GOD THREW ME A BABY SHOWER: ROCK THAT

Today's post is a testament to the fact that sometimes you just happen to be in the right place at the right time. And sometimes that right place just happens to be Uptown New Orleans last Saturday.

I remember it like it was last week. I was about to drop John off to help someone from church move to a new house. Upon arrival, we found out the move was cancelled. No biggie. We turned around and headed home. At which time I proceeded to talk about our upcoming baby expenses and how we should probably think about what we really need for Scooter here pretty soon. I started working myself into a bit of an overwhelmed frenzy over it all. You know, worrying about dollar signs and time and motherhood and such. But before I could even respond to John's reassurances, a chair on the side of the road caught my attention. (Think the dog from the movie "UP" with his outbursts of "SQUIRREL!!" and you'll have just about the right mental picture of my reaction to said chair. haha)


The chair, piled high with what looked like some old blinds and a few other odds and ends, wore the sign all frugal eyes hope to see - FREE! But as we drove by, it was obvious from first glance that it wasn't really anything worth a stop. Oh well. This Goldilocks wasn't even gonna try it on for size. Everyone knows the first chair doesn't work out anyway. And besides, who are we kidding? Life isn't really a fairy tale.........or is it?

So, we continued toward home and I continued on my verbal journey toward baby buying anxiety. And again, John chimed in with his reassurances. "It's ok honey...we'll just look over what we need and then we can..."

"SQUIRREL!"


A halo of sunlight streamed down from above. It rested on a glorious item of blue and white. Could it be?! No...it couldn't...could it? Oh yes it could!! IT WAS ANOTHER CHAIR! And it was obvious that this one was MUCH better than the last. It was one of those glider-rockers WITH an ottoman to math! Only problem? This one wore no sign of FREE-dom. But it was at the curb..and doesn't that, in and of itself, mean TAKE ME NOW??

I pulled over and looked at John with puppy dog eyes. He took a breath in before tilting his head and asking, "Do you want me to go knock on the door and ask if they're giving it away?" I had never been more attracted to John Sigety than I was at that moment. Ok, not really...but I all but hit my head on the ceiling of the car as I nodded in pleading affirmation.

So I waited in the car while John walked to the front door.

Knock Knock Knock.................no answer.
Knock Knock Knock.................nothing.
Knock Knock Knock.................nada.

Meanwhile, I hurriedly called my fellow frugal sisters to ask if it would be ok for us to just take the chair...given its current location at the curb and all. But alas, no answer on the other end of the phone line either!

John turned back. This must have been how Joseph and Mary felt when they kept getting turned away at the inns. Ok - not at all. But that's just what it made me think of. And thank goodness I wasn't NINE months pregnant and on the back of a donkey in the sweltering New Orleans heat. Mary really was AMAZING!

But back to the moment at hand. John turned back toward the car. Dang! But just as he took the first few steps, I could see through the glass on the front door something moving. It was a person! I pointed and John turned to face the woman who answered.

Then came John's glorious declaration of, "My PREGNANT wife (while pointing back at me waving awkwardly from the car) saw your chair and wanted to know if you were giving it away." ...way to play the sympathy card husband. lol

Without hesitation, the woman (Jenny) said YES and started walking over to the chair. I jumped out of the car. And anyone who's ever been pregnant knows that 'jumping' is no easy feat come the third trimester! Go me.

So, here's the scoop: Its a White Dutailier Chair. (apparently a nice brand, but having never bought an item of furniture new in my life - how in the world would I know? Thank goodness for the internet. haha) It's an all wood glider rocker with matching glider ottoman. Pay no mind that the model is from 1997, cause it definitely doesn't look that dated if you ask me. And the best part? It glides like butter and is in GREAT condition! The light blue pad covers could use A LOT of TLC, but luckily they snap off the frame of the chair no problem. Now I just have to get the covers off the pads and introduce them to a little oxy-clean. Maybe I'll even recover the pads with some fun new fabric...time to get crafty :)

Wow - so maybe fairy tales really do come true! Only, unlike Goldilocks, I hit the jackpot on the second chair and didn't have to wait for the third. And I didn't fall asleep in the chair and wait for the bear (Jenny) to come home and find me there. But one detail rings true for both Goldilocks and me - we found the chair that's Juuuuuuust Right. The right size, the right fit, the right price...perfect.


Looks like I should stop all my wondering and worrying about how we'll come up with all the baby stuff we'd like. God has a funny way of helping out with what we need sometimes.

And besides, all babies really need is love, a home, food, diapers...Oh, and of course a Dutailier rocking chair!!

Thanks for the impromtu Baby Shower God - I can't wait to meet your litte one! 85 days to go!! ...Most of which will be spent driving around Uptown New Orleans in search of more squirrels ;)

***Actual pictures to come later tonight***