was dozing off, i kept on singing while flattening out his big toe between my thumb and forefinger, straightening it to a normal position... i've been doing this each night since.... and he wriggles it away if it tickles.

"Give me back that toe little man .... " I tell him as i switch to the other foot. "I can't have you with crooked toes... your father will never forgive me."