I Just Can't Help It!

A few months ago when we started our adoption process, we passed a law in our house. No shopping for the baby until we have a referral in hand. Now, I know that a lot of you blogger gals are big-time shoppers. So, before you click that comment button to chew me out, please know that I too enjoy shopping. I really enjoy baby shopping. But, for me, filling my house with baby items without an actual baby takes me quickly to my crazy place. Bill & I thought that it would probably be hard and confusing for Will, too. Thus the "no shopping" law. (Please also note that there is NOT a no-looking law - I've picked out linens, room decorations, furniture...the list continues. But no actual items have been purchased.)

But today I broke the law. Will and I were at Kohl's, and there were soooooooo many cute little baby things. Creepers with puppy dogs and bears and trains. Little soft blue blankets and bibs. All on great summer sales - my achilles heal! My strength was waining. I probably would have bought a ton of clothes if I only had an inkling of what size to purchase. But, I didn't, so I passed through the children's clothing unscathed. (By the way, I also know that we have a trip to Branson, Missouri planned this fall, and they have one of the best outlet malls I've ever visited. They have Carter's, they have Osh Kosh, they have Children's Place. And come September, they will have a lot of my money!)

So, back to the story. Will wanted, of course, to look at the four really messy aisles of toys that they shove into a corner of the Kohl's as bribery to get kids to agree to go shopping with their parents. He was pretty good all throughout our daily errands, so I agreed. As I am standing in the heaps of Dora dolls, Matchbox cars, Thomas Trains, and other assorted toys, suddenly my eyes light up. I notice a darling, brightly colored FisherPrice Tabletop Playmat up on the shelf. It's got nobs, rattles, buttons, mirrors, balls - all those cute things that little hands love to investigate. It folds out to the size of a large placemat or folds up into a 3" X 10" packet - easily packable! It has suction cups to secure it to an airplane tray table! It is all the things I love in children's toys, and it is sitting on the shelf next to a sign that says, "All FisherPrice Toys 50% Off!"

I melted. A girl only has so much will power. And so, for $12.50 after sale (plus the travel game that I had to buy for Will because I haven't figured out yet how to buy for one child and not two!), we are officially moving into "getting ready for baby" mode. A really big step for me. But, finally, one homestudy, a three-inch binder stuffed full of paperwork, one dossier, a couple of big checks, lots of time on the blogs and forum, and a FisherPrice Tabletop Playmat later, I can say that I really think this whole thing is going to happen! We're really going to have a baby in our house!