15 Months

We've officially got a toddler on our hands! G is toddling around the house and at daycare all day long, even running at times. We managed to get his first steps between James and I on video, and in the weeks since he has improved exponentially! His balance is much better, and he can stand and walk for longer periods of time. Socks and rogue blankets on the floor still trip him up a bit, and he's had one or two bad tumbles, but I love seeing him toddle around the living room. He's adorable, and he is so thrilled with himself for walking. Sometimes he'll stop and laugh and clap!

We've also switched day cares. He is so much happier at the new place; he's still a bit clingy when I drop him off, but he's so much happier and I can already tell it's a much better fit for him. It's so nice to see him smile and laugh when I pick him up instead of start crying. It's just a much better situation all around, and he's been sleeping through the night pretty steadily, with a small hiccup due to a nasty cold, which has left a lingering cough.

Alabama itself is beautiful. We've had two good thunderstorms and plenty of rain. I'd enjoy the rain more if it didn't flood the area by the wood stove (don't get me started on the house repairs) but it's been lovely to listen to the rain with a cup of tea at night. Despite the chaos of not being able to unpack yet, we did get Christmas up; we had our decorated (artificial) tree and James even put up lights on the house!

Christmas was great! Our nephew, Evan, was born on his due date 12/21, and I can hardly wait til we're able to see him in person. Until then, I've been cooing over the pictures on facebook! We had a small, relaxed Christmas with just the three of us opening the ridiculous amount of presents G had. He was so tired he almost fell asleep in his high chair for the second day in a row! James and I spent his nap assembling a cozy coupe car just to find out we'd done it wrong, and fought for a least an hour to disassemble the two incorrect wheels and reassemble it. He loves it though and will get into it on his own :)

My parents were able to come out the day after Christmas and stay through New Year's. We spent 6 days at camp for the winter sessions, called Winterwoods, which seems to have gone really well. Moving into camp is a bit of hassle with all the STUFF (and that's not including cooking things that are lacking in the cabins) but it was a good test for summer. We had a blast showing my parents around and crammed a lot into very few days. I was glad they got to see Beckwith and stay in the cabins with us, and they loved being able to watch G get better at walking and even talking (he says "Look!" now!)

There have been a few rough patches. Ever since we moved I haven't been able to eat anything without getting nauseous. I figured it was my normal stomach upsets until I had to sleep upright in the recliner one night because I was in too much pain if I laid down. Turns out my gallbladder was only functioning at 18% and I had to get it out. The recovery has gone pretty well, but more on that next month.

G is right on track according to the doctor. He says "this" all the time lately, sometimes asking "What's this?" "Dada" is said a lot, though it seems to apply to many different things, and he says something that sounds like "og" or "oggy" when he sees the dogs. He loves to play, but he's very independent. He'll bring you various things, but his favourite toys are a play kitchen GranGran and Granddaddy got him, the tinker toys from Grammy and Gaga and his cozy coupe car from his uncle, which he loves to crawl into while drinking his bottle and watching TV. He's been drinking from sippy cups regularly at day care, and doesn't take toys from other kids, though he gets very upset when his toys are taken from him. He's napping for about two hours from 11:30 and has a pretty good routine down. He's not doing very well at restaurants lately, unfortunately, and I'm not really sure what to do about it. He does well for about 15 minutes, then he's done. I think that's because that's about how long it takes him to eat at home, and we're usually so rushed that our dinner isn't ready or even cooked until after he's asleep. We've gotta get better at that. His tantrums are currently silent, but he goes kinda limp on the floor and you can't move him anywhere or get him to do anything. I hate it, but the best thing is to usually just walk away and let him decide he's done. For now, I'm just loving watching him toddle around whatever room he's in. He loves being mobile!

2013 in My Rearview

For the past four years, we have moved at least once a year. Three of those moves have taken place in December-January. 2013 was a bit different. We started the year moving out of that horrible apartment complex and back into the house in Orange, which was lovely. There was a lot of work to be done because college boys, but it was so nice to be there and it was fantastic to have the space and the backyard.

