Thankful Thursday–New Cradle

Elaine is napping and Ben will be home soon – that gives me about three minutes to write this post!  Today I am thankful for dumpster diving. Okay not exactly.  Around here it’s not exactly the same – there are not many dumpsters in our neighborhood.  But everyone piles their trash and recycling on the sidewalk to be collected the next day.

We were headed to the grocery store after dinner when we scored a great find!  Ben just *happened* to be parked on 72nd street, and someone just *happened* to be throwing away some furnitere.  On top of the pile was a full size cradle in very excellent (I would say “gently used”) condition!  Ben pulled it out to test it and it worked perfectly!  Even the little mattress was in pristine condition.  (Ben usually won’t take anything used because of bed bugs).  

We were planning to get a toddler bed for Elaine and squeeze it into her tiny bedroom along with the crib.  This cradle fits much better, and the new baby can use it for several months (I would guess at least six!).  Now we won’t have to transition Elaine as early, and we don’t have the expense (yet!) of a new bed!

I put a pink blanket in it for two reasons – first, it’s all I have that is not in use.  Second, I think this baby may be a girl!  Of course Ben is still holding his breath for a baseball player!

Elaine likes the cradle because it rocks.  By the way, have you noticed this hoodie in a lot of pictures recently?  It’s part of an outfit that we gave Elaine for Christmas, and she loves it.  If she sees it, she wants to wear it.  Once she is wearing it, you can’t get it off of her without a fight.  She sleeps in it, eats in it, naps in it.  Today it finally made it to the washing machine!