Crib chaos

Crib 1 - We went to Babies R Us the day we found out Daniel was Daniel (and not Lia). We looked at every crib they had, and believe me, there were many. I was more concerned with the way it looked; Doug wanted it to be solid as a sequoia. I figured that if it was on the floor, it passed the safety tests. The very last crib in the store was the only crib we could agree on. We registered for it, just in case. Three showers came and went and we decided it was time to buy the crib. Off to BRU we went. The changing table was there, but alas, no crib. What's the deal? Pulled. Why? Safety concerns. Maybe it's flamable; maybe it tips. Whatever the case, it's not my crib.

Crib 2 - I found a great crib on BRU.com. Right color, right user reviews, right everything. Except for one measly little detail - currently out of stock. Well hells bells. I Googled it and found it on several other baby furniture web sites. Guess what? Out of stock. Time to punt.

Crib 3 - We decided on a crib we found on craigslist. It came with a dresser/hutch, it was the right stain, and it looked like it was made from a redwood. Let's go for it. We called. No crib. Somebody else evidently liked it, too.

Crib 4 - Again, looked great. FINALLY in stock! We ordered it. I was supposed to receive an e-mail confirmation within 72 hours. Three days came and went. No e-mail. I called and (you won't believe this) it was on backorder until 5 days before my due date. What to do? Cancel the order and try again.

Crib 5 - After scouring eBay, craigslist, the greensheet, and every other place I could think of, I called Crib 4 back. I wonder - do you happen to have this crib in another stain? Sure do. Send it my way!

So. . . after 5 attempts, we finally have a crib. It came Monday, I brought it home Tuesday, and Doug put it together on Wednesday. Whew. I was really beginning to think that Daniel may have to sleep in a swing or a pack-and-play for a while. Looks like he'll actually have a place of his own, right from the very start.

Word to the wise (read wise as "those expecting children who do not yet own cribs"): Start now on your crib search. It could take you a while.