stroller

Pregnancy

“I’m in love, I’m in love, and I don’t care who knows it!”

by Jill
written by Jill

With just one day away from being 14 weeks pregnant, I *think* I’m in my second trimester. I certainly feel like I’m in my second trimester. The incessant hangover has faded and there are days that I can get away with not taking a nap, although just because I can doesn’t mean I want to. Naps are so glorious. Why we have to stop taking them after kindergarten is beyond me. This world would be a lot nicer, I think, if everyone would just crawl into bed for an hour and a half after lunch.

There are days, I will admit, for hours on end that I forget I’m pregnant. I’m not looking very pregnant yet. I mean, depending on the outfit and what I had to eat, I might have a tiny bump at the end of the day, but it’s gone the next morning, leaving me in a body closely resembling that of my sophomore year in college, complete with beer gut and EXCELLENT rack. The girls are back in town, yo. OH how I’ve missed them!

Unfortunately, I’ve cleaned my closet of all those clothes that fit that old body, not that they were appropriate for a pregnant mother of a toddler to begin with. Something about squeezing into faded, fitted Abercrombie shirts/Express halter tops and daisy dukes doesn’t really scream “responsible mother” for dropping Kendall off at school twice a week. I’ve purchased some maternity clothes here and there, but I’m not filling them out at all. It’s a very awkward stage for me.

Now that I’m not laying around, wallowing in my own self pity anymore something is starting to happen that I didn’t think was going to affect me this time around. (No, really. I just blogged about this on BornFreeMom.com.) I’m starting to get antsy about STUFF, baby stuff. Mainly? Strollers. Lord help me and my bank account.

I still have my Quinny Buzz, which I adored with Kendall when he was little, but honestly haven’t used it much lately. We use the Maclaren Volo when we’re out for short trips and the BOB Ironman has seen the most mileage since we take him for runs/walks in it very often.

I have no idea what to do about the double stroller situation. I am 99% sure that we will for sure need a double jogger, and that I want that to be a BOB Duallie Revolution. I’ve already told Scott to plan to put money aside from the tax return next year for one and I’m scouring Craigslist every day. If our single jogger is any indication, this will be the stroller that gets the most use.

At first I was okay with that being our only double stroller and keeping the Quinny and getting a new infant seat to snap into the frame for the baby when I take him/her out solo or Kendall’s holding daddy’s hand. We would have to get a new infant seat for it because I sold the original Maxi Cosi Mico we had. It sucked. We hated it. The shade was way too short and the straps always got tangled. Plus, the buckle was super annoying. Well, the only option for the Quinny now is the slightly re-designed Mico (with updated straps, but same shade) or the Safety 1st OnBoard 35, which I can’t find any reviews on and just not really loving. Ideally, I’d love to get a Chicco, Graco or Britax infant seat, but none of these are compatible with the Quinny frame.

Also, I wonder if I’ll want a more lightweight, easier to transport double stroller? The single BOB is hefty enough. I can’t imaging lugging the double in and out of the mall every time we go.

And yes, I plan on wearing the baby frequently, but it’s not within the realm of my reality to expect myself to baby wear enough to not need to put two kids in a stroller on many occasions.

Then the other day I had a wonderfully insightful email exchange with The Baby Guy NYC(@thebabyguynyc) and he introduced me to the soon to be released Britax B-Ready stroller (he writes about it in this Stroller Traffic article, and you can see more details here). Oh my goodness. First, I’m shocked it’s by Britax. I’ve never been a huge fan of their strollers (but love their car seats). I love it… so far. Of course, I haven’t seen it in person, but everyone who has has told me it’s as fantastic in person as it is in pictures. I love that it, like some other strollers we’ve considered, can function as a single or a double, but with far more configuration options than those others. I love that I can use the Britax Chaperone infant seat in it with the provided adapter, and that that adapter can stay on the infant seat while in use in the car (or I could purchase a separate adapter and use the Chicco infant seat). I know many don’t like strollers with one seat in front of the other, but the way I see it, by the time the youngest is old enough to protest it’s view, Kendall will hopefully be old enough to not be in the stroller anymore. Plus, I really think if that’s all the kid knows, then are they really going to complain? They can still see out the side.