We watched G grow and change so much in his first year. He's no longer a little baby, but a little boy. I can't believe how grown up he looks and acts! It seems like he changes every day. Seeing all of his firsts has been awe-inducing in the best possible way.

It was a year of such huge changes. It seems so small when you write it down: I became a mother. But in real life, it is something all-consuming, magical, terrifying, and joyful. And everything changes in a profound way. It's something that I have trouble finding words for. It's everything at once: all the emotions you could possibly feel rolled up and stuffed inside a human body. Your baby takes up your time, and you have to fit all your adult life into the hours between baby's bedtime and your own. That's not a bad thing, but I have seen most Disney Jr episodes multiple times and would love it if he could watch Doctor Who with me. Or even sit through a movie :) It's wonderful and difficult, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I continued to crochet and knit, continuing to teach myself new techniques and even writing (and selling!) my first patterns. I feel like I've finally found a crafting niche. Even though I'm still interested in other things and will continue to try other projects, I love working with yarn! I'm not a fast worker, and sometimes it's frustrating that I can't finish projects quickly, but there's something so satisfying about finally finishing a project, and especially seeing it in use! I'd love to find a group to knit or crochet with.

Our year seemed like it wouldn't be too different from our new normal as parents; I continued at my job, and James at his. We were settling into a good routine; I had G home the days I wasn't working, and he spent two days a week at the Infant Center, where he had a little girlfriend. Then James heard about this job at his old camp. They were looking for a summer camp director and diocesan youth minister. It sounded like it had been written for him; it utilized his degree in recreation management and his experience as a youth minister, it was Episcopalian and it was his home turf, since he grew up only three hours away. We both went out to interview, and James was offered the position.

Instead of waiting until December or January to move, we took off a week after G's first birthday and spent four days moving across the country. His new job paid for professional movers to pack us and move us which was a huge blessing, and in late October, we moved in. It's been difficult; I don't think anyone would tell you that moving cross-country is easy. It's hard and takes time to adjust, especially since I don't know anyone here and feel like I'm starting from scratch. But James is so happy, and seeing how much progress and success he's already had in three months is fantastic. His area gatherings are going well and Winterwoods was a huge success: there was even a waitlist for the middle school group!

I've been adjusting pretty well. Even though I haven't been able to find an Irish dance class, and the house repairs are driving me a bit crazy, there are new adventures to be had here. I've looked into teaching crochet, though that's stalled a bit, and I'm talking to a veterinarian about shadowing one of her techs for a while to see if I might be interested in that. She intimated that there might be a job opportunity in the future if end up choosing to do that. I might look into becoming a doula or lactation consultant. There are so many opportunities available to me, so many paths open and I really want to take full advantage of it. I feel like with the new year, I can really have a new slate: I want to be healthier, eat better, exercise more, and all the cliche resolutions, but I also want to finish more projects, experiment with cooking more, take G to see all the things that are here, and learn to accept and be happy with myself. I'm the worst at goals. I thought posting them here would help keep me accountable, but really, I forget and slack off and get caught up in the busyness of life. So I'm not going to set time limits or definitive checklists of goals, but there is going to be change. Good, big change.

There are pros and cons to anywhere you move, and sometimes it's hard to see the pros for the cons, but overall I feel so hopeful for this new year. There are so many opportunities for us here, and I feel like this year is going to be fantastic for our entire family! I can't wait to see what's in store for us, and to continue watching G grow up into who he's going to be.

New Year's meal of fried okra. Photo credit: Anne Bailey

October to December

G's first birthday party was a blast! James and I completely forgot the camera, so I'll have to get some photos from my mom, but it was awesome! G's godparents, James and I spent hours cutting out all the decorations, and my dad sacrificed unburned fingertips to hotglue the water bottle labels on. G's godparents were amazing: they organized the whole thing, from invitations to getting balloons, to the cake and the adorable little cards that identified the food. The theme came together wonderfully, and I think the room at the church ended up looking great! The original plan had been to have the party at our house, but all our stuff was in boxes, so that idea was scrapped. Another friend loaned us a high chair since we didn't have one, and G had a BLAST squishing and smashing his cake! Godfather got it for him; that particular cake from that bakery is a tradition in his family, and we felt honoured to be included in that tradition.

