In the epic battle between baby gear and mommy.......Baby Gear wins. Every single stinking time. I have tried and tried, and tried again, to no avail....and you can trust that I'm an "out of the box" kind of thinker.
This mommy didn't run out and get the BOB stroller, just because "they" all said to do so. I didn't buy the GRACO Duo Glider because everyone else I knew had one. Nope. I did the digging, the test driving, the legwork.
Baby gear starts like this: We moms want our homes to be clean and neat, as they were before the tots came trucking in. My house is full of yellows, blues, and coastal accents, so, naturally, I wanted all my baby gear to be the same.
Funny. Little Einstein's, Little Tikes, and Fisher Price don't make things to match my home, which is probably why you can't find any of them in the Pottery Barn catalogue. (and by the way, if they did make them, babies would be bored to tears with them) But, stubborn mommy me, I wanted to buy the highchair that looked "cute". Well, I hate said cute highchair. Hate it. It's an old fashioned wooden one that both babies hate sitting in and the only time we use it is when Mallie comes over to eat dinner and we need an extra. It has no wheels, no plastic lid...therefore, useless is the world of baby messes. It does look cute though....a lot of good that does me.
Next up: The exersaucer. These things are a God send. You sit baby in the middle and they have activities all around them and can't get out. Containment. Contentment. Music. Toys that are attached to the apparatus. Genius. Ours is the Baby Einstein one and both my kids adore it. It is bright green, red, blue, yellow, purple, you name it. It is bulky, ugly, and I love it and use it 500 times a day.
Hmmm. I had an epiphany after the exersaucer was purchased. "If I'm gonna have to buy all this bright clowny baby gear, none of it matching my house, I might as well match it all up." See y'all....I'm a little nutty like that. I still had not given up on blending in baby with house. Call me crazy.....
So, from then on, when I had a choice, I bought Baby Einstein products. I love them, too. The babies love them. They are creative and colorful and they learn from them. We have the floor gym, the dvd's, the tunnel, and countless books and toys. Thank you Baby Einstein. You rock.
Next...the strollers. My Chicco Cortina Travel System (car seat, base, and single stroller) is my best friend. I can push the thing with one hand, fold it up with both kids in my arms, a diaper bag, on roller skates, and putting on make up and it is a snap. I knew when it came time to find a double stroller, things were going to get ugly. There's no double stroller that is light and airy and free as a bird like my single Chicco. And, to top things off, Chicco (the....Well, I won't call them names, this is a family blog) didn't make a double stroller that would fit my car seat (at least, not one that would be on the market before sister was born. What the haine? Was this a conspiracy?
I searched, read reviews, and searched some more. I ended up with the Contours Options Tandem from Kolcraft. For Pete sakes....it had it all. You could face the kids toward each other, away from each other, put the car seat in, and it had a HUGE storage basket. Perfect, right?
Um....let me put a pair of long horns on the front, attach an air horn, and this thing might as well be a bus. I need to put a Greyhound sticker on the side of it. Love it, but it's heavy as all get out and I am a nuisance with it. I run into people and there's NO WAY I could ever travel in the airport by myself with it. Ever. The baby gear gods had won again.
Time to get (yet another) stroller. Yesterday I broke down and purchased the Combi Twin. Apparently, it weights only 22 pounds and can fit through most doorways AND can hold a car seat. The storage is small (but that's ok since I have also simplified my diaper bag for the summer and got a good ole' fashioned LLBean backpack....that's right....you heard it first here....I'm bringing it back in style) and there are no cup holders, but I fixed that by purchasing the $9 cup attachment. Sigh. Do the makers of these things not read the reviews on Amazon? Please! Read these things before you design one more stroller. 1. WE DON'T LIKE SMALL STORAGE. 2. WE NEED A PLACE FOR OUR COFFEE 3. WE DON'T WANT IT TO WEIGH 400 LBS. 4. WE WANT IT TO BE EASY TO FOLD 5. WE WANT IT TO FIT THROUGH DOORWAYS Too much to ask?
****A side note on the diaper bag*******I adore my diaper bag. I highly suggest spending the money on one. (www.miabossi.com) However, I am simplifying this summer....I'll go back to Mia when cold comes...
We'll see what happens with the Combi. It should be here tomorrow and I plan on "kicking the tires" completely. I'll report back. Until then, a note to future mommies:
Unless Inspector Gadget comes out with a line of baby gear, you are owned by the baby gear gods. Just put it on the shelf and deal with it. You loose. They win. It's a fact of nature!
Good luck. We often think of you and your juggling circus act. You always do so great!
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