the longest four days

I know some people (read: Dave) still think it’s too early for this, but lately I’ve been looking at a lot of baby furniture online. I had this idea in my head of how I wanted to decorate the nursery, but when I started pricing out the items that I really liked… ouch. That stuff adds up. I’m starting to think that maybe it would be wiser to check out some of the local classified ads.

Case in point: I stopped by one of our local kids’ furniture stores on my way home from work a few days ago. The crib that I liked the most? Was $700. That didn’t even include the mattress.

Of course, I know there are certain baby items that one is never supposed to buy used. Like car seats, since a lot of manufacturers have recalls on older models. But for basic items, like a changing table or a playpen? Buying secondhand seems like a good idea.

I recently learned there’s a neighborhood near us that’s having a community garage sale this weekend. They have these little events twice a year. Kris went to the one back in March and said there was tons of baby stuff for sale. (This is a very posh little neighborhood, they have their own community daycare center, which was apparently also selling off a lot of older equipment.) At the time, Kris tried to talk me into going back with her to look at what was available, but I wasn’t even pregnant yet, so it seemed sort of silly.

Not this time! No, Dave and I will be hitting the sale first thing on Saturday morning. After stopping to get Dave a latte, so he won’t be totally unbearable. That should be fun. Wish me luck.

In other news: I have my 20-week appointment – including the ultrasound where we’ll find out the baby’s gender – on Tuesday, the 19th. Four more days, I can’t wait. Tuesday also happens to be Dave’s birthday, so that’ll be a neat little birthday surprise.

It’s funny, I’ve always celebrated my birthday on whatever weekend was closest to the date. Whether it was before or after my real birthday has never mattered that much; the important thing is that I get to sleep late on whatever the chosen Day of Celebration happens to be. (Or, more likely, that I can safely be hungover on the day after the Night of Celebration. Whichever.) But Dave has always been a stickler about not doing cake and presents except on the actual day of your birth itself. But, since Tuesday is going to be a pretty action-packed day on its own with the doctor’s appointment and everything, he has mercifully caved in and agreed to make this coming weekend his Birthday Weekend. How very generous of him, no?

So we’ll do presents and cake on Saturday. I’m really looking forward to that too, because I’m pretty sure I kicked major ass with the birthday gift selection this year. He’s been trying to guess what I got him, but so far he really has no idea. And even if he did guess – which he hasn’t – I wouldn’t tell him, because (unlike me) he seems to really love surprises.

2 thoughts on “the longest four days

  1. You’re totally not looking at baby things too early. By the time I had my gender ultrasound, Gaby’s room was painted, decorated and her crib was put together.
    But, um, I tend to be a little obsessive about things.
    Seriously, though. Second-hand is a good way to go. Just promise me you’ll buy a new mattress, okay?

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