Plans or No Plans but Second Hand Can

This is kind of a different post than I might usually write. These thoughts have been on my mind for a while and I am finally deciding to sit down and get them down. As many of you might know, little John came along at what most would call an inconvenient time. At the time, we were living in Montana as volunteers, we didn't have jobs and ended up driving across the country to move home and start over. Foolish? Irresponsible? Never. We have trusted God throughout this season more than we have in our entire lives and He has shown nothing but faithfulness. When I look at John and see the joy he brings to our family and any other strangers he flashes his smile to, I can't help but think that we are the foolish ones to think we can plan out our lives as if we are in control.
I do believe in planning. We make plans every day and plans allow society to function. God himself had a great plan and he is in the process of carrying it out. I once heard that "God is more concerned about His will for your life than we are in finding it" and it's true. In the end, if our plans don't work out everything's going to be ok.
   Changing gears. Once we got settled in Virginia and began preparing for John's arrival we learned  about all the baby things that we needed...or thought we needed. According to Babies R'Us and websites such as BabyCenter, you are a terrible mom if you don't have a bottle sterilizer and a wipe warmer. Ironically, most baby items that may be helpful to one baby were not to ours. He hated the swing, he hated the vibrator seat, and he doesn't particularly like being "worn" much either.

Mainly, Johnny just wants to jump.

We do have an old-school "Johnny Jump Up" and it has a semi-girly pattern. John doesn't care about the flowers or that it was used a few times. John cares that it allows him to jump so high it could make a mother sweat. My point in saying this is a) you don't need all the things people tell you you need and b) it's a smart move to buy them second hand. Chances are the baby that used the swing before you only sat in it about 7 times. If you are weirded out by used things then that's ok- you probably won't want to read this list. BUT if you are having a baby, don't mind buying used items and are trying to be wise- check this out. In the end I'd much rather donate the swing back to the thrift store for someone else to use and have lost $10 bucks than spent $60 and find out my child is not a fan.

So here's a list of all the baby items that we own, and do use for the most part, that are not "new", again these are all in great condition. There are great deals out there!

1.Crib- it was given to us free from our church because the sides still have the ability to slide down. Excellent condition. The fix? Take a screwdriver and some screws and stabilize the sides. Done.

2. Johnny Jump up- $8 excellent condition, just a little girly. New- $45-$60.

3. Chico Travel system from 2010- $150 off Craigs List. Half the price of what it costs new. Excellent condition. One owner- a nurse with a 10 month old who outgrew it. Non- smoking home, no accidents, just a baby that grew up. Not even expired (what does that even mean? why do they create car seats that will expire in the first place?)

4.Baby Jogger- free from a preschooler's mom who has no use for it anymore. Good condition, the canvas is a bit worn from the sun but completely functional AND goes on the beach. Oh yeah, free as opposed to $200.

5. Snap N'Go Stroller- A lifesaver. $25 from our church's thrift store. Excellent condition. New is $55 minimum.

6. Bumbo- borrowed from a friend for the small window of time it can be used. Thanks to Carly Funkhouser. Costs $40 new.

7. Clothing- Consignment stores, yard sales and thrift stores. All you have to do is check the butt and the chin area. It's amazing what you can find. For $1 I found a Polo winter sweater that still had the tags on it- $38 new. 

8. Bottle Warmer-$1 from a consignment sale. Good thing I only paid a dollar because I only used it twice. 

9. Bumpers- $8 from the thrift store. Excellent condition. Sailboat pattern from  Pottery Barn. New $70. 

10. Contour changing pad- $1 from the thrift store. It's basically foam with a vinyl covering. All you have to do is buy new covers. The actual changing pad is anywhere from $20 to $40 new....for a piece of foam.

11. Boppy pillow- $5 from the thrift store. There is an endless supply of Boppy's donated these days. All you have to do is check the actual pillow part and look for stains and make sure the pillow is hard and not worn down. I found 2 in excellent condition as well as a few covers. $40 for a new one with one cover. 

12. Changing Table- My brothers old dresser. Repainted it. Free

13. First Years Baby Bath tub- $5 from the thrift store. Looks like it was hardly used. New- $20 to $50 depending on features. 

14. Sealy Crib Mattress- $35 from a consignment sale. Some may be skeptical of a used mattress. Just check the brand, the year and the firmness. I personally don't think an infant can really be heavy enough to make a permanent sink hole in a mattress. New can range anywhere from $70 to $300. 

15. Bassinet- Again, my youngest brother slept in this as a baby. It's a literal basket with a small mattress pad in it. My grandmother used to let her babies sleep in pulled out drawers- they all lived.

16. Chico High Chair- $28 from the thrift store. Excellent condition. Only a couple little stains on the belt. New is $150.

Firsts

    There are many "first times" we experience in life. First day of school, first kiss, etc... Sometimes these things you remember and sometimes you've purposely blocked them out. Whichever it is, there was a moment in time it happened once for the first time. When you have your first child it's like you get to start all over again. You see his first smile, hear his first laugh, smell his diaper after eating bananas for the first time and feel his first tooth pop up.

     One of the most memorable "firsts" for Brenden and I was taking John to the ocean and dipping his little toes in the water. It was almost like a christening or a rite of passage. He will never remember this and he didn't particularly like it either. Early May at the beach is not the best time to immerse yourself in the sea. However, it was a moment in time that we will always remember and the start to many memories to come. If i'm honest,  it feels like most of life is spent wishing for the past or longing for a better future. But once in a while you have those times when you know that the present moment is eternally significant. A moment you'll always look back on and a moment your former self would have wished for in the future. And in that moment all you can do is give thanks. This was one of them.