We left the next day and spent 4 days driving to Alabama. Four days of 10+ hours in the car with a one year old aren't fun, trust me. Seven states, lots of fussing, hunger strikes, complete meltdowns (not all from G) and uncomfortable, interrupted sleep with a cranky baby in the bed and we arrived at camp. The house wasn't quite ready for us when we arrived, and we're still working on getting things done, but slowly it's coming together. G's room is almost unpacked and we just got 4 huge wardrobe boxes out of our room, making it feel like more breathing space. We got the Christmas tree and lights up, and now that all the boxes are in the den instead of the living room, it feels a bit better. After I finish G's room (mostly packing up baby things he's outgrown) I'm planning on tackling the ridiculous number of books we have to unpack (at least 12 boxes). They'll go on our shelves in the den. Pictures will follow when the place is a little more put together and the dining room table isn't a complete disaster.

It's been interesting. Everyone keeps saying it must be a real culture shock for me, but it doesn't feel all that different; just a lot more fried food. It's always hard to move, but because I don't know anyone in the area and have no way of meeting people, it's been very difficult for me. We ended up putting G in daycare so I could work on unpacking, but we haven't been happy with it and are in the process of moving him to a new one. I hate moving him from one to the other because he's had a bit of a rough time adjusting but there was just something that made me uneasy about the first place we went. The place he's going isn't my first choice either, but after being asked if I could take him home on our second day because they were understaffed and finding out that they were closing three extra days before New Year's due to being understaffed, I felt like it was time to get him somewhere else. Since we'll be here for registration next year, it'll be easier (yes...I have to register my >2 year old for daycare, and we're currently on 3 waitlists...ridiculous).  I think the hardest part for me is that I can't even find an Irish or highland dance class, and I'm really missing that part of my life. I'm planning on starting yoga, and I've had a few vague job prospects as well. Michael's was looking for a crochet teacher, but they're so busy that they haven't taken the next step they need to complete, and in January I'm going to start shadowing a vet/vet tech to see if that's something I'd be interested in doing. So eventually I'll be more settled, but right now, all I have is a house that needs a lot of TLC.

Overall it's been good. James loves his job and is already making great progess: his first event, Winter Woods, consists of 3 mini camp sessions for middle schoolers, high schoolers and young adults, and he already has over 50 middle schoolers registered, with more on a waitlist. This is a huge improvement from the 12 people they had last year. I'm so thrilled for him because he's finally doing what he really loves and feels called to do. He's very much in his element and I know that he'll continue to do great. We've found a sitter, and were able to have our first "just us" date night in I honestly can't remember how long. We went to a Mexican restaurant (pretty good), had margaritas ($3.99 and it wasn't happy hour!!) and saw the movie Frozen. 

Other news:

-G has molars coming in. One is in completely, and I just saw/felt the other 3, plus the cuspids. Teething hard right now!

-FIRST STEPS! He's been walking assisted since about 10 months, and had just graduated to only needing to hold on to one hand, but he finally took his first independent steps between me and James the other day (12/15), and he was already so confident! 

-G regularly refuses to let me feed him, and is getting better with his spoon. Almost all his meals require a spoon, though he disagrees, and I'm finally giving in to the mess :)

-I started watching Doctor Who, and I'm really enjoying catching up! I should be there by Christmas for sure! 

-G has been sleeping through the night regularly since starting daycare. Maybe it's because they do one 2 hour nap a day, or maybe just because he was at that point, but we are so grateful!

-I have been posting the patterns I've come up with on Ravelry, and not only have people downloaded the free ones, but I've also sold one of them twice! It's not much money (less than $2), but it makes me happy that someone liked my pattern enough to purchase it!

