You know how some things just don't come together?

Well finally, several years later, they have.

About 6-7 years ago I started tearing pictures out of magazines and collecting them in a file box. In the box are my decorating ideas along with paint samples, fabric samples and tons and tons of pictures.

I must have about 30 pictures of master bathrooms that I like. Certain things about each one that caught my eye.

When it was time to move into our house, my box and I were ready. The vision of what I wanted started falling together. The kitchen, perfect. Our bedroom, fantastic. Even later, our nursery, heavenly.

But that master bathroom just eluded me. I had the pictures and I put together what I wanted. Todd and I argued about the proper shade of blue in thebathroom and compromised. Our bathroom turned out to be a really bad example of a compromise. His navy blue and my slate blue met in the middle in the form of "Blue Chaise" by Behr. The sample card sure was pretty. But oh boy, at the holy electric blue bathroom that came out of it.

From day 1, we both hated it. But it was such a pain to paint, that we lived with it. And lived with it. It'll be 4 years next month.

But, on Christmas Eve, I got a fantastic present. Paint. Two gallons of it. And as I type, Todd is finishing up the second coat of paint. A soft, goldish-tan color. The bathroom is completely changed. No more blue! Hooray and Amen!

And a budget bonus - I decided to repurpose everything from the guest bathroom that was recently redecorated for Will and his brother. I'm using the rugs, towels, framed print and accessories in our master bath. Today we only needed to pick up 2 new bath towels and 2 hand towels in chocolate brown. The sage green I'd had didn't quite mesh with the walls. But the chocolate looks fantastic.

The decorating is just the first step in a long/slow process.

Eventually, the tile around the tub is being ripped out, the awful/cheap mirror glued to the wall is coming down, along with the hideous light fixture and the ugly fiberglass shower w/ the crappy sliding door is being gutted. Those are all long-term goals, of course. Heck, we haven't even found a tile we want to use.

But in the meantime, I can soak in my tub in a bathroom that doesn't look like the neon sign in front of a Blockbuster Video. And that makes me happy.

It's Christmas Eve

I'm sitting here, typing while watching my adorable 3 year old lay on the floor and play with "Banshee" which sounds a bit like "Bangie". His aunt and uncle gave it to him and he's completely enraptured with it. Including sleeping with it. Just to give you an idea of what my son is sleeping in bed with, here it is. Not exactly the sort of thing you'd think a kid would sleep with. But he loves it, for sure.

Anyway, so I'm enjoying my son playing in the family room while I type. How is that so? It's because I got to have my Christmas present a few days early. I'm typing on my new HP laptop. :) :) I'm so thrilled. I've wanted a laptop for years, but it was such a want item, not a need. We certainly didn't need it. But Todd came through and wowed me with a fantastic gift.

I think he's really going to like what he's getting, too. Thankfully he never reads the blog so I can say now what he's getting. :) We'll open presents tonight and he'll get the 3 gifts that are wrapped for him under the tree. He's getting PJ's, a new electric razor and a squeegie for the car (gets the water off after you've washed it). He'll be proud of me for getting good gifts for him, and for sticking to our budget. But tomorrow morning, he'll see that Santa has filled his stocking. And at the very bottom is going to be new Blackberry Curve. :) He's going to be thrilled. I love that he won't discover it until tomorrow morning.

It looks like we both scored blockbuster gifts this year. :)

I love seeing the magic of Christmas through my son's eyes. Watching Will get more and more excited about Santa coming makes me so happy. I cannot wait to take him to church tonight and to deliver cookies afterwards. And to open our PJs. We'll read Christmas stories tonight and put our cookies and milk for Santa.

Tomorrow morning is going to be wonderful. I cannot wait to see his face when he sees what Santa has brought for him. And when he opens all the wrapped presents from us under the tree. It's going to be great. Then we're off to Atlanta for the day (yes, long drive for 1 day) to celebrate Christmas with aunts and uncles and the rest of my family.

Less than 3 months to go

I'm about ready to flip my lid. This baby is due 3 months from today. Eep! That's soon! And since I'll be induced before my dute date, he'll actually be here in 3 months or less.

I feel like we're ready - the nursery is ready to go, he has some new clothes and diapers and the carseat is even out in the garage ready to be buckled into the car.

