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Sep. 25th, 2004 08:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rivkaMiracle of miracles, I (a) was hungry this morning, and (b) had a specific idea of what would be good to eat. So we went to the Paper Moon, where I had a grilled mozzarella, tomato, and basil sandwich with garlic mashed potatoes. Mmmm. I've been wanting grilled cheese since yesterday - and not just any grilled cheese, but grilled mozzarella. Honestly? I think it largely boils down to salty. I wanted something salty, with little crispy grilled bits of cheese, and I was not disappointed.
Then we headed out on our Baby Gear Expotition, which was comprehensive as all hell. We looked at cribs, cradles, playards, swings, "travel systems" (combination carseat and stroller), regular strollers, and breast pumps, and rounded it all up with a swing through the baby clothes section to relax by cooing at the cuteness. The grand tour of the store was surprisingly helpful, mostly in developing our opinions of what we're looking for in gear.
Notes, mostly for my memory:
Crib
- Must have a one-handed mechanism for lowering the side rail. What possesses people to design a crib with a two-handed mechanism? Even if you don't consider the fact that I'll be carrying a baby (and why wouldn't you consider that?), my small arm makes it very difficult to grasp both ends of a crib at once. So lack of a one-handed mechanism is a deal-breaker, which is a pity, because the prettiest crib there was two-handed.
- Must have adjustable mattress positions, so that a teeny-tiny baby sleeps close to the top of the crib for ease of lifting in and out, but a bigger baby can't climb out.
- Ideally, would convert to a toddler bed/daybed.
Playard
Combination portable playpen/bassinet/changing table. We absolutely need one of these for our living room, not to mention for overnight trips. I like the Eddie Bauer version, but honestly, they mostly seem much of a muchness.
Travel System
You leave the base of the carseat firmly attached in the car, and the seat part of the carseat snaps into both the stroller and the carseat base. Or you can buckle in with just the seat part, in a taxi. A lot of them feel too big and bulky, and a lot of the infant carseats lack an ergonomic handle. Lack of an ergonomic handle is definitely a dealbreaker, because I bet we're going to be carrying the carseat around a lot. The ones with fully reclining seats are several inches longer, and the extra bulk seems to make a difference to maneuverability. The ones with one-handed steering are great. I'm still not sure we want to pick a travel system over a separate carseat and stroller. I'm also not sure to what extent using a sling completely replaces using a stroller, at least in the early months.
Breast Pumps
Boy howdy, are they expensive.
Clothes
Carter's brand is more expensive at Babies R Us than at the Carter's store, which seems backward. All the cutest baby clothes are "for boys," which means that if we have a daughter she'll start cross-dressing early.
We came back from the Expotition exhausted, and I took a long nap in front of the Orioles game. I don't know why I find it so soothing to nap in front of TV baseball, but I do. It was a conscious choice to sleep on the couch with the game on, rather than sleeping in our bed. Baltimore won, I am vaguely aware.
Now I'm making dinner: shrimp and green beans in garlic-sun dried tomato-olive oil, over pasta.
Good day.
Then we headed out on our Baby Gear Expotition, which was comprehensive as all hell. We looked at cribs, cradles, playards, swings, "travel systems" (combination carseat and stroller), regular strollers, and breast pumps, and rounded it all up with a swing through the baby clothes section to relax by cooing at the cuteness. The grand tour of the store was surprisingly helpful, mostly in developing our opinions of what we're looking for in gear.
Notes, mostly for my memory:
Crib
- Must have a one-handed mechanism for lowering the side rail. What possesses people to design a crib with a two-handed mechanism? Even if you don't consider the fact that I'll be carrying a baby (and why wouldn't you consider that?), my small arm makes it very difficult to grasp both ends of a crib at once. So lack of a one-handed mechanism is a deal-breaker, which is a pity, because the prettiest crib there was two-handed.
- Must have adjustable mattress positions, so that a teeny-tiny baby sleeps close to the top of the crib for ease of lifting in and out, but a bigger baby can't climb out.
- Ideally, would convert to a toddler bed/daybed.
Playard
Combination portable playpen/bassinet/changing table. We absolutely need one of these for our living room, not to mention for overnight trips. I like the Eddie Bauer version, but honestly, they mostly seem much of a muchness.
Travel System
You leave the base of the carseat firmly attached in the car, and the seat part of the carseat snaps into both the stroller and the carseat base. Or you can buckle in with just the seat part, in a taxi. A lot of them feel too big and bulky, and a lot of the infant carseats lack an ergonomic handle. Lack of an ergonomic handle is definitely a dealbreaker, because I bet we're going to be carrying the carseat around a lot. The ones with fully reclining seats are several inches longer, and the extra bulk seems to make a difference to maneuverability. The ones with one-handed steering are great. I'm still not sure we want to pick a travel system over a separate carseat and stroller. I'm also not sure to what extent using a sling completely replaces using a stroller, at least in the early months.
Breast Pumps
Boy howdy, are they expensive.
Clothes
Carter's brand is more expensive at Babies R Us than at the Carter's store, which seems backward. All the cutest baby clothes are "for boys," which means that if we have a daughter she'll start cross-dressing early.
We came back from the Expotition exhausted, and I took a long nap in front of the Orioles game. I don't know why I find it so soothing to nap in front of TV baseball, but I do. It was a conscious choice to sleep on the couch with the game on, rather than sleeping in our bed. Baltimore won, I am vaguely aware.
Now I'm making dinner: shrimp and green beans in garlic-sun dried tomato-olive oil, over pasta.
Good day.
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no subject
Date: 2004-09-26 01:14 am (UTC)I also wanted to mention, and your comment about breast pumps reminded me, that lots and lots of baby gear gets handed around, and having someone loan or give you the stuff their children have outgrown is the ideal way to get the stuff that makes life easier and to go lightly on your budget and on the planet.
The stroller carries diaper bag and other things, as importantly as it carries the baby. Don't be surprised to find yourself carrying baby in a sling while pushing the stroller. If you walk to the store, get one that will allow you to bring things home.... my first stroller couldn't really deal with a gallon of milk, though I made it work somehow.
Also, new moms have a tendency to overpack the diaper bag, not knowing what immediate disasters await, so expect to have the most non-baby gear with you at first, and to adjust downward as your expertise with your baby grows.
K. [my top choice for new mom advice, which I'll offer here because I'm feeling advisory, even though its off-topic: Expect to wear maternity clothes home from the hospital]
no subject
Date: 2004-09-26 06:47 am (UTC)That makes sense. My mileage varies principally because my right arm is only half as long as the left, which means that even with a crib mattress in the highest position I wouldn't be able to reach down properly with the side up. Fortunately, when the baby is larger and I have to lower the crib mattress, the baby will also be able to assist a little in lifting (for example, by sitting up, or at least by not needing its head constantly supported.)
The stroller carries diaper bag and other things, as importantly as it carries the baby. Don't be surprised to find yourself carrying baby in a sling while pushing the stroller. If you walk to the store, get one that will allow you to bring things home.... my first stroller couldn't really deal with a gallon of milk, though I made it work somehow.
Good point. I do walk to the store or the library, since we live in a dense urban neighborhood. So I probably will want a stroller I can use right away, and one with cargo capacity. Thanks.
no subject
Date: 2004-09-26 02:02 pm (UTC)The crib that converts to a Big Kid bed is a good idea. They learn to climb out of their cribs at a suprisingly early age. The first time your toddler comes into your room after you left them in their crib is a complex moment. Filled with awe, concern, pride at their acccomplishment and perhaps a little "what might have happened" terror.
But that's a long time away.
K.