-G's first time trick or treating was this year. We only stayed out about an hour, and he was carried, but I think he had fun. I know I did! We ended up with a lot of non-candy items, and apparently it's a thing here to give those to the really young ones

-Our professional one year/holiday photos came back! They couldn't be more awesome! Here are my favourites: {Credit: Alison Conrad of Alison Kay Photography}

Splatter Pearls

I love pearls. They are, after all, my birthstone. I used to think that June really got jipped in the birthstone department, since pearls aren't really a stone (and I didn't like them at the time), and the alternate stone is one almost no one has heard of (Alexandrite). Now, I love them and love that June is unique in the respect that we get this awesome thing from the sea instead of just a normal gem.  So now I have pearl necklaces, earrings and bracelets and love to wear them. But though they do go with everything, they are a bit formal and sometimes that's just not the look you're going for.

In comes this awesome tutorial I found. The author of VJuliet knocks off some Chanel pearls that look like they've been splattered with paint. They look awesome! Modern and funky, a completely different take on pearls, colourful and fun. I shared the idea with my mom and she sent me a bunch of glass pearls (I really don't think I could stand to do this to real ones) and decided I'd give it a shot. Since I have a massive nail polish collection I had pretty much everything I needed.

I started by stringing the peals onto a necklace. I strung all the ones I had and got them to a length I liked. I kind of like that they're different sizes instead of the normal uniform size strand. Then, as per the instructions, I took my nail polish and a straw and started trying to splatter. It was pretty much a failure. I tried taking a paint brush and splattering the nail polish. This also didn't work. I tried and tried and tried the straw, but just couldn't get it. I searched nail sites for splatter nail tips but couldn't find anything that worked consistently. Finally, I picked up some coffee stirrer straws at Target's food court a few days later. I figured maybe the smaller diameter would work. It did! I still didn't have as much control over the aim as I would've liked, but it did work pretty well. I used the colours in the tutorial (fuchsia, dark purple, blue) and added a pretty lime for a pop as well. I did do the two sides, though I would recommend doing four sides in the future for even coating. Or at least, make sure you get the sides too!

Closeup of the splatter on the pearls

I'm really happy with how my pearls turned out. I think they look awesome and really fun and funky. I like the longer length (and so does Grayson, unfortunately) and I think the colours come together nicely. I did have a lot of clean up though. The nail polish splattered beyond the confines of the magazine I was working on, I used up the entire sample size of the fuchsia polish and most of the purple as well, and I had nail polish all over both hands. It took at least an hour of airing out the kitchen to get the smell out too. Next time I think I'll put down wax paper (a few tacky spots picked up some magazine) and work outside with gloves on. But all in all, it was a super successful project, and I love moving things into my "Completed Crafts" folder :)

The aftermath of the magazine. Next time, wax paper for sure!

The pearls, all ready to wear

I like the length, but it's way too easy for G to grab!

In case you're wondering, the way I find all these awesome tutorials is by trolling (see definition 3) craft sites. Some of the best are Pinterest (of course, though there are copyright issues and not everyone links to a tutorial or real site or anything), CraftGossip, and Craftgawker. But the best by far is a Tumblr site called Truebluemeandyou. It is AMAZING, and my absolute favourite. There are other sites that I know have tutorials, and if I have time I check them out, but between the last three I mentioned, I've usually seen the newest posts.

This Poem is AMAZING

A sorority sister of mine wrote a poem about motherhood and it is so amazing that I have to share it with you all.

I swear, even after reading and rereading it dozens of times, it brings tears to my eyes because it is so true.

Sometimes, when your baby has been screaming and irritable and almost bitten your finger off or pulled your hair out, it's hard to remember what an amazing blessing you have. Sometimes, when you just want to relax or go out to a movie without phoning twelve different people to babysit, it's hard to see just how wonderful being a mother is. Most won't admit to this, but I think that we've all felt that way. Whether it's realizing that your stomach will never look the same again, or trying to chase down that phantom poop smell, motherhood is hard and a HUGE change, no matter how prepared you think you are. BUT, and this is a MAJOR BUT, despite all the things that aren't picture perfect, it's amazing. Having your babe crawl into your lap just to be with you, getting those messy open-mouthed kisses, hearing them call your name or giggle when you make funny faces at them, even just watching them knock over the blocks you've built up at least 24 times...it's amazing. It melts your heart. There's nothing like it in the world. You think you know, you think you're prepared for it. YOU'RE NOT. It's SO MUCH BETTER, even the stuff that's difficult. Especially the stuff that's difficult.

And that's what this poem is. It's perfect. Here's the link for the original:
http://double-d.tumblr.com/post/63100693343/if-my-name-wasnt-mama

And here's the poem itself.

"If My Name Wasn’t Mama"

My fridge would be full of Chardonnay, not apple juice

My Google search history would be “shoe sales,”

Not “why is my baby pooping out full blueberries”

I would never have to know what oral thrush was

I’d eat more entree salads and a lot less half frozen chicken nuggets

Sleeping in on the weekends would be followed up with breakfast in bed

I wouldn’t have to use the hem of my shirt to wipe a runny nose in a rush

Or question the mysterious brown stain on my new work slacks

My car keys would never be found in the toy box after already running 20 minutes late

Phone calls  would last longer than 60 seconds

And my breasts would still hang where they should

I wouldn’t know the feeling of sweet-smelling baby breath on my neck

His hand wouldn’t reach out for mine when he meets someone new

The sun wouldn’t shine from the lilt in his laughter

I couldn’t listen to him talk to himself in his sleep and

No more 2am warm hugs after a bad dream woke him

I would not be able to whisper-sing “Hey Jude” into the blonde wisps of his hair

Or teach him what trees are or what sound a cat makes

I wouldn’t know the depths of his hazel eyes or the curve of his smile

Someone else would be called “Mama”

He wouldn’t be my little boy

If my name wasn’t Mama, I don’t think I’d like it very much

By Danielle Donaldson, posted on tumblr 10/4/13

Follow her tumblr: http://double-d.tumblr.com/

12 Months

Due to the nature of moving and all the stresses that have come along with this particular move and my tendency to freak out and shut down, this post is massively, massively late. It will be accurate to the month though--I take notes throughout the month and then write up these posts. Sometimes, if I'm way ahead of the game, I even fill the post in throughout the month. So let's see. We took G to Disneyland for the first time this month. He was completely mesmerized and totally confused. He didn't smile much, but you could tell he was taking in every little detail. We went to meet Mickey Mouse (with his crocheted hat!) and he tried to grab Mickey's nose and eyes. He was fast asleep in the stroller before we were even out of Toontown. Our schedule: Peter Pan's Flight, Dumbo, Tea Cups, Meet Mickey, lunch, Story Book Land Canal Boats, Casey Jr. Circus Train, home for a few hours, Little Mermaid, King Triton's Carousel, Monster's Inc, World of Colour, Indiana Jones (for mama). As you can see, we did make it to both Disneyland and California Adventure, which was awesome. Unfortunately, the King Arthur Carousel was closed for maintenance and they had to close Small World because of high winds and debris, which was a bummer. But we've saved something for next time!
It feels like just yesterday I was holding him for the first time and marveling at his tiny hands and how much he slept. Then again, a lot of our time in the hospital and the first few weeks at home is a blur of dirty diapers, teensy clothes, 20 minute naps and tons of pumping. It's amazing to see how much he's grown. Not just physically, but in terms of his personality and development too. I feel like something deep and pithy should go here, but really it's just been crazy. Being a parent makes time go so much faster and so much slower, it makes you appreciate 5 straight hours of sleep, it makes you know all the Disney Jr theme songs by heart and it couldn't be any more amazing. We have been so blessed with our little man and the way he has made our lives brighter, sometimes frustrating, hilarious and most of all, filled with love.

G:
-is a little foodie baby: filet, shrimp scampi, stuffed bell peppers (loves those! From Costco), blue cheese, asiago cheese, basil and sundried tomato wheat thins, French onion soup, spaghetti (kinda) and even that Lingonberry drink from Ikea. Sometimes I'm amazed at his adventurous palate!
-cruises like crazy, almost every waking moment!
-regularly holds his bottle on his own (finally), which makes driving when he has to eat so much easier
-pulls himself up on everything!
-fed himself with a spoon (so messy!)


