I'm done my cold! Woooooo!
After a very uncomfortable week of sniffling, sneezing, choking, chicken soup, and warm baths, I am finally better.
My cold left me with some unpleasant side effects though. I can't tell if it was because of the cold or if I'm just transitioning into the most uncomfortable stage of my pregnancy.
First of all, I'm zonked. Napping has become second nature again and I feel like I've reverted right back to my first trimester self. It doesn't matter what time I wake up or when I go to bed, I'm still exhausted around 1-2pm.
Secondly, my nose is doing something weird. I can smell smells that don't exist at times and at other times, I can't breathe. It was explained that due to the progesterone and the way the baby is sitting in my body that breathing would be tricky. The new smells are just bizarre. I can smell things that normal people can't (like the cat's litter box two floor levels below me. Yes, Alex does need to clean it out but I don't think normal people could smell that).
Finally, my nesting instinct has officially kicked in. Now that I'm not battling a cold, I have to make myself productive in some way, so I've resigned myself to making 'Peanut's' room a cozy space ready upon arrival.
I woke up yesterday morning and felt the urge to get something done. I'm just under eleven weeks away from the big show and although it seems like a long time, if 'Peanut' makes its debut early, I thought it would be wise for us to at least have the big things ordered so that they would arrive in time. I went shopping expecting a 10-12 week ordering window. I wasn't expecting to have furniture in my house this soon.
I went shopping. This time, knowing full well that I NEED to buy furniture and I NEED to figure out a way to finance it. (By the way, I am accepting donations. This is no phoney campaign. You are donating to a worthy cause and I can offer personal training sessions, delicious and elaborate cakes/cookies, and a really stellar thank you note if you choose to contribute!). :)
So there I was at the only baby store in Toronto where I hadn't looked at the furniture. I waddled upstairs and started poking around. The staff were AMAZING! They knew everything and they took the time to go though their entire product line with me. I was flabbergasted! Truly!
Every other baby store was nice but this store not only had awesome staff but they actually had nice furniture in a decent price range.
One note about buying baby furniture in Toronto.
Toronto is a very expensive place to live. It doesn't surpass places like Tokyo, New York, or Vancouver but it is still ranked among one of the most pricey places to own real estate. This being said, Alex and I bought a home that we could afford and it is by no means large. 'Peanut's' room is 6x10 with a very cute closet.
Baby stores in the heart of the city do cater to smaller spaces (like condos or older tiny homes like ours). Because you are buying something in downtown and it is a specialty item, lots of the products are really expensive.
When you move to the outskirts of the city, the homes are much larger and the baby stores carry larger furniture to accommodate the spaces. If you don't have the space, you can't buy the (sometimes) less expensive, larger furniture.
Thank goodness for Ikea; although we were advised not to buy Ikea baby furniture by a good friend of mine (who previously worked for Ikea). So, to the baby store I went.
I found a few cribs that I liked. So I wondered around and contemplated buying one with a change table/dresser that would 100% fit in our room. I didn't think Alex would mind so much if he came home and discovered that I had bought some that caters to both of our tastes. Either way, I would consult him first. This is a big purchase after all and he may have had some insight. I calmly called him and dragged him into the store later on.
As for his insight into the style or price of the furniture, it turns out, he didn't have any.
After two trips to the 'As Is' store and back to the original baby store, we bought the furniture. It was marked out 70% off and we bought the floor model. It is by a company called Nutart ALDI (Made in Canada!). It is dark stained and looks modern. The crib does transform into a toddler bed and eventually a double bed so we feel confident about our investment. Originally we were just going to buy a change table but the crib came with the dresser and its really nice.
So now 'Peanut' has the only furniture we are ever going to buy it for the rest of its life. Good thing too. I don't think I've spent that kind of money on my own furniture. Have I mentioned that Alex and I are probably sleeping on the bed frame that I was conceived on? That's right! New mattress and box spring. (Still accepting donations for 'Peanut'!)
Alex and I were/are really excited about our furniture. We agreed that if I am set against having the furniture set up in the baby room (due to my superstitions and crazy-pants), we can always set it up as a double bed and make the place look like a guest room until 'Peanut' arrives. Luckily nothing in there screams BABY (yet).
Because it was raining when we brought the furniture home last night, it is currently still sitting in our cars. I have no idea how we are going to manage getting the stuff out of the cars and up the stairs but we will do it somehow. We are strong and resourceful.
Did I mention that I also bought a rug/mat? I did. Until the furniture was purchased, I was really excited for it too. Now it has become old news and not very exciting news at that. I bought the only vinyl rug/mat I could find (for under $300) that Marley wouldn't destroy. If anyone wants a good recommendation for a place to buy a fairly inexpensive rug/mat, Urban Barn has some nice things that will last and not cost an arm or a leg.
We are still in hot pursuit of a gliding chair. I found one in BRIGHT RED at the 'AS IS' store yesterday that I need to own. The red will not go with the purple room we have painted but I don't really care. I love red and I love that chair. My Visa is not loving this shopping spree so the chair is going to have to wait. By then, I guarantee that the chair is going to be gone. This is a risk I'm willing to take in honour of not going into crazy debt.
As for everything else, we are good.
I have my trusty Bugaboo stroller that, as you may recall, I picked out of the trash. My mother has been amazing in refurbishing it for me. Slowly I'm accumulating new, working parts for it. When the new fabric arrives, its going to look brand new.
Other major baby items are going to be registered for and delivered at my Parents' house (except the car seat).
By not having a baby shower, I realize that I have somewhat shot myself in the foot for financing the big things (and little things). The way I see it is that there is no point in accumulating baby swag if I don't know what exactly I need. The crib, carseat, change table, and stroller are all needs (almost) immediately. That we can cover. Everything we will deal with when 'Peanut' arrives. :)
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