But, emotionally - not ready at all. I'm scared to death. Don't get me wrong, I cannot cannot wait to meet this tiny little man and love him with everything I've got. The idea of parenting two kids scares the tar out of me.

We're going tonight for a 3D/4D ultrasound - so we're getting our first good look at this little guy and what he looks like. Hopefully that'll help us come up with a name for him.

Kharma gets you every time

Just remember that, Brandy.

I can't stand petty, small, little people.

Jesus is better than Santa

Jesus is Better than Santa

Santa lives at the North Pole.

JESUS is everywhere.

Santa rides in a sleigh

JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water.

Santa comes but once a year

JESUS is an ever present help.

Santa fills your stockings with goodies

JESUS supplies all your needs.

Santa comes down your chimney uninvited

JESUS stands at your door and knocks..

And then enters your heart.

You have to stand in line to see Santa

JESUS is as close as the mention of His name.

Santa lets you sit on his lap

JESUS lets you rest in His arms.

Santa doesn't know your name, all he can say is

"Hi little boy or girl, What's your name?"

JESUS knew our name before we did.

Not only does He know our name,

He knows our address too.

He knows our history and future and He

even knows how many hairs are on our heads.

Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly

JESUS has a heart full of love.

All Santa can offer is HO HO HO

JESUS offers health, help and hope.

Santa says "You better not cry"

JESUS says "Cast all your cares on me

for I care for you.

Santa's little helpers make toys

JESUS makes new life, mends wounded hearts,

repairs broken homes and builds mansions.

Santa may make you chuckle but

JESUS gives you joy that is your strength.

While Santa puts gifts under your tree

JESUS became our gift and died on the tree.

It's obvious there is really no comparison.

We need to remember WHO Christmas is all about.

We need to keep Christ in Christmas.

Jesus is still the reason for the season.

The Top 10 Reasons to Cloth Diaper

Top 10 Reasons to Cloth Diaper The Top Ten Reasons To Cloth Diaper by Susan K. Dodge-Doak http://www.BabyByYou.com #1. Your baby's comfort. Would you like to wear stiff paper (and/or plastic) underwear 24 hours a day? The comfort of cotton and knowing I was providing the best possible comfort for my daughter was the #1 reason I switched to cloth diapers, and why I still love them so much today. #2. The environment. Leave a cleaner world behind for your baby, and your grandchildren. Disposables leave behind an average of 2.7 tons of non-biodegradable waste (not to mention the waste produced by manufacturing them alone) per child. Compare that to a few dozen cotton diapers, and the responsible choice also becomes an easy one. #3. Save money. With disposables, some estimate you spend an average of $2000 per child. Cloth compares at only an average of $150-$350 per child (with the added but minimal cost of electricity and water to launder them). What a great excuse to start a college fund for your baby now, and you can rest assure that your money is being well-spent and not going to "waste" in a land-fill! #4. Potty training is easier, and happens earlier. It's a little-known fact that cloth diaper children potty train earlier, and with less effort on their parent's part. This has mostly to do with the fact that when a cloth diaper is wet, they can feel the sensation. Chemical laden disposables can feel so dry, your baby never gets a chance to understand what their body is doing. #5. Cotton diapers are gel free. Polyacrylate gel in diapers is a relatively new phenomenon, and no one really knows what the long term effects are. It also leaches moisture from your babies skin. Additionally, disposables are full of dioxins. While non-organic cotton cloth diapers can also have dioxins, they typically are washed out within the first few pre-washes (before your baby will ever wear them), however one-use-only disposables are never rid of them. Additionally, and perhaps the most compelling reason to use cloth diapers, is that disposable diapers containing polyacrylate gel are suspected of exacerbating, and even causing, asthma. #6. Cloth diapers are so much better looking. Photographers still traditionally photograph diapered babies in cloth diapers, simply because they are so much cuter! Today they are available in as many prints and colors as their are fabrics available, not to mention the combination of choices you have with twill, flannel, hemp, terry and more. Imagine how many classic baby photos would suddenly become less "quaint" with a baby wrapped in a disposable diaper. I prefer to bring my groceries home in paper and plastic, not my baby! #7. More fun for Mom. While not every mother (or woman, for that matter) is a born "shopaholic", most moms I know just love how fun it is to shop for cloth diapers. There are unlimited choices today in cloth diapering, like all-in-one, terry, flannel, contour, prefold, fitted and other contemporary-style cloth diapers. And when you are on a budget, swapping is a great, and economical, way to try the latest new "rage" in cloth diapers. #8. Better cushioning for baby's bum. We all know that babies and toddlers have their fair share of bumps and spills! Cushy cotton provides a much softer "landing pad" than a flat paper diaper. #9. Convenience. Convenience? Yes, convenience! You'll never have to worry about making another late-night trip to your grocery store for a package of disposable diapers.. You'll never have to hold your nose while emptying and re-bagging one of those complicated "Diaper Genie®" contraptions.. And you'll have approximately two bags less of garbage to haul to the curb every week! #10. Being a leader is much more fun than being a follower. Stand out from the crowd and show you care to give your baby the very best, including the way you diaper. It's so much more fun to share the joy of cloth diapering with other mothers (who are usually very curious!), than to waste time clipping the latest coupons for the cheapest disposable paper diaper. 8:27 PM 0 Comments (Add Comment) | 0 Kudos Edit Remove

