A Month of Gratitude: Day 9

I am grateful for people who work in retail who go above and beyond the call of duty in the name of customer service.

Today, Milo kicked off a shoe in Costco. Of course we didn't notice until we'd walked a ways. We looked all over for the shoe (this would be the second shoe we lost at Costco in the past two months) to no avail. I stopped a random employee and asked where to go about a lost shoe. She pointed me to membership services, noting it probably wouldn't be there yet.

I would have been so sad to lose these.

We set about finishing our shopping, without much hope of finding our lost shoe. Just as we were about to check out. The employee who had pointed me to membership services chased us down with Milo's shoe in her hand. I had to give her a hug. It didn't take much for her to find the shoe, but it sure meant a lot to us. Maybe she sees it as her job. I see it as an extra step and an act of kindness -- especially on a day when things were looking a little bleak.

So, today, I am thankful for that Costco employee and other people who make shopping a pleasure instead of a dreaded chore.

Most-Awesome Friend

Yesterday, my good (and extremely talented) friend, known here on the Internet as Jackadillo Princess, brought me two huge boxes of baby clothes. The clothes range from newborn to 12 months. Look at these boxes:

They are also damn cute. Here's a sample:

Football footies!

Polka dots!

Paw print on the butt!

I had three older brothers, so I grew up with hand-me-downs from my closest girl cousin. Sometimes it was great. Sometimes not so much. As a parent, I definitely see the appeal -- and practicality -- of hand-me-downs. It's especially great when I'm really the only one who cares what he wears. I'm pretty sure Baby would be happy -- and totally cute -- naked. But getting these clothes sure makes me feel like I'm that much closer to being ready (or closer to as ready as I'll ever be).

Thank you, Most-Awesome Friend!

I shop

Despite some of the advice I've read, I went ahead and bought some maternity clothes. Yes, I know it's early. But the coat I was looking at was more than 50 percent off and wasn't going to be available long. So I ordered it. It's very cute and not totally maternity looking, meaning I may be able to use it for more than one season. And I ordered some maternity leggings, which are great for now, and because they have a very stretchy waistband and aren't too tight, they'll work when I get bigger and will probably be perfect for right after the baby is born. So, I just got a couple things to help me get through until the bump really starts popping out and I have wear real, honest-to-goodness maternity pants.

I've also been looking at some maternity tops, mostly t-shirts, because that's the kind of person I am. Here are a few of my favorites.

From ThinkGeek.com

 

And from CafePress.com:

Yes, I'm a geek and a dork and not all that fashionable. But I love weird and/or goofy t-shirts, and becoming a mom -- with all the responsibilities that entails -- isn't going to change my dorkiness.

What if I look like a bag lady?

Last year, I thought I would buy a new ski jacket. The one I have is 10 years old and starting to show its age. But after trying on a few and looking at the price tags, I decided the old one could last awhile longer.

This year -- although we've had a very warm October so far -- I know the coat(s) I have aren't going to cut it for the entire season. At some point, I won't be able to zip up the cute little shorty suede number, and even the ski jacket will probably get too snug to cover the growing bump.

My dilemma is this: Do I buy a maternity coat that I know I will only use for one season? Do I tough it out through winter, just not zipping up my coat, despite the fact that if the temperature dips below 70, I'm cold? Do I buy something cheap? Do I just forgo any kind of fashion and wear one of my significant other's coats (if it would even fit)?

I'm pretty sure I'm just looking for something to worry about that doesn't involve genetic testing and birth defects. But I actually am a little concerned about spending money on a winter coat that I'll just use for a few months -- even a coat from a consignment store or the like.

I worry about buying other things, too, like new shoes. I read that your feet sometimes never return to their pre-pregnancy size. And what about bras? The ones I have now are starting to ... um ... overflow a little bit, but I imagine they're going to overflow a lot more. So, I wait.

And I worry about buying clothes that won't get much use. And I worry about not buying anything nice and spending weeks at a time in my significant other's sweatpants and t-shirts.

I'm beginning to think I should have named this blog 40-Something Worry Wart or Come Worry With Me. Is it possible that I'll get all the worrying out of the way during the next 29 weeks and be a totally chill and relaxed mom?

Don't say anything. I already know the answer to that last one.