Little Moments: (Finally outnumbering the milestones above!)
-Baby snores!
-He spent ten minutes one night alternately kissing and biting my face, then pulling my hair. (We're working on it)
-I love watching him play with the dogs, and caught him actually tugging on Pippin's toy while she gently pulled on the other end!
-Moose was trying to get the wheat thin in G's hand, G was intent on getting Moose and it turned into a beautiful, intricate, hilarious dance.
-I was trying to get G to take a nap, so we were curled up in bed together. Finally, after about an hour, he laid down on his back, stared at the ceiling and just started babbling, like he was having a conversation with me. It was so adorable! And again, I wondered what he was trying to say.
-G and I played in the water while I was watering the bushes outside. I'd turn the sprayer up into the air, and let the water fall down on us. He'd always get this shocked look on his face; I think the cold was surprising. But then he'd break out into a grin and clapping. We were both completely soaked, and he was in a giant puddle, but we were both grinning.
-I fed G some toast with a berry jam on it for lunch one day. He loved it! Everything within reach of the high chair was covered with jam, and I was sure his pants were ruined, but he ate almost the whole piece of toast (minus the few pieces I snagged)
-I came to pick him up at daycare, and he was curled up asleep, holding his bottle like it was a stuffed animal or lovie.
-Every night, and every store we go into, we have the same conversation. G: *tried to stand up in high chair or shopping cart* Me: *sits him back down, usually by grabbing his legs through the leg holes* G: *starts to cry* Me: No, honey, you can't stand up there, you'll hurt yourself.  Repeat every 5 seconds.
-One morning: I couldn't sleep the night before, and neither could G. I was so ridiculously sore from a new workout DVD I'd tried the day before that I could barely move. As I was cleaning up the yard, G got a hold of dog poop and managed to get it into his mouth before I could spring across the yard (remember that workout DVD?) to grab it from him. Pippin was barking her head off at the parrots and planes and running crazy circuits around the yard. It took over an hour and a half to get G down for his nap.
- We were sitting on the bed, and G was getting fussy. I started to scissor my legs up and down on the bed, and G thought it was hilarious. We sat there for probably 10 minutes, with him laughing and me getting a good leg workout.

In lieu of the normal photo, I will post some photos from Disneyland:

Doesn't he look thrilled? (Promise it was just the sun in his face)

Meeting Mickey. Trying to keep his hat on.

We may have had to hold his hands down, but we did get a photo with the hat on and everyone looking at the camera! Yay! Success!

First carousel ride. Sooo confused.

Pooped out baby!! 

My absolute favourite photo from this month! Look at that handsome boy!!

An Open Letter to Barnes & Noble

10 October, 2013

Barnes & Noble

To Whom It May Concern;

On September 11, 2013 I placed an order for three books on bn.com. I had a $40 gift card and was excited to share some of my favourite children’s books with my son. I chose to order on bn.com to make the most of the money I had, and was able to choose the free shipping option, making the total of my order $40.02; pretty good. I entered the gift card information and placed my order. I saw the confirmation page but didn’t write down the number; the email would surely arrive shortly, and if not, bn.com would still have the information. A few hours later, I checked back and there was no sign of my order. I called customer service and they confirmed that there was no pending order and that the full balance was still available on the gift card. I placed the order again, upon their recommendation and received two email confirmations of my order. Later that day I received a shipping email. Instead of telling me that the two books that were available would ship immediately (as I expected), it said all three books would ship October 2. I called customer service again because I thought it was ridiculous that I would have to wait almost a month for the books I ordered when 66% of the order was available immediately. When I called I was informed that because I chose the free shipping option, they would package the items in “as few packages as possible.” I didn’t realize that meant “1 package, regardless of the delay time.” I tried to explain this would be past our celebration, since one of the books was a gift, but to no avail. I resigned myself to waiting.