Win an Ergo Baby Carrier

Win a Free Organic Embroidered Ergo Baby Carrier Hands Free System from Along for the Ride

Being a big fan of Ergo, this makes me very happy. :)

Homecoming

Daddy made it home safe and sound - and almost on time (only about 20 minutes late).

Will and I parked the car where we could watch the runway for daddy coming home. We were able to see them coming down the runway. Will started saying "That's my daddy's plane, my daddy's plane!"

Waiting for daddy
Here they come
Waving to daddy as they go by

Then only about 20 minutes after they landed did they clear customs and make it back to the squadron.

Welcome home, daddy.

T Minus 2 hours

Not that I'm counting or anything.

Todd told me yesterday that they may have to take off late out of RAF Mildenhall because of the 6-8 inches of predicted snow. I called the squadron this morning to confirm his landing time. Not only did they take off on time - they took off 15 minutes early.

That's my man. :) They're scheduled to arrive at 1:20.

I'm picking Will up from preschool an hour early and we'll head to the base. Apparently the Guard Unit is uptight about the way they do things and we can't go out to the ramp to meet the jet. WTF? So instead of going out to the plane, we'll wait at the squadron to meet the crew bus when it returns.

I was so hoping to take Will out to see Daddy get off his "big gray airplane", but no such luck. Apparently we're not allowed to be around while they clear customs. Heaven forbid he try and smuggle something into the country or something.

Anyway..........SOON!

I refuse to allow him to keep getting bigger

I went to dress Will and noticed that his 3T jeans are too short. I swear, they were too long when I bought them not even 2 months ago. He must have grown another 2-3 inches in the last few weeks.

This is killing me. He's getting too big, too quickly.

Thank goodness his little brother is on the way to give me a little one to snuggle again.

What will I do when he gets bigger, too? Must not think I need a 3rd baby. Must not.

Baby "sprinkle" fun

We had our mini-baby shower on Sunday - otherwise known as a sprinkle. ha I wanted to keep it super low key, so we just invited local people - my family and a couple of friends - and we went to a restaurant.

We went to the Cheesecake Factory. I had a Cobb Salad for lunch - divine. And then I had a slice of Oreo Mudslide cheesecake.......heavenly. And worth the insulin injection. We had 12 people attending, 13 if you count Baby Grace. :)

My grandmother

Melissa holding Grace Bekah and Grace
Opening a pressie

Cheesecake goodness - I even did something different and ordered chocolate for once


With Pearl, Melissa and Heather


With Heather
With Melissa
With Pearl
24 weeks pregnant
The "loot"
Clothes for our little man
The gorgeous diaper bag(s) Heather brought home from China

Visiting Santa Claus

So, we ended up keeping things simple yesterday and instead of going to the Aquarium, we went to Towne Center Mall and to the Varsity Jr. (hence where Todd's chili dogs came from). While at the mall, I decided to take Will to visit Santa.

He did better than I thought. He did sit in Santa's lap, but he didn't want to smile. Santa asked him what he wanted him to bring and he said "trains". But that was the only word he spoke the whole time.

We'll likely go again to visit him at our mall, so hopefully we can get a smile this year.

