Gearhead

Per Alyce's suggestion, here's a list of some of our baby gear, and as -R- noted I'll do an update once the baby is here and we've figured out what works and what we hate with the fire of a thousand suns.  Also, at HeatherM's request I am linking some of our favorite baby-stuff stores here in NYC that also have online shopping so you can join in the fun from home! 

-- As I mentioned before, we got an UppaBaby Vista stroller.  I did a LOT of stewing over stroller choices before we settled on the Vista.  Living in the city and not having a car, the stroller is a key part of our Baby Support Equipment (BSE) arsenal.  We're planning to spend a great deal of time in Central Park and around the neighborhood with the kid, so we needed something that would ride smoothly over uneven sidewalks and be able to go off-road.  We also wanted something that had both a bassinet and a seat option, plus carseat compatibility.  Our stroller needed to be able to fold up easily for storage so it wouldn't dominate our apartment. 

For a while, we were pretty sure we would get a Bugaboo Cameleon.  That is pretty much THE stroller of choice in our neighborhood and I've never heard anyone say a negative thing about it (except that it's expensive).  It's sleek with rugged tires and user friendly features, and it's super maneuverable and smooth-riding. 

But then we looked at the UppaBaby, which is relatively new to the market, and it seemed to have a lot to offer, too.  The tires are foam-filled rather than air-pumped, so they won't go flat.  The suspension is well-made for a velvety ride.  It comes with both a bassinet and a seat, whereas the Bugaboo comes with fabric that you have to change on the frame yourself to create the seat or the bassinet.  The seat faces either way, reclines easily to several different positions, has an adjustable footrest, and sits a bit higher than many strollers (which, as a drawback, makes the Vista look REALLY big next to the Bugaboo, but the upside is that your baby is closer to you and further from the ground).  The basket under the seat is capacious -- plenty of room for a diaper bag and a day's worth of shopping.  It has a big sun canopy with UV protection on both the bassinet and the seat.  And it folds up (and unfolds) with one easy move.  

All that for several hundred bucks less than the Bugaboo.  And, if you care about such things, it's American-designed and made, which is kind of nice in the current economy.  Sold! 

(The link to the stroller takes you to the site for Planet Kids, which is where we got ours.  It's a GREAT baby and kids' store with a couple of locations in NYC and an extensive website.  The salespeople there are extremely helpful and knowledgeable, and they spent a lot of time taking us through the features and relative merits of the Bugaboo and the Vista as well as several carseat options.  They also arranged to have the stroller delivered to us for FREE.)

We also have a Quinny Zapp stroller, which folds up teeny tiny and I think will be good for travel when she's bigger -- you can use it for a smaller infant, but only with a carseat as the seat doesn't recline and there's no bassinet.  We have found it VERY difficult to collapse and unfold -- when we got it out to practice, it took us a good twenty minutes of grunting and sweating to fold it back up.

-- Our carseat is a Chicco Keyfit 30, which we chose because it works with the Vista and, out of the three compatible options, it was the lightest and will last the longest based on the size and weight maxes.  I also thought it looked cute. 

-- Carriers:  I feel like this is where we're going to end up with about five hundred different pieces of gear in our closet.  There are so MANY carriers and such a wide range of styles and functions and positions and user-friendliness among them.  To start out with, we got three different ones, based on the recommendations of various friends. 

First, the Ergo Organic Baby Carrier plus infant insert (that link takes you to Albee Baby, another very well-stocked NYC store with a comprehensive website).  I've heard lots of raves about the Ergo, especially how comfy it is for the parent (whereas I have gotten many tips that the Bjorn killed people's backs).  My only concern with the Ergo is that it does appear...well, a bit complex, so there may be a learning curve at first.  We've watched the instructional video and it SEEMS simple enough, but there are a lot of straps and adjustments and clips, and of course when you actually use it there is also a squirming BABY involved.  I'm hoping it will become intuitive quickly without anyone dropping the baby on her head while trying to get her in there and settled.

Second, for its utter simplicity, we got the Serene Sling by Balboa Baby.  It's ONE piece of fabric -- no rings or clips and no wrapping required.  It's a comfy, soft knit and you just stick the baby in there and slip it over your head and one shoulder, and off you go.  The baby can be positioned a few different ways as she develops and according to the package it is great for discreet nursing.  My only beef with this was that we followed the sizing directions and bought a Medium (they say to follow your t-shirt size), but when we got it home and tried it on, it didn't even come down past our necks.  So Joe took it back and got I think an XL, which seems like it would be too big for us but in fact appears to be just right -- maybe because of our height or longish torsos or his manly pecs?  Anyway, I am hoping this is the sling for us; otherwise, I've also heard very good things about the New Native sling and would give that a whirl next. 

And finally, I am perhaps the most excited about our mei tai.  It is SO CUTE (I got a red dragon print on one side and a floral print on the other) and very easy to put on, and it seems comfortable to boot.   

-- Crib:  the Straight-Up Crib from Land of Nod.  I love the classic-yet-modern, streamlined look of this, and I assembled it in about ten minutes.  This is our crunchy-granola organic crib mattress.

-- Bouncy Seat:  The Baby Bjorn Organic Babysitter Balance.  I like this because it is basic and unobtrusive (for my own sanity, I didn't want anything that made noise, played music or vibrated), but looks comfy and has three reclining positions.  It also folds completely flat, so it stashes right into a closet when not in use.  We got it from Giggle, which is another of our favorite NY baby-stuff stores -- they seem to find the most attractive AND useful things and round them all up into one super-cute boutique, and their website is equally great and easily navigated. 

