Mind....blown


Okay - I'm trying to wrap my head around the "baby gear" thing and I'm not getting very far.

There are a few things that I know we need/want and those specifics I can figure out. There are some things we have, some things we're getting as hand-me-downs from family & friends and then there is....

THE STROLLER/CAR SEAT

Neither Steve nor I are big fans of the HUGE STROLLER syndrome that sweeps the nation. We're both kind of smallish people and drive smallish cars and I can't imagine trying to get one of those monostrosities in my vehicle. Then again the stroller we think we really want is more like this:


But then what to do about the car seat conundrum?

Do you buy a separate car seat (which hopefully can go from infant to toddler in convertible style so you don't have to buy something new every 6 months)? Or do you bite the bullet and buy the "travel system" to have the infant car seat/carrier and THEN the convertible car seat/booster for as the years pass PLUS the stroller with the dinky wheels and massive storage space that will suck on the trails that you & I both know Baby B will be on (ie: crushed limestone, etc -- the real hiking will be done ala backpack style)??

I just don't get it. I don't think that trying to bundle an infant into a car seat into a car while it's freaking cold outside (ie: about 9 months of the year) in Minnesota sounds like fun, but I also can't imagine having a stroller, a jogger AND an umbrella stroller (for down the line) as all that gear just blows my mind!

Does it matter? Do you just say - screw it and get the infant car seat & the stroller you like (and can hopefully use for a while and be done? Am I driving myself insane for no good reason?

So, what do we do? What do we register for? What the hell am I doing? I'm overwhelmed by the choices and lack of knowledge on such subjects. I have a brief window of opportunity when Steve is interested (due to a time constraint) and I have to take advantage of it! We have no baby store in Duluth - just Target - so I'd like to research as much as I can online...but I shut down when I am shown the options.

Comments

michelle said…
Wow - wish I could help ya out there...but my mind is blown as well...

goodluck! let me know where your registered at and stuff :)
Anonymous said…
I'll make a suggestion. Graco (and others I think) make this stroller that your car seat/carrier will snap onto. http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2266236&cp=2255983.2256189
It's smallish and folds small and it can actually be maneuvered quite easily in tight spots like restaurants. For the first three months or so when you go out Chick Pea will probably remain in the carrier so it would be so easy to just snap it into this thing which costs about $50.

Then come spring when Chick Pea is bigger and you are getting outside more, you can decide what you need then.

We didn't get that thing - we got the whole "travel system" and it was fine for us but the light stroller would have been much easier and friends we know have used it and loved it.

That being said, the travel system stroller has worked ok for us. We did buy an umbrella stroller for when we travel out of town but I prefer the big one, honestly. It provides much more shade and protection than an umbrella stroller ever could. Plus it has a tray for snacks - invaluable as they get older!

Sorry if I sound bossy. Just my opinions of course!
Cellomama said…
Skip the travel system. According to baby bargains, and most moms I know, the strollers suck. Get the infant seat - trust me, you'll want to be able to move Chick Pea from car to buildings snug in the car seat in the middle of winter. Then get a really inexpensive "Snap & Go" like Donna said (or heck, you're welcome to borrow ours). Then spend up and get a good stroller for later/trails/etc. We wound up getting another smaller one for mall crawling/travel, but our big BOB all-terrain stroller is definitely the most-used.

Check out Baby Bargains, if you haven't. It was MUCH more helpful (and less cynical) than Bridal Bargains. I think you can buy & download just the stroller chapter online at http://www.babybargains.com, if you don't want to get the whole book.

I'm a stroller zealot - Pete and I tried LOTS. While our needs might be different, I'm always happy to share what I learned!
Test said…
We had much of the same dilemma as you. We wanted to get the jogger version so we wouldn't have to buy another stroller for next year when I want to take her running. But we couldn't find one that had the car seat that didn't cost a gazillion dollars (or have wheels that just wouldn't work for running).

We ended up getting a Graco Metrolite Travel system. (It was a lot lighter than others and it fits in my little Corolla.) When we go out for longer periods of time (ie the fair) we use the bottom to hide her diaper bag and food. We tend to take a lot with us since she needs her bottles and hot water so we're high maintenance. I figure we will be using this stroller for a number of years and I will try to find a jogger on craigslist for less $$.

This is only the beginning. As you have already learned with the triplets, there is so much stuff!! Our house has been taken over with baby gear :)
Mrs. Ca said…
Wow. I'm really not looking forward to having to pick out baby stuff. I'd much rather lie around and be waited on hand and foot (like has been happening recently due to tiredness and horrible nausea) for the whole nine months.
Anonymous said…
I'd say for the early months it's great to have something that can be a baby carrier which also clips into a stroller and into the car.

But the paradox is that you'll be pleased to no longer have to use it when the baby is bigger & can hold his/her head by itself. The clippy carrier system is heavier than a small stroller for older babies (because of safety standards, if it's a baby carry & car seat, it's more reinforced for automobile safety requirements).

So you kinda have to go with the flow...
Meigan said…
Carrie,

With as much hiking as you & Steve do, you might want to be looking into a really good baby carrier/backpack instead of a rugged stroller. I had both my kids strapped to me for as long as they'd allow it - it was so much easier to maneuver through a crowd, hiking path, etc. We used a simple cheapo stroller sometimes, but mostly I kept them on my front or back in a carrier. Don't get overwhelmed! You'll love whatever you decide cuz of who's in it!!
K said…
Since I have no babies my opinion may be of no consequence, but I have LOTS of friends with babies. I personally like Donna's suggestion as well, but have several friends who LOVE their Metrolites also. My friends also loved their Baby Bjorns for carrying 'cuz I second what Meigan said about being much easier to carry. One friend got one of these http://www.ergobabycarrier.com/ when her son was older and swears by it for EVERYTHING including shopping....he's happy on her back and her hands are free. Some of it depends on your baby too, but carriers even make things like laundry and dishes easier if your baby is fussy. My mom still says the "Snugli" was the best invention when my brother was born! ;)
That's all my thoughts....for a girl with no kids I sure have a lot of advice - sorry!

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