Birthday presents at Grammy and Pop's house

I somehow managed to not take a single picture at Thanksgiving. But I did get pictures of Will opening his birthday presents from my parents. They weren't going to see him on his birthday, so they decided to give him his gifts now. It helps with the separation of birthday and Christmas, I think.



From Grammy and Pop he received a front end loader, the Wonder Pets Fly Boat and a pair of binoculars. Then from Marie and Dennis, he received a Shake and Go Car (Ramone) and Madagascar on DVD.

My husband is going to love me

He arrives tomorrow - only 24 more hours. Happy, happy day.

I think he's going to be pleased. Here's what I've done for him:

Varsity - 12 chili dogs and 4 chili cheese burgers - brought fresh to him fresh from Atlanta.
Pecan pie - baking in the oven, as we speak.
Egg salad - 18 eggs worth
His favorite beer - fresh 12 pack in the fridge

He's gonna love me. :)

Ready to go home

Tomorrow we're off to the Georgia Aquarium. Our original plan was to try the Atlanta Zoo, but the weather is pretty crubby - we even saw snowflakes today. Which is usually cuase for a freakout in Atlanta. So instead, we're heading to the Aquarium to meet up with Heather and Grace. Will is so excited to see Heather and to finally meet baby Grace.

As ready as I was go get here, I am so ready to go back home. I'm heading back home tomorrow evening. I'm looking forward to getting to sleep in my own bed again. I'm sure Will's ready to get home, too.

Wednesday we'll get unpacked, wash laundry and grocery shop.

And then THURSDAY IS THE DAY!!!!!! Daddy's coming home. Todd said they'd be arriving about 1 pm on Thursday. Will has school on Thursday, so I'll pull him out early - about lunch time and we'll head to the base to pick up Todd. Will's going to be beside himself with excitement.

Yesterday was our baby sprinkle (aka a mini-shower). I'll upload pictures and blog about it after we're back home.

Latest Fluffy Goodness

Love, love, love cloth diapers.

These are some of the latest diapers I've picked up for the little guy.

We almost made it

My mom just left for the corner drug store to pick up cough medicine for Will. He was so close to not having a cough anymore. And now it's back with a wet, phlemy vengance. Sigh....... poor little man.

Blood sugar mystery

I cannot understand how yesterday's fasting number was a 90. I ate 2 packets of oatmeal and took 8 units of insulin. My 1 hour after breakfast number was a 97. Success, right?

Today - fasting was 75. I ate the same 2 packets of oatmeal and took the same 8 units of insulin. So why was my 1 hour after breakfast number a 157?

I'll never understand what it is I'm actually allowed to eat.

Happy Thanksgiving

Here's what I'm thankful for this year....

My family

My wonderful son

This blessing in my belly

My amazing husband - I love you, baby. And I'm so proud of what you're doing for our country. Thank you for your sacrifice, we missed you today.

My best friend and her safe return home from China. I cannot wait to see you and sweet Grace. That inspite of the economy falling apart, we're doing just fine.

Being able to take insulin so that I could enjoy my aunt's sweet potatoes. It was worth it. :)

Family members loving my son as much as I do (or at least close), it was a relief to not be the sole responsible person for a few hours.

Happy turkey day everyone. I hope you had a blessed day, I know I did.

We are getting out of here

Oh my goodness.....I cannot wait until tomorrow.

Believe it or not, my house is dang near spotless. And by spotless, I mean SPOTLESS.

Floors - scrubbed
Appliances - cleaned
Blinds - dusted/washed
Doors/trim/light switches - washed
Wood floors and furniture - polished
Ceiling fan blades - dusted
Working parts of whirlpool tub - bleached
Christmas presents - wrapped and put away

C-L-E-A-N

Now we're ready. :) I'm 1/2 packed tonight and I've made a list of errands I need to run tomorrow before we leave. Will has school and we'll leave shortly after that. 8 nights at my parents house. Lord, I hope they're ready for us.

We'll be down for Thanksgiving and a baby sprinkle. That's a low-key baby shower for those not in the know. Just a little sumthin' sumthin' w/ a few friends and family to celebrate baby boy number two.

And just think.......when we get home we'll have less than 48 hours until daddy returns. Heck, maybe about 44 hours.

Crying over spilled milk - literally

Can I just say that whomever said "there's no use crying over spilled milk" never had it happen on a clean floor before.

