I'm not quite sure how it happened, but it turns out my little baby has outgrown his toddler bed. In recent weeks Julian has taken to spinning around in his sleep. He usually ends up with his lower half off the bed and some nights his whole body! We knew the time was coming to move him up into a big bed. Erin found a pretty awesome twin sized bed at Goodwill and was determined to buy it for my birthday. But we held off because I just wasn't feeling the vibe. But hours on Craigslist paid off when I found this great bed with storage underneath. It is in new condition and came with a "bunkie board" (an alternative to box springs) so we didn't have to worry about any allergens or cooties. Jonathan's parents offered us the mattress off their daybed, so we were all set! While on vacation in Charleston last year I picked up the Thomas sheets at a Goodwill, and I bought the comforter from a friend-of-a friend for a steal. Today Julian spent the day with Jennie and her brood while I washed everything in hot water, zipped up the squishy stuff in allergy bags, and assembled the bed with Jonathan's help. ;)
All of this has made me think about the history of Julian's beds, and helped me to reflect on how this story tells so much about our life and our values. Julian's first bassinet was loaned to us by BJ and Tim. Ben and Sam both slept in it for their first few months. Julian's first crib was his cousin Sullivan's. When we went to Edinburgh, Julian slept in Katie and Josh's pack & play for months before we found a nice Mothercare cot on Freecycle. We bought a new cot mattress and he was good to go. When we left Edinburgh that cot and mattress went to a young single mother in Mike & Mo's church. Coming back to the US Julian went back to Sullivan's old crib until we learned he could climb out of it! Thankfully I had bought a toddler bed from our neighbor-now-friend. Our neighbors were having a yard sale the day we signed our lease and I picked up the bed and some toys for the wee devil. As a matter of fact, that toddler bed was the very first piece of furniture we moved into our house! I love that their little girl recognizes her old bed when she comes over to play: "Why my bed here?" ;)
I love looking around our home and life and thinking about all the sories. We intentionally go for used stuff and find great meaning in hand me downs. I really believe we'd make these same choices even if money were no object. Tonight I find great comfort in the stories around me. I am reminded that we are very connected... and that we are doing a good job of honoring that connectedness... and that we are doing a good job of raising Julian in such a way that he understands he is part of a deep rich tapestry of life.
Here's the latest picture of Sir Handsome, taken by Jennie today: