As far as I can tell, once Sharpie ink dries, it's there until the molecules break down.

Thanks, Ginger!

(Good lord, these newborn-6 month sizes are tiny!)

I don't know, Susan. I do know there is laundry ink--and I seem to remember pens (markers, really) with laundry ink, for that purpose.

But...I did not loan clothes. I gave them away, or kept them. If I thought I could use something for a future child, since I planned on having future children, I kept them. Things I didn't care about (or had in abundance) I gave for keepsies. Sometimes, I happened to get them back.

Babies spit up, and poop, and spill stuff, and mothers don't always get the stains out. Certain items just wear out, lose their shape, get pilly, or otherwise not so great, with more wear and tear.

I'm giving blood today.

I hope I don't throw up.

I know, Cindy. I'm not loaning out anything that has sentimental value. I'm assuming some of it will fall apart or get lost or otherwise not be returnable.

Okay, Susan. I just figured if you were bothering to mark them, you planned on getting them back.

There were a few items friends and family offered to lend us, that they wanted back, afterwards. I just politely refused. I think I am probably an oddball about this, both ways (as a giver and a recipient). Take-backs stress me out.

Sharpies on the tags always worked well for me. Sharpie sells a laundry marker, but I couldn't see any way it was different from a regular marker.

Amoxicillin stains, however? No way to remove.

Okay, Susan. I just figured if you were bothering to mark them, you planned on getting them back.

I just thought this was the normal way to do it, since my neighbor has always marked the stuff she's loaned us, and every time Annabel outgrows a size, I go through the old stuff before I box it away so I can give it back.

Too, the ruling fear of my life these days is birth control failure. If I could know for sure that there was no way we'd have another kid until our finances are in perfect order, I might think of things differently. As is, I'm like, "While I'm not attached to any one piece of clothing, if I mark it, I'll get most of it back, so if I were to accidentaly get pregnant, at least I'd be spared the expense of a whole new baby wardrobe."

if I were to accidentaly get pregnant, at least I'd be spared the expense of a whole new baby wardrobe

t whaps own head for buying SO MUCH PINK

Well, it's not like there's much in the way of androgynous baby clothes to be found.

Another girl would definitely be easier on the pocketbook, at least in the short term.