Ooh, Baby I Love Your Way (part 12 of 30)

Sunday, 09/20/15:  15 weeks 6 days

Wow, it has been several weeks since I’ve been able to write.  Tomorrow will start our 16^th week and lots has happened since I wrote last time.  For one thing, Adam and I drove to Cranberry Twp. In PA to attend our first consignment sale!  We spent $101 and came away from the sale with a changing table, burp cloths, a basket for bottles for the dishwasher, a wipe warmer, some onesies, pajamas, and pants, a 4-piece crib set, and some other things I’m forgetting to list right now. 

We loaded up the car with all our purchases but quickly realized we didn't have room in Adam's car for the changing table!  Oops!!  So, Adam ran over to a nearby hardware store to buy some tools to dismantle the changing table while I stayed behind in the parking lot to "guard" it.  We were both tired after a long day and frustrated with ourselves but we managed to get it done in about 30 minutes and were on the way home soon.  I was grateful for a sunny quiet last days of summer evening of unexpected down time/prayer as I waited for Adam to return and talked to both Mom Sue and my parents while waiting...here is some other irony..the parking lot was across the street from the venue that hosted the consignment sale and was for a church!  If I had had more time, I would have ducked into the church but instead just stared at it from the other side of the parking lot.  The small white blob in this picture is a statue of Mary and I couldn't help but think of how flexible and adaptable she was in last minute plans regarding her own pregnancy with Jesus which helped to take away some of the irritation I was experiencing in that moment.

The 4 - piece bedding set only cost $5.00!!!  So in letting go of my wish for a Noah's Ark theme in the St. Francis room and instead going for a jungle animal type theme due to the availability of this high quality bedding at such a steal, we were able to save lots of moolah!

The pink dress on the left is the one I wore to the bridal shower in Pennsylvania this past weekend!  I also wore that striped dress to Christmas mass this past year.  Both were $5 each and to date have yielded the most compliments maternity wear wise when I wear them!

There is the poor changing table all taken apart to make it fit in the car on the way home...

...then here it is put back together in the St. Francis Room!  The room is beginning to take on a nursery feel as we add items such as these to the room!

After this first successful consignment sale, the following week, I drove to Robinson Twp. (again in PA) to attend the largest and voted “best” consignment sale in the Pittsburgh area alone.  I shopped for about an hour and stood in line for 45 minutes which shows how big it was.  Both days that we shopped at the consignment sales, we took advantage of their pre-sale first time parent opening days which I highly recommend for any of you experiencing your first time shopping at an event like this.  I can’t even imagine what the sale would be like on a “regular” day and know I, for one, would probably be too overwhelmed!!  This sale was held inside a huge sportscenter dome where the Robert Morris University Golf team practices.  I had to park two parking lots away from the facility as that is how crowded it was!  However, it was all worth it considering the deals I snagged for $160 that included a maternity winter coat in excellent condition from The Gap, a bouncy seat, a boppy pillow, more onesies, bibs, socks, a couple gender neutral outfits, pajamas, bath towels, a drying rack for bottles, and much much more.  I was excited to see that the 4-piece crib set I purchased at the first sale marked for much more at this sale.  It felt good knowing I paid a fraction of the cost at the original sale we had attended.  Generally speaking, it seemed that prices were slightly higher at the second sale but the selection, oh the selection, of items was astounding!!  I will definitely be visiting this particular consignment sale in the future!  I wonder when the spring sale will be compared to the birth of the little one?!

Thank goodness for consignment sales such as these...things are in like new condition for a small portion of the original cost and really helped us to cross off some of the basic items on our list!

Another change that happened since I last wrote was that we had to revisit potential girl names.  We discovered that on Adam’s side of the family, our top two girl name choices are already in use by relatives. Oops!  Sooo, maybe the third time will be the charm in selecting a new name.  We keep going back and forth on a couple other names so it’s a good thing we have time to choose!

When at the consignment sale this past Thursday, one of the workers asked what we were having to which I said we were waiting to find out at birth.  She then looked me up and down and said, “Hmm, when did you lose your waist?” in an effort to guess what the baby’s gender was.  What?!  I guess I’m in denial over “losing my waist” and rather than feeling like I’m “showing” at this point (we turn four months tomorrow) I instead feel fat.   

I know it’s not about me, my appearance, etc. and is about being healthy for the baby and of course am excited about the baby (but still terrified of the birthing process) but I can’t say I’m looking forward to the ever expanding waistline!  However, I’m willing to do whatever it takes to help the baby along and help to ensure the baby is as healthy as can be I hope.

One last exciting event I would like to write about today is that last weekend, we completed our Baptismal Preparation class for our church.  We wound up being the only parents there so had one-on-one attention from the instructor who turned out being a good friend of one of my former housemates!  What a small world!!  It was nice getting to ask questions and hear from her advice regarding preparing for the sacrament and I look forward to hopefully the majority of our families being able to gather in Ohio next summer to help us celebrate!