Preparing

A couple months ago we did the unthinkable. We did something I never said I would do while we were waiting for a match. We bought some baby stuff. Yes, me, the crazy planner who doesn't want to be reminded of our wait, bought baby items. And I didn't just buy one baby item, I bought FOUR! Yikes! We bought a super fancy stroller that I'm so excited about! I can't wait to use it. Well - maybe it's not the Rolls Royce of strollers but it will accomodidate two children one day. We also bought a car seat, a crib and our crib mattress. I have a little list of "must have" items that I'm trying to buy as we go along. Right now all our baby stuff is sitting in a corner of the basement just waiting to be assembled.

I have big plans for a nursery. I'm just trying to decide when I will actually start on it. I want to put up some trim in the room and just leave everything else unpainted until we bring a baby home. Maybe one of these days I will get the courage to move forward. I know for certain that we will not put our crib together or actually assemble the nursery until we have a baby. It would be just too much for me to walk by that room every day. In the meantime, I'm storing away lots of inspiration photos for a nursery!

I will admit that I had a slight panic attack as I purchased our stroller and car seat. It was a huge decision for me to move forward with buying baby stuff without having a match in place. However, I am SO glad that we're planning ahead. It has definitely minimized some of the anxiety of having huge expenses when we get a match. It still feels strange to have large baby items appearing on my doorstep when we don't have a child but at the same time I know this is necessary. It's necessary for me to step outside my comfort zone and just go with my instincts. My instincts definitely say that buying baby stuff (even if it just sits in the basement for now) will pay off when we receive a match.

I have also purchased several children's books about adoption. I cannot wait to build a little library full of books for our child!

Although I had reservations about purchasing anything for a baby I am so glad that we decided to move forward. It brings a sense of reality to our journey - it's more than just talking about having a family one day. Seeing all the baby boxes is a reminder of what's in store for the near future!