Big Comfy Chair

We have a big comfy chair in the corner of our living room. It's nestled between a built in book shelf stocked with photos of our daughters, precious knickknacks, beloved craft and knitting books and all of our photo albums, and a side table concealing a small pile of toys. It's soft and deep. Sits two adults (and two babies) quite comfortably. It's one of those non-descript neutral colors. Grey? Beige? Greeny-brown?

::The Chair, in all it's glory::

It was the first piece of "adult" furniture that Ian and I bought together. It seemed like such a stretch at the time (still kind of does). Up until then our small first apartment had been furnished with generous hand me downs, leftovers from college, and IKEA purchases. It was a floor sample, and on sale to boot, making it JUST within our meager budget. Since then I've boasted about how AMAZING floor sample purchases are (usually MUCH less expensive than a brand new model and already broken in!).

At first this chair was purchased to occupy a vacant corner in our dining room. I'd always wanted a reading nook and a chair and a half seemed (in that newly-wed-smitten-with-each-other-lets-always-be-snuggling-world) to be the perfect solution. Ian and I used

to drink our morning cups of coffee in it, reading the morning news side by side before getting ready for work. At night we'd find ourselves with a glass of wine in hand, talking about our days, dreaming about the future, or just enjoying being snuggled up close on a quiet night.

::Unfortunately the ONLY photo I have of The Chair in our first apartment. Please overlook the packing peanuts stuck on my head (post-birthday-present-opening-silliness) for the awesome orange walls and vintage lamp::

When we moved to our second apartment and Ainsley was born it became our baby snuggle chair. We could both fit while ogling our beautiful girl, making goofy faces and admiring her big brown eyes and contagious laugh. As she grew we'd read books in the chair before bed and naps, curl up on it to watch an old movie or doze while calm music played in the background.

::the infamous barf on the head took place in The Chair::

::sweet baby Ainsley in The Chair::

::reading her favorite book over and over in the The Chair::

In our new house the chair now sometimes fits all 4 of us (although it is becoming a rather tight squeeze). I find it's the chair I gravitate towards when nursing Louise, or settling down to read with my girls. I've often found Ainsley snuggled in its corner, or trying to scale the back cushion to mess with the electronics on the mantel above. The chair's angle hides a pile of miscellaneous baby things (johnny jump up, collapsible tent/house, books and toys). It's really quite multi-purpose.

::post nursing adoration in The Chair::

::Grammy snuggles in The Chair::

::Halloween photo op in The Chair::

::probably the best sister picture to date in The Chair::

::Newborn bonding/classical music time in The Chair::

::Auntie Joojie toenail salon in The Chair::

Today both Louise and Ainsley have been under the weather. Luckily their fevers have both broken, but they're still extra snuggly and tired. While I rocked a sad Louise this morning I watched Ainsley grab her blankies and stuffed animals and climb up onto the chair. She carefully placed nankers on the pillow under her head and snuggled down to "nap on couch".

It's amazing. When we bought that chair the salesperson told us "do you have kids? It's great for kids". At the time I didn't think much of it. "Sure, one day our kids will sit in it I guess" was my deepest thought. It's just a chair, right? It was then maybe, but not any more. Now it's a time capsule of the three and a half years of marriage, two babies, and three homes later.

As I saw Ainsley happily snuggling down in the chair that we bought before she was even a thought in our minds I was struck by how much life has changed in three years and how wonderfully full it is. How that stretch of a purchase has fueled so much fun and comfort and made many memories.

This chair has become a symbol of our lives and parenthood. Its stains record the daily grind and it's wide open seat and plush back signify the love and safety we provide. It reminds me of how we provide for our children. How we sacrifice to give them what they need, what they deserve. I'm glad that the chair has become a place of comfort for us all and can't wait to see the damage that we do to it, and love that we share in it over the years.

Perhaps it is just a chair but it made me think of so much more.