Retail therapy?

Among other things that make me occasionally question whether I really do have two X chromosomes (like my lack of fashion sense or interest therein, my inability to decorate a room to save my life, and my general avoidance of all things pink and/or flowery), I happen to not really enjoy shopping.  It's a necessary evil -- I do NOT understand people who shop just for fun.  And people who go shopping on Black Friday?  No way, no how!  I used to work in retail -- I still have nightmares about working on Black Friday, about dealing with people driven insane by sales and lower prices.  Usually those nightmares (no, I wasn't kidding!) deal with me having a looooong line of impatient customers, and being stuck in front of a register that doesn't work.  There's probably something to that, but we'll save dream interpretation for another time, mmkay?

That being said, there are times when I don't hate shopping.  For instance, I don't think I've ever hated shopping at IKEA.  I love that place!  We only go a couple times a year since it's about an hour or so away, but still . . . even when it's crazy busy, I don't mind it.  Another thing I don't hate is shopping at thrift stores and, to a lesser extent, rummage sales.  I think the key there is that I like finding really good deals.  If I have to spend money, I want to spend as little as possible.

There's a reason I'm rambling about shopping.  I officially started buying baby stuff this weekend.  Well, not counting the breastpump I bought over the summer, or the crib/changing table and Pack & Play I also bought over the summer (all of the above purchased "gently used", thus at really good prices! hee hee hee).  Our church's annual silent auction ended just this weekend, and a few entries ago I mentioned that I was drawn to a particular basket that had a bib with a stethoscope printed on it.  It looks something like this file photo that I found via Google:

(and it doesn't say "Doctor", lol)

Well . . . I WON IT!!  :)  And along with this bib, I also am the proud owner of like four little infant outfits, two packages of wipes, two big things of baby lotion, one big container of baby wash, one big container of baby shampoo, a baby hair brush and comb, and a water-temperature-sensitive rubber ducky for the bathtub to make sure I don't scald my new precious cargo.  Hypothetically speaking.

In other words . . . the first brand-new stuff for the baby we don't have yet.

And I feel kinda weird about it.  I mean, it's kind of exciting and fun to have this tiny human stuff in my possession again, but the superstitious part of me is very hesitant to be too excited about it.  I have a new pile of stuff started in the spare bedroom now -- "baby stuff" -- but it still feels more like I've picked this stuff up for someone else, not me.  

I don't plan on making a habit out of this, not until we are much farther along in this journey.  :)

Anyway . . . we've been in the book of waiting families for a month now!  It doesn't seem like it's only been one month, and it also seems like it's been much longer than that.

On that note, I'm signing off for tonight.  Keep your fingers crossed . . . like one of my best friends said, "pray for faulty condoms!"  :D