With being a new mommy there are quit a few things I am learning every day. Like basically how to live, function and organize my life, all over again – Ha!

This week I learned that my growing baby boy is “under stimulated” and I needed to get him some big-boy toys; Like an excersaucer, a walker and/or a jumper. Naturally I began my search at the closest Wal-Mart, Target and a few baby consignment shops, but to no avail. Either they were too expensive,  they were all out of the “boy version” or the only ones left were UGLY! (Not for my baby I thought) 🙂

Yesterday, after oh-so dramatically whining to my husband about my disappointing shopping experience, he reminded me of a second hand store a little further out than my usual 8 mile radius. Even though I wasn’t too much of a fan of this particular store, out of desperation I thought, what the heck – why not! With little man in tow I arrived there only to have him screaming his lungs out just before I could jump out of the car. He was hungry. Again.

Now pause! Something you must understand about me right away is my desire to do things as quickly as possible. I don’t know where this came from but I will say that for as long as I can remember I have been this way. Staying somewhere too long annoys me. Not being able to get something done “right away” annoys me. (Now I’m not saying this is the correct way to go about life, cause what I’d give to be a lot less anxious, …but nonetheless this is me). This was extremely handy in college, when balancing work, a full class load, an internship, and a serious relationship were the story of my life. This has proven to have quit the opposite affect in my marriage of almost three years and ESPECIALLY so, since becoming a mommy. Babies and Husbands don’t rush! Oh Boy! Note taken.

Okay now back to the story.

I jump in the back seat and begin feeding him a freshly prepared bottle all the while thinking: “Please hurry and finish this bottle”. “Please let mommy hurry and get in this store before it closes; after all the store is on weekend hours”. And boy, did he do quit the opposite. He fell in and out of sleep while drinking that big o’ bottle of milk and when I tried to gently remove the bottle from his mouth he began screaming like he hadn’t eaten in days. So of course I’m thinking, can I just hold him and feed him in the store? Would that completely be out of line?

Common sense quickly reminded me that walking through the store while bottle feeding an 18-20 lb. infant in one hand, a 15 lb. purse, car keys and phone in the other – (Oh and don’t forget the shopping experience part) was just probably a disaster waiting to happen.

So about 15 minutes later – or a lifetime later (depending on whose telling the story), I walk in the store, do a quick scan, focus in on the target and make a mad dash to the walker section. God clearly had his hand on this store visit because there was only one walker left and it looked brand new, was made for a baby boy, and was just the right price (half the retail). WOHOO! SCORE! I happily walked over to the register but was quickly redirected to a nearby Pack n’ Play playpin. Alike the walker, it to looked brand new, was for a baby boy, and was just the right price (half the retail).

OMG, I didn’t think that shopping trip could’ve gotten any better at that point but boy was I wrong!

I finally got in the line to check out and to my dismay the internet in the building was down causing the credit card machines to go out of commission. NO CREDIT CARD MACHINES? What the heck. I mean, is it really too much to ask to “quickly” get home so I can show my husband my awesome finds AND to play with my baby boy and his brand new cute big-boy toys? But wants again the waiting game meets me head on. I must’ve waited in that line for about 10-15 minutes, thinking of everything I could be doing instead of standing in that line, hardly noticing the lady and her daughter waiting behind me.

Wants the technical problems were resolved and the W.A.I.T.I.N.G. game was officially over, the cashier began to ring me up. The lady behind me, seeing my balancing act failing miserably as I dropped my keys and then my receipt…(and then my keys again), kindly offered to help me take everything I purchased to the car. I smiled and thankfully agreed to her assistance. She then realized that the cute pack n’play I had just purchased was the one she had just donated minutes ago. She was excited to show me how to brake it down properly and help me get it safely to the car.

Here comes the cool part: She then asked me if I had everything I needed for my little man because she had more stuff in her truck that the store didn’t take and I could have it if I wanted it. At first I thought, now that I have these two items I’ve been looking for I should be good to go. Right? But I quickly recanted because I knew there was so much baby stuff out there, surely I didn’t have everything I needed. AND, I had earlier prayed to God that I would be able to buy more stuff for the little guy. So I humbled myself and explained to her that I was a first time mom and I wasn’t sure if I had or needed anything else.

She pointed to her car, parked two spaces down from mine and showed me the coolest yellow and green play mat (better than the one we currently had), a beautiful white changing table and some miscellaneous bedding items. And all for a baby boy and all in excellent shape! I smiled at how quickly I went from being my crazy-anxious self, rushing my baby’s eating session, and the cashiers resolution of the technical problems to now thoroughly appreciating the time and place that I was in at that very moment.

Her generosity extended as she offered to drive the changing table to my home because it wouldn’t fit in my back seat. In any other situation I would’ve quickly declined the offer just thinking about all the “stranger danger” and “kooks”out there, but I really sensed her genuine desire to be kind AND I really felt that this blessing was for me. I jumped in the car and headed home, frequently checking my rear view for her SUV. Upon our arrival my husband met us down stairs and thanked them for their generosity and we enjoyed a nice, relaxing evening enjoying all of the toys/gifts of the day.

So why did I tell you this LONG story. just a simple reminder to be anxious for nothing, or no one. An anxious heart fails to see the potential of each moment. Each moment has its own beauty, Even if you don’t see it right when it happens.

If i had purchased something similar to what I wanted at another store, simply because I wanted it right then; I would’ve missed it. If I would’ve rushed baby boys feeding, I would’ve missed it. If I would’ve impatiently left because of the computer malfunction, I would’ve missed it.

There are too many opportunities in life to miss out on the blessings. Its okay to stop to smell the roses, even before they are fully bloomed.

She. Talks. Life