Bedding Fiasco

Yesterday, I emailed and called blissforthebaby.com to tell them that I wanted to cancel my order. I, of course, haven't heard back from anyone. I will, however, be watching my credit card statement VERY closely for a while to make sure they don't try anything.

So back to square one. I looked and looked and couldn't find anyone else that sold the lamp that went along with the collection (except for VERY expensive ones!). So I got mad and found completely new bedding! It's from the same brand and somewhat similar. The only problem is that....no one sells the bedding plus all the accessories together! I always make things hard, don't I? :o) SOOOO I had to shop at four different websites (all of whom are trusted! I learned my lesson!) so without further ado, Noah's bedding-for real this time!!

Now if you are like me, you are thinking "What the crap is that?!?" The picture is too busy and so is the comforter. I get that. But the other stuff is really cute! And I'm not really a 'whale' or 'fish' person but I think I will like this when it comes in!


I also got this mobile...


this lamp...


and this blanket.


I haven't been able to find the matching pillow that's shown in the picture below or the window valance that's in the top picture. I guess I'll be searching for those on ebay since they've been discontinued! Let me know if you see them for sale anywhere!

And even though I've had to order everything from different places AND pay shipping/handling charges at all those places, the total of it all (even plus the valance and pillow I haven't gotten yet) will still most likely come out cheaper than the original bedding I ordered! Woot Woot!

I need advice!

But first, a little somethin' somethin' for you! I put together a collage of my weekly preggo pictures from 5-20 weeks! Holy cow I've grown!



Ok now for the advice I need. I ordered Noah's bedding from blissforthebaby.com on Friday around 9pm. I've been kind of nervous from the get-go because NOBODY seemed to be selling that lamp, remember? But blissforthebaby.com was as long as you bought the bedding from them, too. So I've been watching my email making sure they didn't send me something saying that the lamp was out of stock or something.

As soon as I placed my order online (with my credit card) I received an email from the website verifying that I ordered the bedding, but it didn't say anything about when the bedding would be shipped. Saturday I called the 800-number on the website to ask them when my order would ship and I got an answering machine type message that said they were open Tuesday through Saturday 10-5pm and that I could leave a message. I didn't leave a message then. So today I've been calling them about once every 2-3 hours and I never get a person. I left a message around 10am this morning saying that I really needed someone to call me about my order....nothing. Then after lunch I sent an email to them saying that I was getting worried that they had my credit card number and I couldn't ever get in touch with anyone and to please contact me ASAP....nothing!

So I called my credit card people and they said that nothing has been charged to it. So what the crap am I supposed to do???? The info page on the website says that most orders ship within 48 hours and you will receive an email when your order ships. It's been well over 48 hours, but they were closed Saturday thru Monday too though. So I am lost. And I freakin want my baby bedding! So I don't know if I should go order it somewhere else....or wait to see what these people do....or what????

ADVICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

20 weeks!!

How far along? 20 weeks-half way there!
Total weight gain/loss: Up 11 pounds since pre-pregnancy...
Maternity clothes? Exclusively
Stretch marks? Still none!
Sleep: Going just peachy, except last night when Noah decided he wanted to have a dance party at bedtime!
Best moment this week? Finding out that Noah was a boy!!
Movement: He always moves several times a day, but Sunday I looked at the clock, realized it was after 1:00pm and couldn't remember feeling him move at all that whole day. I didn't immediately panic because I had praise team that morning and had been running around like crazy all day. I figured that he must have been moving but I was just too busy to notice. So I drank some cold lemonade, shook my belly, poked my belly.....nothing. THEN I started to freak out! I called my doctor's office and had them page my doctor. Ten minutes later, Noah started to move.....hardheaded just like his Mommy!
Food cravings: Sour candy! I better ease up on the candy by my next doctor's visit when I have my glucose test!
Gender: BOY!
Labor signs: None, thankfully!
Belly button in or out? Still in, but it's only a matter of time!
What I miss: REDDDD BULLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!
What I am looking forward to: Getting the nursery set up.
Weekly wisdom: When people find out the sex of your baby, they start buying him/her presents!
Milestone: Half way there!!!!!!!!!

Ok so I found Noah's bedding! Like I said before, I looked everywhere possible in town and found nothing. So this weekend, I started browsing on the internet and went to Target.com. I am REALLY picky and didn't think I would find anything but I just wanted to look anyway. On the very first 'boy bedding' page I saw it!



SUPER cute! AND the set also had a SUPER cute matching lamp...


WELL, the people that make this bedding have discontinued all the accessories except the window valance. So you can only buy the bedding and the valance. Now this may be the hormones talking, but that lamp MAKES the room! I WANT THE LAMP!! I checked out the reviews for the set and it never got less than 4.5 out of 5 stars-with over 15 reviews! So now I knew I had to get it! I googled the lamp and searched and searched and searched. NO ONE seemed to be selling it anymore. I saw one for sale on ebay.....for $200!!!!!!! The lamp is only worth like $45! I don't want it that bad! But then I found a website that sells the lamp! The only catch is that you have to buy the bedding from them, too. It was only like $30 more with them than at Target.com so I got it! YAY!

We got the bedding, the lamp, the valance...

the diaper stacker...

and the super soft blanket!

Here is a closer view of the bedding. The inside of the bumper pads is made from that same fabric as the super soft blanket! Cozy!


So I feel a LOT better now! Yay for Noah!