I will say the one configuration that makes me go “hmmmmm??” is the one with the infant seat on the bottom, rear facing. I have to wonder if I’d kick the baby accidentally, and Scott pointed out that it would have a lovely crotch view the whole time. I guess I’d have to see it in action to understand.

Of course, there’s the cost issue. I’d definitely have to sell the Quinny (which I think I can still get a good sum of $$ for it since it’s in excellent condition). I can’t believe I’d ever even consider selling my Quinny ( I specifically got a job at Right Start while pregnant last time for the discount so I could afford it), but it’s just not super practical any more. If I keep it, I’ll probably only end up using it like a Snap & Go with an infant seat I’m less than excited about.

I realize these are such stupid, trivial things to worry about. I do. It’s just, for some reason, it’s something my brain keeps coming back to. And really, what I need to do is just get over it. I need to get back to my first trimester, miserable feeling state of mind where I didn’t care if I pushed the baby around in a hi-jacked grocery cart lined with old blankets. That was a much less expensive solution, although, admittedly not nearly as stylish.

How did you handle/ do you plan on handling the double stroller situation?

Kendall is 2 years old and still requires being strapped down in public and I’m just about 14 weeks pregnant

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The StoryTrying to Conceive

How to infect your husband

by Jill
written by Jill

Even though my husband has been entertaining the idea of having kiddos long before I gave in, it was merely a small infection, a constant low grade baby fever. It had not taken over his brain and body as a form of Baby Rabies up until a few days ago. We went out for lunch at Corner Bakery and happened to be very near a Babies R Us. Since I am an unemployed empty incubator with nothing to do but window shop for things we do not have yet (house, baby), I suggested we pop in and check out the strollers. He obliged, and within minutes of stepping through those purple front doors, we were emerged in a world of binkies, bottles, Bumbos ad Boppies. (How the fuck did our parents ever even THINK about raising us without this plethora of crap.)

First stop – strollers – an unhealthy obsession. So unhealthy, in fact, that the Rabies has us thinking that we may actually NEED that $750 Bugaboo Frog. We quickly leave the stroller section, hoping to regain our better judgement. On our way from strollers to cribs, we pass by the slings. Prior to the Rabies, I always associated slings with hippie parents – not that that’s a bad thing. I just always thought you had to be the type of mom who made her own organic baby food from the organic vegetables she grew in her own garden to wear one, and I have no time or desire for that shit. However, I found some adorable Hotslings in very stylish patterns, and I like the idea of baby as accessory (wonder how many people I pissed off with that statement). My husband has always made fun of dads wearing front loaders like the Baby Bjorn, and has vowed up and down that he will never suffer the same uncool fate – that is UNTIL he saw the JEEP branded baby front loader! Yes, my husband is a labeling whore.

I knew he was fully infected with the Rabies when he actually took it off the armless torso and tried it on. He then proceeded to run up and down the aisles with it, perhaps practicing the day he and baby will make their long awaited appearance as wide receiver (and baby) for the St. Louis Rams. He told me, “I’ve got to have one of these. It will match the Jeep.” He was quiet for a little bit after that as we browsed through the cribs, then turned to me as we reached the Jenny Linds and said in the sweetest most serious tone, “You’ve given it to me…..I have Baby Rabies.” I about lost it right there!

After analyzing this experience, I’ve come up with the following theory on how to infect your partner (assuming they are male) with Baby Rabies. First thing to remember is they don’t give a fuck about clothes or crib bedding, so if you begin inundating them with trips to Baby GAP and Pottery Barn Kids, you’re likely to loose your audience early. You must start them out with the gadgets. I find strollers to be a great place to start. Show them the ones that have shocks, handlebar brakes, rubber tires, the closer the stroller resembles a car the better. Then show them car seats. Encourage them to show you what seat would look best in their car. Keep it all about the gadgets and gizmos (minus the breast-pump – I’m pretty sure that will freak them the hell out). I’m interested in whether or not this works with anyone else, so please let me know.

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