Last weekend, Derek and I went to Babies R Us, and we found a stroller we love. It was a jogger and a travel system in one, and it was a super affordable price. We were stoked. Well, I was ready to buy it right there, but Derek (being the logical one) said let's research it first.
Well, thank God we did. It has terrible reviews, such as "the wheels fall off." Yikes! That really scared the crap out of me, so I went on a crazy hunt. After researching on Parents.com, Amazon, Google, and Consumer Reports, I feel much more informed.
Number one priority is a safe car seat. According to Consumer Reports, that's the Chicco KeyFit. The best jogger I could find that doesn't have that pesky fixed front wheel is InStep Safari. However, I want something that will work with the baby's car seat, and the third best jogger is Jeep Liberty All Terrain. It has extremely high safety ratings, and that makes me very happy! :D I'm thinking that's what I'll go with since it does fit the preferred Chicco car seat. Ultimately, it's more expensive than our original awesome find at Babies R Us, but to know that I have something that I can actually run with and will keep the baby super safe makes me feel better.
My super runner coworker says she has a Bob Revolution, but I'm trying to be cost friendly here. On Consumer Reports, the Bob doesn't do that well, so that makes me feel better about my thriftiness.
And note: I really hate those fixed wheel joggers. One of my neighbors at Fort Stewart had one, and I ran with her son when I was babysitting once. I couldn't stand how you have to stop to turn the darn thing. Complete crap!
All of this research has me reconsidering some of my other choices already, but I think the pack and play will be fine. The Graco pack and plays get really good reviews, so I'm satisfied with that.
As far as carriers go (other than car seats), I'm planning to get a Balboa Sling per my neighbor's recommendation. She absolutely loves hers, and I'd like to try the Moby Wrap since one of my former Fort Stewart neighbors swore by hers. I like the way the Moby looks, but that's no guarantee that it's going to be the right thing for Baby Ratcliff. I've heard the ol' Baby Bjorn really pisses them off since you have to kind of stuff them into it and separate their legs. I really dig some of their other products, like their bouncer, though.
Aside from my non-stop search for the perfect baby gear, I'm feeling pretty good. I've been hitting the Wii Fit, and my symptoms are okay. I've had a lot of heartburn, but I think I'm going to talk to my doctor about it at my next appointment. I'm at the max dosage for tums, and I think I need something more serious. It's getting unbearable.
Big news: I am so positive the baby is moving around. It happens almost daily and it's so exciting. I just feel a little nudging and poking. It usually happens when I'm sitting, so I get really excited. :) I hope Derek can feel the baby soon :) Overall, things are going well, and I can't wait for next appointment on Nov. 15. The name list is getting more interesting by the day, and I promise I'll show our name choices soon!
We're almost half way there! Yay!