On October 2, I received two shipping notifications. Finally! However, upon opening the email, I saw that only the two immediately available books had shipped and the third was not included. So I had waited a month for absolutely no reason. I called customer service again and was informed that the third book should ship within a week. This is also when I realized that the order had been duplicated and my credit card had been charged. I was mad because I had been assured that no other order was there. The supervisor was unavailable until the next day, so I was told I would receive a call the next day. After speaking with a supervisor, I was told that the order on my credit card would be cancelled and refunded, and he would try to stop the delivery of the duplicate order. I was very upset because this order had now taken up much of my time and would take up more, since I was sure it would be delivered and I would have to find the time to drop off the box for return. With a 12 month old, this is not an easy feat. The supervisor offered me a $25 gift card for my inconvenience.

On October 8, I received another email telling me that my delayed order required my attention. When I clicked on the link, I was told that the order would ship on October 24, much later than the week I was promised by customer service. I called back because I am moving to Alabama on October 21, and would have to change the address to reflect my move. I was assured that the product would ship on the 24^th as there were currently 90 copies in stock for 400+ orders, and that more stock was coming in from the publisher. The address was changed without issue, and it changed the amount of the sales tax, dropping my order to $39.87. I realized on October 9 that the balance of my gift card had not been refunded. When I called customer service again, I was informed that once the order was placed, the remaining 13 cents would go back to the card. This makes no sense—the gift card would be charged when the order was shipped, but despite the order amount having changed, I couldn’t use the extra money until then. I know it’s not a lot of money, but it’s the principle and it would’ve made a difference on an order I placed later—I was 9 cents short, and this would’ve made all the difference. I was offered a $5 gift card, which was very kind. I was also told that the previous supervisor should not have told me any numbers on the books, and assured that stock was being replenished even now and that the book would ship on October 24 as I had been told.

On October 10, I received an email informing me that my order was cancelled. I was infuriated, irate. I was so mad that I was shaking. After all of the problems with this order, this was the last straw. I called customer service again (this makes 7 calls to customer service about this one order) and was informed that they didn’t know why the order was cancelled. At first, the representative told me it was because the book was out of stock. When I said I had just spoken to someone yesterday who assured me the inventory had just arrived, he changed his answer to “we don’t know.” He offered to place a new order for the book. When we got to the payment, I said I wanted to pay with the same gift card I had originally used, since the balance should be returned to it. I didn’t have the gift card, since I thought I had used up the entirety on the original order, but the representative looked it up and found the information. When he told me I would be responsible for hipping charges, I really lost it and asked to be transferred to a manager. This time, I wrote down the name. I spoke with a manager named Rhonda. After explaining the entire situation, she agreed that I should not be responsible for the shipping charges. I maintain that with all of the problems, I should not have to pay for the book, but would accept free, expedited shipping. She placed the order as a pay-by-phone order since the funds would not be returned to my gift card for 24 hours, and said that she would make sure she checked on the gift card and applied payment the next day so I wouldn’t have to worry about it. It would be shipped to my current address wit the understanding that it would arrive before my move. I was and am so angry that I am shaking. The price for the book has now changed. Instead of the $14.99 that it cost on October 2, I am now going to be charged 15.86 plus tax. She did not apply the coupon I asked the original representative to apply (I was so upset I forgot to mention it to her) and I was offered absolutely no recompense for this issue, which is by far the most ridiculously asinine problem I have experienced. She also could offer no explanation for why or even how the order was cancelled.

I am a loyal Barnes & Noble customer. I have a nook and have spent a fair amount of time, energy and money building up my nook library. I love supporting brick and mortar bookstores, only using the online feature when I need to save my money. But this, this is asinine. This is unacceptable. I do not know how you keep customers when you treat them like this and expect them to put up with a SAGA to receive the products that they are paying good money for. I do not have the money to switch my e-reader and my e-book collection to a kindle, but it is an appealing idea with all of these unnecessary, unexplainable problems I have encountered (this is not the first order I have had issues with.) I cannot believe that your company expected me to shoulder shipping costs, and still expects me to shoulder the change in price when I had no choice in the cancellation. I am disappointed and furious with your company right now.

Feel free to contact me with any questions, I am more than happy to answer them. I will be posting this on your facebook page as well as my facebook an my blog as an open letter to your company.

With disappointment,

Emmi Lawrence

emmiblawrence@gmail.com

www.emmiblawrence.blogspot.com