crib for free

It's been a while since I've posted (clearly). And as the title of this post may suggest, we are expecting our first baby in July. Yay! With this being said, the hunt for all things baby is on - that means rocker, crib, stroller, etc. I found a fabulous crib online as part of a closeout inventory...meaning it was relatively good looking and rather inexpensive. Exciting! BUT...they sold out in a matter of hours and I didn't act fast enough. Back to the drawing board (aka same website I was on).

The husband, however, had a different approach. The same weekend we were going to purchase the crib, we also purchased a swivel glider - the one I'd been eyeing since I walked into Babies 'R Us without feeling like a total loser...I think I was the only pregnany lady in there that looked non-pregnant (waiting for the bump to show). These two (potentially) large purchases scared the husband a bit. I mean, was he just now figuring out how expensive this baby was going to be?!

Anyhow, we were beginning to clean out baby's room and had some things we were taking over to his mom's in exchange for us taking some of her items to a dump day. The dump day happened to be in the city where his sister and aunt lived. Perfect! Drop off the junk for free!

All was fine and dandy until I saw them pull back into the driveway with a full truck bed. What?! Wait. I thought we were dropping stuff off...

Low and behold - in the bed of the truck was a white crib. Trying to hide my facial expression (those of you who know me well, know I have a "look"), I poured out as much excitement as I saw my husband exuding with his "find". Our conversation went something like this:

Husband: Look babe! I found it on the side of the road (in said city)! Almost got in a fight with another guy, but we got there first!

Me: Oh, a fight?! For this?

Husband: Yeah, he probably knows how much cribs cost these days too.

Me: It has teeth marks on the railing.

Husband: So. It's a little scuffed up, but I can sand it and repaint it.

Me: Is that safe?

Husband: Eh, we'll just buy those teething covers to put over the rails, that way there's no way the baby could get lead poisoning.

Me: Oh, God!

Apparently I could not hide my "look" any longer. The husband and his mother loaded the crib back into the truck to drop it off at the dump day site. He was a bit upset that I was so unforgiving of the flaws on the crib - called me "materialistic"...I'd much prefer to play this one safe.

The next morning we get a call from Grandad (husband's grandfather). The coversation went something like this:

GD: Hey y'all! You're never going to guess what I found! A crib! On the side of the road. I picked it up and it's on my porch. Why don't y'all come take a look at it?

No. Way. No possible way that Grandad could have picked up the same exact crib...BUT he did! Husband thinks that means we are destined to have this crib - I call it dumb luck. Grandad is almost certain he can fix the faulty gate release (aren't those banned on cribs these days?), and the teeth marks are no sweat at all according to him. The husband is extactic. I am trying to find every possible reason why this decision is a bad one.

I mean, really? Skimp on the one major safety object in the room?

To no avail, the crib is still being "looked at" as an option by the husband. I continue to search for other, more reasonable cribs...and getting him on board.