-- Play Mat:  Also from Giggle, we got the Shangri-La Activity Play Mat.  It's SUPER soft and fuzzy on one side and has bold black-and-white design on the other, and comes with a bunch of toys that attach to the soft arches plus some tummy-time toys (including one with a mirror) that velcro to the mat itself.  It seems like a great variety of textures, colors and shapes to keep the baby entertained (hell, WE were entertained just putting it together), plus you can easily add or change the hanging toys.  It also stores well; the arches lie flat and you can wrap them in the mat and stow them in a bench or closet. 

-- Booster Seat:  We won't need this for quite a while, but instead of a high chair that would have taken up half of our kitchen, we got the Phil & Ted's Me Too Chair to clamp onto the table when she's ready for solids.  It folds completely flat so I'm hoping will be perfect for travel or restaurant outings, too. 

-- Baby Bath:  Since we have ZERO room for a full-sized baby tub and we plan to bathe her in the sink as long as possible rather than crouching over our bathtub, we were psyched to run across the Puj Tub, which is another brilliant product of Scandinavian design and engineering.  It's basically a piece of waterproof foam that folds into this little mini-bath and goes in either your bathroom or kitchen sink and then lays or hangs flat for drying and storage.  Genius!  It's also cheap ($40). 

-- Diaper Bag:  We have the JJ Cole System Bag (in gray and green).  It's compact, comes with a fold-up changing pad and has lots of convenient pockets and compartments.  It's also reasonably gender-neutral, since I didn't think Joe would want to walk around with a big floral tote all the time (and neither would I, frankly). 

Both of us will also use bags that we already have -- Joe has a Banana Republic messenger-style canvas bag he got at least 8 years ago that has gone EVERYWHERE with us (it's been to Vietnam, Italy, Costa Rica, Spain, Montreal, Iowa, Georgia, Central Park...you get the idea) and will serve nicely as a Dad-bag, and I have my Ogio messenger-style bag (the Road Trip) that's large and nicely padded on the inside so should be sufficiently cushioned for me to haul my Rebel DSLR with us for the necessary baby-paparazzi action (although if it turns out not to be ideal, I will soon be in the market for some kind of camera/diaper bag combo, so if you have any leads on that, let me know). 

Those are pretty much the major pieces of BSE that we've got!  I'm hoping the promise of all this cool stuff will entice this child to come on out SOON.  (Full term (37 weeks) in a week!  That's next weeeeeeeeeek!)  Mama's sciatica needs some RELIEF.

Finally, just for Dianna: 

Comments

[Marie Green]

Looking at all your fun gear has me all squiggly inside- both excited that your time is so near, mixed with a little "I WANT (another) ONE TOO!".

Also, when I was pregnant the first time, we put together our (double!) stroller, strapped in our cat, and pushed it around the house. I wonder, is this something ALL expecting parents do? =)

[Allison]

So much fun to hear about all of your stuff! I love "supplies!"

I know space is an issue in NYC, but consider a swing of some sort...especially if she doesn't take to the bouncy seat.

One of my twins LOVED the bouncy seat, but the other was only happy in the swing. We had the Fisher Price Papasan Cradle Swing. It made sounds, but we never turned it on.

Thanks for sharing all of your loot! Makes me want one more baby.

[Dianna]

Hee!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The dog seems perplexed.

[Penny]

yay gear! I just hope your baby likes strollers. Some don't. For some reason, it always seems to negatively correlate with the price of the stroller (ours is cheap, and therefore overused).

[Stephanie]

I have a feeling the sling is too big for you guys. Slings are funny -- they have to be really tight to be comfortable/secure. And once you put a baby in it they drop considerably lower than they start.

Have you heard of this place?
http://store.metrominis.net/

On the Upper East Side, great place for carriers and they will help you fit everything correctly.

Another great carrier that is the same idea as the Ergo is the Beco -- I actually like it better and it's more attractive too. They carry both at Metrominis and can help you choose.

Love all the other stuff you picked -- fun post!

[Laura]

I'm so excited that you're finally going to have a baby to use all that stuff... and soon!
I so enjoy your writing and admire your ability to make so many words so interesting. I really do read every one =). I'm passing along a "Beautiful Blogger" award. You can grab a button at my blog if you'd like to keep it going.

[Alyce]

Thanks for sharing all of this. I love office supplies and kitchen gadgets and now - it seems - BSE. Hee!

I can't wait until you get to use it all and then tell us about it.

[Mar]

Amazing job - love both the stuff and the decision making that brought you there! I think you'll adore that stroller -- sounds just perfect for your needs. I also love baby's crisp white crib. AND a light blue room for a little girl.
Good luck in the next few weeks - MARCH IS HERE!

[kathy]

Lol! When I bought my slings, I tried them out on Nea!

[Lawyerish]

Thanks for all the encouragement and tips, guys!

Stephanie -- I think you may be right about our sling, or at least that it may fit Joe but not me (once I'm no longer pregnant, anyway!). I have heard of Metrominis, but thanks for the reminder and I will hightail it there if we need to get another carrier!

[Carolyn]

Do you have any updates on those products and how you like them? :)

[lawyerish]

Carolyn -- Ive been meaning to post one and will do that ASAP!