Baby Noah

First of all, let me start out by saying that I've gained a total of 11 pounds since I got pregnant!! Holy crap!!!! Ok, now that that's out of the way.....Noah weighs about one pound now!! YAY! His heartrate was a strong 155 bpm and the ultrasound technician said that looking at Noah was like looking at a textbook-everything is PERFECT! Overall he measured pretty close to my dates but his legs measured two weeks big! Brad and I are both short, so I don't know where he got his long legs from! He kicked, danced and did crunches the entire ultrasound! (That large Mountain Dew from Taco Casa really did the trick!!) When the ultrasound technician was starting to look to see Noah's goodies, I IMMEDIATELY saw and said, "Oh my gosh, that's a PENIS!! It's a BOY!!!!!" He was just spread eagle and had 'such a big package'-as Brad says-that everyone in the room saw it before the tech had a chance to!

Brad's face when he saw that Noah was a BOY!


The ultrasound lasted about 40 minutes, so I'll just give yall the money shot! The video starts with the four chambers of his heart, moves to his goodies and then ends with his legs. Enjoy!




And a few more pictures for the grandparents...
Noah's spine


His long legs


And his manhood!


I don't like the baby bedding I picked out for him anymore....and I can't find anything in town that I like. So I'm back to square one with the bedding. Hopefully I'll find something soon!

It's a........

BOY!!!!!! More details later, but I knew yall would kill me if I made you wait much longer!!!

Childbirth class

I am such a blog slacker lately yall! Gah!

So Monday night Brad and I had our second childbirth class. We were told to bring two pillows and a blanket to class because we were going to be down on the floor practicing some breathing techniques. The instructor turned the lights down really low, put on some calming music of waves crashing on the shore, asked all of the mommies to lay against their coaches and for the coaches to softly instruct the mommies to "Breathe in.....and out......in....and out....." If you know us in real life, you can probably get a picture in your head......of Brad and I busting out laughing the entire time! He just isn't ever that serious and when he was really trying to concentrate and get me to breathe properly, I just couldn't take it!

After that part of the class, we got to tour the hospital. We aren't delivering at that hospital (our hospital is the sister hospital to this one) but I was still interested in taking the tour. So we toured the triage room....the floor....and then the delivery room. Now remember that I get claustrophobic with this baby in my tummy. There were about 30-35 people in this room and the instructor was explaining to us what each thing in the room was and it's purpose. I found it very informative. But then it started to get really hot in the room. And then I started to get dizzy. I thought that maybe because I'd been standing for a while and my knees where locked that maybe that was why I was feeling funny. So I unlocked my knees and tried to move around a little bit. THEN the instructor pulled the bottom cushion off the bed, pulled out the stirrups and that's when it hit me that I would actually have to push this baby out! So then I really started to feel faint. I don't do blood, needles, flesh, or anything of the sort. Obviously if the sight of stirrups on a bed makes me feel faint, huh? So at this point my head was kind of rolling in a circle and my eyes were starting to roll back in my head. And I thought to myself....'hmmm, I'm about to pass out. Should I pass out in here? No, that would scare all the other pregnant ladies. I think I'll pass out in the hall, that way it will be less distracting. Ok, go in to the hall.' So that's what I did. Well Brad immediately followed me out and I told him that I was about to pass out. We decided to walk down the hallway to try and get some air. At the end of the hallway was a wheelchair, so I sat in it for about five minutes and was fine after that! How traumatizing!!

We have two more classes to go but those won't be until November. And as for our little bambino (or bambina!) here is what Baby Center says he/she should look like:




I don't know about you, but that just makes me want to cry a little bit! Poor thing, all squished up in there! I can't imagine how he/she will still fit in the 20 weeks to come!

And speaking of he/she, I'll be SO GLAD when I can call him/her Noah or Emma Faith! I'm sick of saying 'it' or 'the baby'. Thank goodness we find out tomorrow! AH! And I'll update as soon as I know tomorrow!

One more thing, Baby LOVES lime popsicles. I mean LOVES THEM!!! He/she goes CrAzY when I eat them and just kicks and kicks! So last night I was eating one and I reached over and grabbed Brad's hand, put it on my belly and he got to feel the baby kick for the first time!!! Yay for Daddy!

Anywho, ONE MORE DAY (again!)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

19 weeks

I can not believe how much my belly grew in just a week!!

How far along? 19 weeks! Almost half way there!
Total weight gain/loss: I, again, didn't weigh myself this week. We don't even own a scale! But I'll let you know after my doctor's visit this coming week!
Maternity clothes? I went yesterday and bought several new shirts. Hardly ANY of my pre-pregnancy clothes fit anymore.
Stretch marks? None!
Sleep: My belly is getting so big that it's forcing me to sleep on my side...so I'm not as comfortable anymore. And for some reason, I'm not sleeping as hard as I usually do. I woke up 4-5 times a night this past week!
Best moment this week? Feeling movement everyday!
Movement? The baby moves mostly in the afternoon when I've come home from work and am just sitting down in my recliner. But he/she also moves a little during the day and sometimes early in the morning.
Food cravings: Still sour foods. But last night I reallllly wanted a pizza.
Gender: I'm starting to lean a little toward girl, but it's probably a boy.
Labor signs: None.
Belly button in or out? Same as last week. It's still in, but it's poking out from the inside...does that make sense? I don't know. It freaks me out.
What I miss: Besides my normal response of Red Bull? Nothing!
What I am looking forward to: FINALLY (hopefully!) finding out the gender this week!
Weekly wisdom: Fiber One bars can be your best friends.
Milestone: Attending our first childbirth class!

We have another Preparing for Childbirth class tomorrow night. We will get to tour the hospital (which isn't the hospital we will deliver at but at least we will get an idea) and practice some pain management techniques for labor. And THEN our monthly doctor's appointment is Thursday! Any tips or tricks to ensuring the baby shows the goods? I will seriously CRY if we don't find out Thursday.