I just bawled my eyes out.

Mopping the kitchen is my least favorite chore. I despise it.

I spent 3 hours - yes, count em, nearly 3 hours scrubbing, disinfecting, mopping and sweeping my kitchen floor. I swept it three times to get it free of crumbs and dog hair. Then I scrubbed the entire floor on my hands and knees with hot water and pine sol. Then I mopped it 3 times, each time using fresh, hot water to get the dirty water off the floor.

Will just snatched the sippy cup of chocolate milk off the counter before I could get the lid on it. It wasn't even mixed yet - so there was milk and a huge streak of syrup all over the floor. And it went under the edge of the dishwasher. Shoot me.

Oh how I love it

What is it about feeling your baby move around inside you that makes you fall in love with them even more? I cannot wait for this tiny little blessing's daddy to get home and feel him kicking.

They've made contact

It's official - for sure, for the first time, Will felt his brother kick. Will jumped every time the baby kicked and would look at me and say "my brother just kicked me again!!" And he only said it at the right times, so I know he felt it.

Not to mention he was a bit skeeved out about it. It reminds me of the look on his face when I first told him Grace was in Heather's tummy. He looked at her with disgust with a look that clearly said "you weirdo, you ate your baby??"

A current list of annoyances

I think I'm just in a foul mood. I can't lie, the sound of a basketball hitting the pavement makes me want to pull my hair out. I just cannot stand the relentless thump-thump-thump.

What is it about toddlers that causes them to undo whatever you just finished doing? Like putting sticky finger prints right on the freshly polished table. Or yanking the shirt off the hanger that you just hung up. Yanking town hand towels from the oven handle right after I've picked them back up from the floor. Knocking the tub toys back into the tub.

I stopped at CVS earlier today to pick up some tape so I could finish unwrapping my presents. I had to wait in the parking lot for 3 minutes while an entire family unloaded from a car blocking the lot - a woman, an elderly woman, 2 small children. Then the car pulled 3 feet forward and into the spot right by the door. I wanted to scream.

Patience is a virtue. Mine is running a bit low today.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809791044/video/10774936

YIPPEE!

But is anyone else as pissed as I am that Warner Brothers pushed back the release from this month until July? I don't want to have to wait anymore!

Noteworthy event

He's asleep in his bed in the middle of the day - for the first time in about 3 weeks. HOORAY! He didn't even fight me, I told him he HAD to nap. He's been asleep for an hour and I'm getting SO much done. :) I think he's probably exhausted from playing so hard last night and church and staying up late.

Today is day 1 of operation scrub the house

I've got 4 days at home to get the whole house cleaned/scrubbed and ready to go before Todd comes home. Since we'll be gone for 9 days after that, the house will still be clean when we all get back.

So far today, I've:

Emptied the fridge and scrubbed the shelves down
Cleaned my bathtub - including running soap/bleach through the jets
Scrubbed down the stove, countertops and cabinets in the kitchen
Ran 2 loads of dishes - yep, I was a bit behind
Scrubbed all 3 toilet bowls
Wiped down the doors, window sills and cabinets in our bathroom and bedroom with a magic eraser

Next on the list today - tackle the wood floors and all mirrors/important glass (important glass is the fireplace, side lights and french doors) and dust the office.

Still lots more to do after today, too.

Sweep/mop/scrub all tile floors - kitchen, laundry room and 2 upstairs bathrooms
Clean/dust all the ceiling fans and blinds in the house
Dust the bedrooms and family room
Scrub Will's tub and sinks
Clean out from under the sink in my bathroom
Clean out the cars - gah, if Todd saw the inside of his car, he'd divorce me right now. I'll empty it and vacuum it out.
Finish wrapping Christmas presents and getting them all put away in the nursery closet
Stuff and return address the Christmas cards so they're ready to go after Thanksgiving.

Girls night out

It's amazing what 1 dinner out with friends will do do revitalize you. Last night was parent's night out at one of the local churches and a few of us dropped off our kids for a night of fun/babysitting. Then 3 of us went out to dinner.

It was just what I needed - good food, great friends and even a glass of wine. Sigh......I'm ready to finish the week and get ready for Thanksgiving, now.

Latest from the war zone

Todd called this morning - he's made it back to his base where he belongs. His crew is number one in flight hours and number one is sortie count - they've been busting their patooties. He's loving it. Lots of flying.

