whenever i hear that song i think of the movie, Revenge of the Nerds!!! that song is on at the very end, ya know what im talking about? .... lol!!

Well I'm not sure what all you have around there. We have an Amish furniture mart here that has some of the most awesome stuff around. Another favorite is naked furniture(curb your dirty mind)I rather like the idea of doing the finish myself.
Be careful if you go the older antique route. Make sure the bars are close enough together that no heads can fit through them, no sharp parts where baby can reach them, blah blah blah. I'm sure you have heard it all before. There are a few really good sites on antique baby furniture and how to safety check it.
Unfortunately I can't remember the addresses but I'm sure a google search would take care of it.

I can't believe I typed out two paragraphs of info that you never really asked for! :-)

I'm sorry. I think it's my fault that March is dragging. I like to make my birthday month last as long as possible. I guess I didn't stop to consider the impact this would have on others. I'll try to let it go but I'm not making any promises. I still have a couple of gifts to collect after all. :-D

Ok, the thing with the clothes and the dots? We could be long lost twins. I'm even chubby! Sis?

I don't have any baby furniture stores, but how about bedding and stuff.

This is a great website:
http://www.glennajean.com/index.html

Good luck!

Okay, being freakishly organized about the clothes? You can do that because your child isn't there, helping you fold them. When that starts, all bets are off.

Furniture? That's kinda a personal thing. Our first crib was a borrowed one (since we had about four hours notice before the baby arrived), and it was a white metal thing that assembled with four screws. Really easy, and sturdy. Then? They had their OWN baby and asked for it back. That's fair.

So we went to Babies backward R Us and bought a pretty wooden crib with a maple-sorta finish, that also converts into a day bed (thinking ahead). Only by this time the kids were "helping" me build it so it took about eleventy hours to assemble but hey it still works.

There. Advice. Um, probably not worth what you paid for it, but there it is anyway.

Do you have Rooms To Go? They have a kids' section and my brother bought my nephew's crib there. It's very attractive and sturdy.

Wow! Great idea with the laundry marker! Damn, I wish I'd have thought of that...after three kids I really didn't give a damn who gave what but it certainly would have saved me some angst in the beginning!

Beth,

I bought my best friend's first crib (yea, she's had two kids since then which makes my life...or rather dealing with my mother on this aspect of my life just peachy!) at IKEA...I know...I know....but really, it's not all supermodern and ply-wood-ish...It was a sturdy dark wood (not sure which kind) little thing that was JUST adorable...and it had wonderfully clean lines to it....really...it was nice!

Get a bed that converts. My son is now 6 and that thing still saves my life.

I liked some of the furniture at the Baby Depot at Burlington Coat Factory...and also Baby to Teen has some really nice stuff. I saw some really pretty girly furniture at The Roomstore not too long ago, but I don't really like the quality there.

Also, marking the clothes with dots? Brilliant!

My favorite crib/nursery furniture is made by Pali. We have a sleigh-style crib by them, but they have a wide variety of styles that are gorgeous.

The think I liked most about this brand is the fact that the hardware is hidden (some cribs have metal parts hanging out) and it is strong enough for a parent to climb into and snuggle a kid. I have photos of my husband in the crib with our oldest, sound asleep.

second trimester glow is a bunch of crap. i feel just as tired, cranky, and sick to my stomach as i did during the first trimester...only now i have to deal with an added bonus - - - growing a stomach.

we bought our baby furniture in canada - it's lepine - and i LOVE LOVE LOVE it, but i don't think they sell it in the states. what we ended up doing was picking the style we wanted and called around until we found the cheapest price. this is ours: http://www.morigeau.com/collections.php?Langue=2&Section=3&Collection=6200&Photo=6200-2

I love the 'organizing the clothes' bit. That's funny. Yeah, when I was pregnant the first time, I bought this darling Longaberger basket and liner/bow thing to put on it and I lined up 20 or so newborn diapers in it. It was so damn cute and "it will be SO helpful" when changing time comes around.

HA! They squirt those diapers full so fast that all I ever did was make sure my beautiful basket was to the rim with clean diapers. Totally nuts.

Enjoy the organization while it lasts. :)

There's Buy Buy Baby in Rockville and a place called Great Beginnings in Gaithersburg. I know people who have bought baby furniture in both places. And there is a ridiculously expensive, but very nice looking place in Rockville called (I think) Lloyds of London.

I love your clothes organization system. That's a really good idea.

I never commented before so, first, I have to extend my congratulations to you and your hubby for your expectant bundle. Second, yeah, March has been one very long month indeed.

i can't believe you put dots on the clothes. that's a level of organization that's either genius or really scary.

I can't believe you MIL said that. Shocking.
try www.target.com and www.nurserydepot.com

That laundry dot idea is BRILLIANT. You are genius.

See, if you were in fact chubby, she would not say it. Because, from all accounts, she seems like a nice woman. So I assume here she is teasing you, because photographic evidence proves you are SKINNY, woman! SKINNY!

Yet pregnant.

So not fair. ;)

Your dream:

1. Its about you wanting a pet duck.

or

2. Did you see the Rocky marathon on AMC this weekend? Rocky chasing a chicken "catching a chicken is like catching greased lightning"

hee hee

I had Harry Potter-esque dreams about a secret world that you fell into by standing on the right sidewalk square.

My mom has started calling me fatso - so instead of taking it personally, I started calling her an old bag - needless to say she doesn't call me fat so much anymore...

It has actually been March for about 23 weeks apparently. Which is really pretty inconvenient.

First, I have to agree, March has been at least five months for me. Also, I know some really good places to buy furniture, but you'll pay a lot to get here, thus wiping out any saving.

I would tell you the story of buying our baby furniture in the middle of a pouring rainstorm in November, but then I'd have to tell you the story of my first child's birth, and I don't wanna...

Look for small, local shops.

not a clue on the furniture front- however if you are looking for a good pedicure in the metro Baton Rouge area?, yea I'm all over that one

and the only reason anyone could possably call you chubby is that they think you are hiding a basketball under your shirt, because from what I can tell that's what you look like you are doing...oh should the rest of us be so lucky when our time comes(that's what's going on here isn't it, you are in cahoots with the stork and lima bean and just hiding a basketball under there til the time comes..haha I knew it!)

third, has anyone called dibs on buying the bean that new singing Eeyore doll? cuz if not I'm all over that one

fourth, if this doesn't make any sense, I have a really good excuse, it's 7am on Saturday morning