From fatigue to envy to consumerism saving the day?

Is it better to feel baby-stuff fatigue? Or baby-stuff envy?

Last week I was freaked out by the amount of stuff we supposedly need in order to bring a baby up (and out).

But my relationship to stuff has apparently changed.

I have visited a most excellent nursery (Kate and Jason's work for Ivy Cat). I was happy to see boxes and baskets tucked into shelves. Because we will be doing the same kind of creative storage for Ginger. As well, Kate had hung very very very old baby girl clothes on the wall. Whimsical and practical, all in one room.

I checked up on Kitty and Abel's progress with their nursery: BRIGHT colors (c'mon, better by, he's Brazilian!) and jungle theme (Tullulah Flora will spend half of her time in Bahia, Brazil, so she might was well get used to the topical goodness starting as soon as she comes out!). The crib and changing table (yes, I know what a changing table looks like on sight now.) are BRIGHT WHITE. The room is wonderful.

And I heard about Micheal and Lan's first and best find for their little man: a 1940s style bassinet. Wicker! Not lead paint! (Michael had it tested. We love our dads-to-be.)

We do not have a room to turn into a nursery. We just don't. I joked, perhaps defensively, that I'm just too damn selfish to give up all my clothes/junk/books/necklaces/trinkets. And Ross said, no.

"You need an office. You have to have somewhere to work."

"Oh, yeah! I bring home the money!"

In our mini-house, we just don't have room for a baby room. Which is 100 percent fine with me. Almost always. Except when I see the awesomeness (resources: time, money, creativity) that my lady friends and baby daddies have poured into their baby spaces and baby things. Envious? Maybe, yeah. A little concerned about finances? Um, I maybe should be, but I've got savings and investments all set up for this coming year. So I don't think that's what the funny feeling is from.

Straight up jealous in a consumer/feed-me-more-material-goods kinda way? Prob'ly, for sure, ues. Cause I feel the same way when I hear about a friend buying a nice house in San Francisco. Or when I play with someone's iPod.

Time to hit Craigslist for a bassinet/crib/play pen. And maybe, just maybe, time to buy an iPod. I'm due for an upgrade at the end of August...

(Photo: Me and Micheal's father, another Michael, soon to be Grandpa. His belly is bigger than mine.)