Out Of The Loop....lol!

Jill · Jan 2nd, 2008, 12:41 AM

My youngest....my "baby"...is almost 12 years old..I havent bought much baby stuff since she was little.So Im a bit out of date when it comes to what to look for.

I need advice on what is the latest in car seat technology...strollers,all that stuff!
My daughter from a previous marriage is pregnant and Ill be watching her baby while she works.....etc....
.I need to throw her a baby shower.she is due mid FEB/Early March.
Im SOOOOOOOOOO not knowing what to buy!I looked online at the strollers and carseats..but I could really use some advice on what to look for and what is easy to use...etc.....
Its a boy too....I have only raised girls...hehe...so Im clueless!
Ill be buying 2 car seats...one for her and one for me...so I want to make the right decision!
Thanks a bunch!!!!!

PS-anyone calls me Grandma....Ill beat u up..

.....ROFL......

Im open to other names...so if u know a name that sounds like grandma but isnt actually grandma..LMK...ROFLMAO

Janos614 · Jan 2nd, 2008, 12:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jill

PS-anyone calls me Grandma....Ill beat u up..

.....ROFL......

Im open to other names...so if u know a name that sounds like grandma but isnt actually grandma..LMK...ROFLMAO

Congratulations! Your name dilemma reminds me of the Cosby Show episode where Clair and Elvin's mom had to come up with names that didn't sound like Grandma- one of the ones I loved was "Mother, the Sequel". It's a bit long for a kid, though!

RudeGal · Jan 2nd, 2008, 01:16 AM

Hmmm...Well congrats!

My personal faves:

Carseat: Britax Marathon
Stroller: Bugaboo is nice when they are small, but anything that can have the baby facing you while you push them is a plus! Peg Perego makes some nice strollers as well as the Quinny Buzz. We have a Zapp right now since my son is older and love it.

A great shower gift is a Little Giraffe blanket though. I loved those blankets...soooo soft for baby and a bit pricey so not many moms buy them for the baby so it is nice to get one for them.

scarlett_2005 · Jan 2nd, 2008, 01:17 AM

Instead of buying 2 car seats you might want to buy a snap and go car seat with 2 bases, it will be much cheaper and easier. You just install the bases in each car and the carrier part just snaps into place.

Right now we have the baby trend infant car seat. The main reason I bought this one is because it got the top safety rating from consumer reports. All in all its a good car seat but the only con so far is the handle is a little hard to adjust at times.

rileygirl · Jan 2nd, 2008, 05:12 AM

Congratz...I will refrain from using the "G" word with you, but damn, you'll be one stylish one, and whoah, the Diaper bags you'll be carrying!

Anyway, I am currently using a Graco Snugride as my infant carrier. With first baby I used a Peg Perego but she grew out of it real fast because they are designed very narrow. Snug Rides are very inexpensive but have excellent safety ratings.

I am using the Infant Carrier with an attachment on my Baby Jogger stroller. The reason I like the Baby Jogger is that it is a three wheeler and light weight which makes it incredibly easy to manuever in and out of tight spaces (ie the mall). I can even carry baby with one arm and steer the jogger with the other--which I could not do with my Peg Perego stroller.

Infant carriers are supposed to last up to about 20 pounds but like I said my daughter out-grew her's quick. We then shifted to a Britax car seat. We have both a marathon and a Round about. After buying those two I found out we were having another baby and we purchased Recaro convertible car/booster seat. Both Recaro and Britax have excellent ratings. Most of the Britax seats can be used from about 5 pounds but the Recaro is for older, 20 pounds (I think) and 1 years old since it can only face forward.

I found the book Baby Bargains to be an excellent resource and buying guide. It gives you excellent reviews on the million and one things you need and think you need. Baby center is also a pretty good website.

Other things you may want for baby sitting during the day are: Pack and Play, Baby Swing, Baby Bouncer, Some sort of floor gym mat, Bottle warmer and baby carrier (sling or baby bjorn type). Those are the things that I see in our baby room that stick out as things that we use a lot. If I think of anything else I'll reply again.

Speedy · Jan 2nd, 2008, 08:22 AM

Congrats "Grandma"

:::runs back to the Up To The Minute forums:::::

berryblondeboys · Jan 2nd, 2008, 10:39 AM

If I were to do it all over again, I would NOT get an infant car seat. I had HUGE children and they outgrew them so quickly and even if they didn't, those things are HEAVY. Just the SEAT is 10 lbs!

I have the Britax Decathlon seat and it can be used from birth and I would just use this as a car seat. OR, as mentioned, if your daughter wants a snap in car seat, just get two bases, not two actual car seats.

For strollers, you need to choose which features you think are most important. Do you plan to go out with the baby a lot (like do you go out a lot now during the day?) If so, then you will want to get something nice that is comfortable for you to push and something that is comfortable for baby. I personally LOVE strollers with reversible seats/handles because you can interact with the baby as you are out and while some babies don't NEED it, some do.

