Thank Goodness for Mark Zuckerberg

I did it. I took that little gun and went zap, zap, zap. My friends and their two year old met Derek and me as well as Kirsten and Marty (who are quickly becoming stars in this movie/Broadway musical since I know you're all becoming more and more invested in their story) and we went to the bastion of baby needs: Babies R Us. All I can say to any future parents is that you need to take someone with you who has a baby.

My friends told me how many blankets we need (a lot), whether fancy Pack 'N Plays are worth the money (they're not), wipe warmers are necessary (babies love them), what socks are best (triple cuff so babies don't kick them off) and more. Kirsten and Marty and Derek and I were in awe of this dynamic duo of CC & KK who made their way through the aisles of baby paraphernalia like pros.

By the end of the experience my head was swimming. I had seen strollers, cribs, clothes, bedding, toys, books, and even little booger suctions. I think had CC and KK not been there I would have been found at closing time curled up in a ball in a corner and quietly weeping.

We made it through most of the small stuff but Derek and I were still trying to decide on a crib. We had heard everything from "Get it on Craig's List" to "Spend $1600 on an Amish, all-wood crib -- it's worth it." This is the reason I am grateful to Mark Zuckerberg.

This morning, about 7:30am, I asked about cribs on my Facebook status. I asked if I really needed something that was $1000+. Within a few hours I had about 10 opinions telling me that almost any crib is fine and the most important thing is to make sure there are no recalls on it. People had hand-me-downs, IKEA cribs, or cribs that were a few hundred dollars that they used for 2 or 3 kids and they all worked. One friend's response to buying an Amish crib was, "And yet many non-Amish still raise kids just fine." So thank you, Mark Zuckerberg, for helping me get a lot of answers quickly.

Also, my hormones are so out of whack I cry at everything. I think it all started with the gift registry. That day meant that this is real. This is really happening...and soon. This has been a long and emotional journey where the stakes are among some of the highest we face in life. There have been heartaches and, as one other blogger put it, we put up walls to protect ourselves. Now, the wall is starting to crack and it's exciting and scary and wonderful all at the same time.

To show you how bad my crying has become I'll tell you a story about crying at a sitcom. Yes...a sitcom. I know. I'm supposed to laugh. Derek would agree with you and didn't know why I would cry at a sitcom. Allow me to defend myself.

The sitcom was "Up All Night." If you don't know the show, it's about a couple who recently had a baby. I've started watching it to get pointers -- often I learn what not to do. If watching a show about taking care of a newborn wasn't enough to make me cry, this particular episode was a flashback to the birth. (Are you starting to understand my side now?) The parents were on their way to the hospital and started realizing it was their last few minutes on earth not being parents. They wanted to remember their lives before they changed forever. (Are YOU tearing up now?) During labor the mother wanted to give up but got strength from a supportive husband and knowing that she would soon see the face of her child allowed her to push the baby out. In the end they were holding an adorable baby girl as a happy family.

How could you not cry at that?