so... i'm nesting. i've been planning, organizing and rearranging AND then starting over and doing it all over again. after the ultrasound of cutieness on monday i have had an extra dose of motivation. that said, i've had to start collecting a bunch of baby necessities for the little one. when isabelle was born so many people from my church community let me borrow baby stuff like a cradle swing, bouncy chair, bassinet and other stuff that helped us get through the first few months of baby transition. when isabelle got big enough i just passed those items along to others who had a need. i like the whole idea of community recycling and re-using. in fact, the only things i really bought was a crib and high chair. so this time around i needed to get a few things just to help us out. and i have a few friends who want to plan showers for the baby. but after looking at baby stuff i cannot justify spending 100's of dollars or asking others to spend 100's of dollars on things we will only use for a few months. the baby industry is nuts! seriously they market everything and make parents feel like if you are going to be good parents then you need to purchase everything! i had a friend (who's wife is due on the exact day as me) tell me he went to a store called birth and beyond and they are minimalists they encourage you to get the bare essentials because honestly, first off you don't know what your baby will like and secondly, all the marketing is a ploy to get you to spend lots of money on crap you seriously don't need.

that said, based on experience of having a baby before i kinda had an idea of stuff i'd like to have-- that i felt were essential for the first part of little one's life-- then i craiglisted it. oh my lord, craigslist is genius. i decided to look for a bassinet and found a brand new one with all the bells and whistles for 20 bucks! a very small fraction of what they are selling it for at baby's r us. i found a cradle swing (which i felt was a lifesaver for us when we first had isabelle, as it was the only thing that would put her to sleep) for 35 bucks! it was new and if i had bought it from the store with all the packaging i would have spent about $150 for it. i got a brand new stroller/car seat combo-- never been used for 45 bucks. brilliant! pretty cool way to also recycle and reuse and slow down the wheel of consumption and waste.

also, as i said earlier i have a friend who is planning a little shower for me and my family. i've decided i don't want a traditional shower this time around. i want something that incorporates my whole family and is not just about all the baby games and gifts but looks something more like a blessing. i want my male and female friends, alike, to be invited and i hope to hear my loved ones share with us their hopes and blessings for our little family. most of all, it'll be a celebration of the providence of god and his grace in allowing us to have the responsibility and blessing of parenting our two girls.