On Material Things

While I'm still not entirely huge and uncomfortable but big enough to know this baby will make a grand entrance soon enough, I've put a lot of thought into going minimalist when it comes to preparing for life with a baby and putting a nursery together. Let me clarify: by no means am I able to call myself a minimalist. I've lived in a house with one other person for almost four years that is large enough to accommodate a sizeable family, and for that reason alone I can never hold that wonderful title. But hey...assuming we don't have to relocate to another state for a job or anything, we'll probably never have to move.

But getting back on topic, I am scared of bringing my progeny onto this planet which suffers so much. We have big floating islands of trash, for crying out loud. So big that the UN is giving one of them member state status. (I don't know if that was a joke or for real, but I heard it on an public radio show.) I am so appalled by this, and I am equally as appalled by all of the bright plastic crap that a household accumulates when babies enter the picture. I thought I could do my part for the world and my sanity by limiting the clutter I bring into the home while simultaneously limiting the amount of plastic I will force the planet to somehow digest. And probably save a buck or two, which could be used for college or travel or anything better than material goods. Yes, I know I will have to buy some heaps of plastic crap to keep my child entertained and to make my life easier. But I'm looking for mostly just the essentials for now until I know what will actually work best for my kid. (Hopefully empty water bottles and toilet paper rolls will be all he needs to stay entertained. Haha.)

So I was very proud of myself when we had accumulated a little collection of some used, hand-me-down baby goods, including a crib and its mattress. Until I did enough reading to know that even the most economically-minded, eco-friendly person does not put their child on a used crib mattress because of the increased risk of SIDS. So that heap of plastic and synthetic material will most likely end up on a trash island, while we'll have to shell out a few hundred big ones on a high-quality mattress, because, as I also discovered, you have to buy a fancy organic one so as to limit the amount of toxic fumes and chemicals exposing themselves to the baby. Just add it to the list...

I'm sure this won't be the last time we're hit with an expensive surprise as parents. It's kind of like when your car registration and insurance are both due at the same time, and in the same week your dog needs expensive veterinary care, your car needs new tires, your professional license needs to be renewed, and you need extensive dental work (and you don't have dental insurance...). Except this is so much better, and so much more rewarding.