He's counting the days until he comes home, though. That's for sure. I can't wait either.

22 week appt

I went to see Dr. M today. It was your typical mid-pregnancy non-appt.

Weight good - actually gained a lb or two this time.
BP - good
Urine - good
Fetal heartbeat - 143 - perfectly normal

I met with Dr. M for a minute or two and he said we're right on track. I go back in 4 weeks and then every 2 after that. Yikes, we're on the downward slope now!

Heaven help me!

Would my husband just let me name this dang baby? Doesn't he know I'm DYING for monogrammed items?

I mean, come on...........



http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_list_5&listing_id=17482702

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_list_5&listing_id=17482702

I'm about to name my son Hudson or Lake, just to get my hands on these things. ha ha ha

My latest conquest

I had to enlist the help of a friend today. This gorgeous wool interlock cover was stocked in the middle of my OB appointment today. I knew it would be gone before I could make it home. So I called my friend and asked her to stalk it for me.

That puppy is MINE! Thanks, Melissa!

My poor husband

Todd emailed me today and I must have skimmed it because I completely read it wrong. Then he called me. He's no longer in the -stan, at least for now. Due to weather conditions, they had to divert their jet and land somewhere else. The next nearest base was a 4 hour flight away, so off they went.

Now he and his crew are in a new country - and the climate is a bit different. It's very, very hot where he is. And he's there with no wallet, no change of clothes, no toiletries and heavy winter gear. Poor Todd. He says he's sweating to death and sleeping in a tent. He doesn't have any money on him to buy a change of clothes or toiletries. So he's stuck in the desert in a winter weight flight suit, long underwear, snow boots and a knit hat. And oh by the way, he has to wear his hat while outside, too.

I'm melting! Melting!!

Hopefully they'll be heading back to their "home base" pretty soon. I know he wants some clean underwear and a shower.

On the upside, he says the flying has been amazing. He was able to give me enough info for me to know where he was, where he'd been flying, what he'd been refueling and where he had to fly through to get to where he was. Pretty interesting stuff. He says in spite of the hardships, he's having the time of his life - because he's actually out there "doing it", supporting the war. it makes me a bit more nervous about what's going on, but I'm confident that he's safe.

I'm only going to say this once

Terminal cuteness

I feel you, little man

I'm starting to think this baby will never sleep when he's born. Because there's a party in my tummy about 23 1/2 hours a day. He's shucking and jiving all the time these days. I wake up baby karate and fall asleep to baby disco. He's always going.

I felt a few kicks from the outside today, so I'm excited that by the time Todd gets home he'll get to feel his son.

Fluffy goodness

Somewhere in a cold, snowy, mountain covered country in the Middle East, my husband twitched in his sleep and he doesn't know why. He'll probably wake in his bed in butt-crack-istan this morning and say "oh no, she's done it again" and not even know what, but he'll feel it.

I love diapers. A lot. Adorable, fluffy, organic cottony goodness. I've kept my love and obsession under wraps for quite a long time. I bought all of Will's diapers almost 2 years ago and I've refrained from ordering all sorts of cuteness since.

Well, when it comes down to it, this little man's bottom is going to be bare and ready to be covered in less than 4 months. And sometimes, when it comes to diapers, it can take a while to find and order what you want. And so, my search to cover my baby's soon to be naked bottom began.

I discovered a few things last night - 1, I'm going to be totally addicted to custom fitteds and will have to stalk all things hyena cart and Etsy and 2, I discovered that www.nickisdiapers.com lets you create a registry. A registry for diapers? Oh........I'm sold.

I placed an order for 6 custom fitteds from Muttigan Babies, a WAHM who has come highly recommended to me by friends. I've selected some ADORABLE fabrics and she'll be getting to making my diapers soon.

I also contacted the owner of Apple Bottom Babies, another WAHM, - who you can find at iCrave (run by my friend, Teresa - and can be found in a link on the right side of this page) about getting on her upcoming list for customs. She's added my name for after the first of the year.

Then I cruised to Nicki's Diapers - a favorite place of mine that sells all sorts of commerical diaper goodness. I picked up a couple of diaper covers and newborn fitteds from there along with a couple pairs of Baby Legs. And I accidentally discovered that they have a registry when I accidentally clicked "add to my wish list" instead of "order". So, while Will's at school today, I'll be working on a wish list. I know at least 1-2 people who would gift from there before anywhere else. Hint Hint. Just in time for our little sprinkle/get together in 2 weeks.

