So, first off, I would like to offer a public apology to my mother-in-law for the E.R. information in the last post. (Though I maintain what I said earlier on the phone that Jared was originally supposed to say something when he talked to you last…) So, sorry about that.

Moving on.

Pretty much the highlight of my life right now is getting things prepared for Baby Boothette’s arrival. It’s hard to focus or care about anything else right now. (That doesn’t sound too crazy, does it?) But those of you who have done this whole “having a kid” thing realize that it can get ridiculously expensive. Average crib prices are $400+, not including mattresses, bedding, etc. Strollers, monitors, carriers, car seats, clothes… it’s enough to make your head spin!

The guy who is essentially Jared’s “boss” (and just had his second child this past summer,) suggested some books to Jared. Naturally, we bought them. (Please refrain from any brown-nosing comments. Thank you.) So far, the most useful has been the book Baby Bargains.

My main complain with this book is the awkward size. It is really oddly shaped for a book- long and not very wide, combined with a good amount of pages that seems to stress the binding when you try to read the book. I know that sounds silly, but that really bothered me when I first started reading it. Fortunately, once you get past the awkwardness, the book is a treasure trove of information.

Example: Ikea cribs are some of the best deals you can get out there. Why spend $400-$700 for a crib when you can get the following for $119?

(We are going with a white crib because 1: We are having a girl. White girly furniture is just fine. And 2: My mom gave us all my white bedroom furniture when we bought the house. Meaning this crib will match perfectly with the girly stuff. Maybe one day our daughter can appreciate “vintage” furniture???)

So, we are pretty excited that this crib gets an “A” (excellent) rating for such a great price. Please note, according to the book, Ikea cribs are in the “good” section for cribs, but when you get to high chairs, they get a C+ (generally avoid) rating. So it’s not a simple blanket statement for brands, which is cool.

Not to be sacrilegious, this book has become our “Baby Bible.” There’s information, ratings, and charts for everything you could imagine regarding babies, broken down into smart sections, plus what the book reviewers say are their favorites (good, better, best). You even have parts like how many onesies and other outfits would you want to have for a new baby?

Just fabulous.

If I had to be sick, at least I was sick while reading this book, because I’ve been having way too much fun planning out everything for the baby!

(Oh, what have I turned into that this excites me so?)