Mom In a Box

Living in a 700 sq ft apartment has presented its challenges almost on a daily basis, but most recently with a baby on the way. I am constantly trying to rearrange furniture, trash or sell things I don't really need, and organize in order to make my apartment a comfortable place to call home. I consider myself to be pretty good at this task and I am able to minimize the clutter in a small two bedroom, one bath with a husband and a cat. But the stakes have been raised now that we're having a baby in 54 days (that is if she comes on time). Although they are small, babies seem to need a whole load of stuff that has dragged me in and convinced me that I actually need these things. They get they're own furniture for just being born, which consists of a crib, dresser, changing table, rug, rocking chair, and toy boxes. But then there are the things to entertain it like a swing or bouncer, plus enormous boxes of diapers and wipes, bottles, monitor, and clothes that they grow out of in a matter of days. And of course the stroller and car seat, which not only takes up room but can cost you a pretty penny. And this is just the bare minimum. Like the wedding industry, this is a billion dollar market that I need to break into - it's a gold mine! But I'm having a constant struggle of need and want, and denying your child versus being smart about raising them. Don't they just want to be loved and to feel safe? Isn't that what we all want?

Photo: The crib! The big addition to the apartment.

I've chosen to live in this apartment and I'm actually glad that I'm forced to be minimal with the amount of baby stuff. The more room I would have, the more stuff for the baby there would be, which means just more stuff for me to eventually trash or sell.