This baby boy is going to have the cutest tush!

Apparently if something seems too good to be true

It usually is.........

Dear Target Customer -

Due to an unexpected error, the following item(s) you have ordered
were incorrectly priced at the time of your order.

Britax Marathon Convertible Car Seat - Granite

We're sorry, but we are unable to offer this item for the incorrect
price. The correct price is $279.99. We have canceled your order for
this item. If you would like to order this item at the correct price,
please visit Target.com to check for availability.

Despite our best efforts, a small number of items on our site are
occasionally mis-priced. We do, however, verify prices as part of our
shipping procedures. If we discover that an item's correct price is
higher than our stated price, we will either contact you for
instructions before shipping or cancel your order and notify you of
the cancellation. This pricing policy is posted in the Help section
on Target.com.

Again, we're sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused
you. Thank you for being our valued guest.


Sincerely,

Guest Service Department
Target.com

Dang it! I was so hopeful, too.

May be too good to be true

Target has pulled the car seats. It's looking like it was a pricing error. Now we wait to see if they'll honor the quoted price or not. I'll be sitting on pins and needles waiting.

Right place at the right time

I've been pondering the car seat situation lately. I've actually been stressing over it and fretting. We need new car seats.

This little guy will likely be like his older brother and outgrow the infant carrier quickly. So, in theory, he'll need a convertible car seat for him by July or so. That's only 8 months from now. Will's NOT anywhere NEAR being ready for a cheapy booster. He NEEDS to be in a 5 point harness.

I've been reading reviews and kicking myself, thinking we should have bought the Britax seats I originally wanted. Remember them? $279 each, but they go up to 65 lbs. and they're the number one rated carseat on the market.

I've been reading reviews and trying to figure out what to do because Baby #2 is going to need Will's carseats soon and Will is going to need new car seats for each car. To get a good booster style seat with a 5 point harness, it's going to cost about $200 per seat. And of course, we need two - one for the Acura and one for the Honda. With the long term eventuality that the baby will need 2 more, in case Will's still not big enough yet (he's only gained 4-5 lbs in the last 11 months), we're looking at needing to eventually buy 4 new carseats.

Holy cow, talk about an investment. And with something as important as a car seat, I'd NEVER cut corners and get a cheapie one. Their safety is my number one concern - as is any mother.

So, my friend Smitha hooked me up. She passed on the word - Target.com is having a wicked sale. Britax is releasing the new prints shortly and clearancing out a couple colors/prints for the Marathon. They're also offering free shipping - which is a great deal on a big ol' box for a car seat.

So, as I'm looking at the Target site and thinking. Man, I really have to suck it up and get 4 new carseats before this is said and done.

Then I remembered that by ordering the Land of Nod bookcase for Will's bedroom that coordinates (and actually matches perfectly) instead of the bookcase that came with the bedroom set, I saved us $200. Now, how can I make $200 work to my advantage towards getting new car seats for the boys.

Well, the sun shines on a dog's ass every now and again.

I'm not sure if you can open the link or not, or the sale could be expired by the time you see this, but here it is.

http://www.target.com/Britax-Marathon-Convertible-Car-Seat/dp/B000YSNMG2/sr=1-2/qid=1226881460/ref=sr_1_2/190-2687196-3080368?ie=UTF8&index=target&rh=k%3Abritax%20granite&page=1

I took care of both boys for the rest of the time they'll need ANY sort of carseat or booster - probably until they're 7 years old or older.

I bought FOUR - COUNT 'EM, FOUR - Britax Marathons for $42.99 each, plus FREE shipping. I got ALL FOUR carseats for LESS than the difference in the 2 bookcases. They are delivering 4 Marathons to me for $190, including tax.



That's practically 4 free carseats. I saved 85% - the 4 seats retail combined at over $1,100.

I can sleep well at night knowing my boys will be as safe as possible for as long as possible and when it came down to it, by choosing a different bookcase, I got them the best car seats available for free.

Not even the Grocery Game feels that good. ha ha ha

So, to my dear friend, Smitha, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. You've saved the day - yet again.