If money is no object, these are my favorites (in no particular order), Stokke Xplory, Orbit, Bugaboo. For jogging type strollers Red Castle Whizz (love this one to DEATH as it's lighter and plusher than the others), Baby Jogger and Bob. For lighter weights Peg Perego Plikko or Inglesina Zippy and for smaller yet, Maclaren strollers.

Are you going to allow the "G" word for baby? I sure hope so because every woman I know who has not allowed that from their own grandchildren had some pretty big issues. It TRULY is Ok to be "G"!!! Heck, the checkout/bagger at my local grocery store asked me the other day if I was grandma or mom when he saw the diapers in my cart (toddler was home with dad)... and I'm 38 years old!!! At first I thought, "OMG, I'm way too young for anyone to think I was a grandma, but you know what??? I am NOT too old!!! Just think, you can be one of the hippest "G"s there are and other grandkids will be JEALOUS!

Sanguar · Jan 2nd, 2008, 12:05 PM

Congrats! Has she registered online? If so, you could just buy something similar to what she already has. If she hasn't registered, you should encourage her to, because it will make it easier for shower guests to get her what she needs.

We bought the Graco Safeseat (up to 30lbs, rear facing) and an extra carseat base. It just snaps in. Also, there are several strollers that go with it. We purchased the "lightest" one, the Snap-N-Go because I'm weak. Here's the link:
http://www.gracobaby.com/catalog/pro...yID=1&subCatID=
Ours is a different color, but I liked this one because it doesn't have too much of a pattern, etc.

berryblondeboys · Jan 2nd, 2008, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sanguar

Congrats! Has she registered online? If so, you could just buy something similar to what she already has. If she hasn't registered, you should encourage her to, because it will make it easier for shower guests to get her what she needs.

We bought the Graco Safeseat (up to 30lbs, rear facing) and an extra carseat base. It just snaps in. Also, there are several strollers that go with it. We purchased the "lightest" one, the Snap-N-Go because I'm weak. Here's the link:
http://www.gracobaby.com/catalog/pro...yID=1&subCatID=
Ours is a different color, but I liked this one because it doesn't have too much of a pattern, etc.

I'm cracking up that you said that you got the up to 30 lbs car seat yet got a snap-n-go (and nothign wrong with that as they DO work and are cheaper!) because you are weak and don't want to haul out a bigger stroller... Um... your Safeseat is probably close to 10 lbs (or more) and add in baby. Want to take bets on whether or not you will be hauling a baby that weighs more than 20 lbs plus a 10 lbs car seat in a few months?

Honestly, I'm NOT weak and I was DYING with my arm dangling at my side with my 20 lber and 10 lb seat. 30 lbs hanging from your arm is like carrying 3 bags of 10 lbs potato bags!

Sanguar · Jan 2nd, 2008, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by berryblondeboys

I'm cracking up that you said that you got the up to 30 lbs car seat yet got a snap-n-go (and nothign wrong with that as they DO work and are cheaper!) because you are weak and don't want to haul out a bigger stroller... Um... your Safeseat is probably close to 10 lbs (or more) and add in baby. Want to take bets on whether or not you will be hauling a baby that weighs more than 20 lbs plus a 10 lbs car seat in a few months?

Honestly, I'm NOT weak and I was DYING with my arm dangling at my side with my 20 lber and 10 lb seat. 30 lbs hanging from your arm is like carrying 3 bags of 10 lbs potato bags!

I have a wrap I plan to use. I'm going to "baby-wear" instead of lugging a car seat around. That's DH's job! Glad I good give you a laugh though! DH will be a stay at home dad and the full travel system stroller won't fit in his car.

berryblondeboys · Jan 2nd, 2008, 12:28 PM

Oh good for you. I did a lot of babywearing too. Have you gone to the big babywearing site yet? Wraps are great, but bulky. You might really like Mei Tais too.

My son is now 2 years 8 months and we are down to just the Ergo baby carrier which we haven't used in at LEAST 8 months, but we keep, "Just in case". He's 39 inches and about 39 lbs, so carrying him isn't on my list of fun things to do! LOL

babywearing is the BEST.

imyflutterby · Jan 2nd, 2008, 12:40 PM

Congratulations!!

And how great that you're going to get to spend so much time with the baby.

My youngest at the moment is 14 and my baby is due end of March - it's amazing how things have changed since I last went shopping for baby stuff!

We didn't know where to start either and so we had quite a few chats with some very helful SA's, getting as much advice as we could. We've just bought the Pliko Pramette travel system from Mamas and Papas, it's made by Peg Perego and is very light-weight with loads of great features. We got the isofix car seat base, and it's incredibly easy to clip the car seat in to.

As far as what to call you, my mum originally wanted to be 'Grandma' but my boys chose to call her 'G'ma' (gee-ma). It stuck and I thought it was a cute combo/alternative making her sound more funky! Some of her other grandchildren call her 'Nana', which I also like.

Good luck with everything!

KatsBags · Jan 2nd, 2008, 12:52 PM

Jill...Best Wishes on the arrival of your grandson!

As for names...I'm not sure this is true...but I heard Goldie Hawn wanted to be called "GlamMa" by her grandchildren. I thought that was cute...true or not.

One of my friends called her grandmother "Nina"...kind of close to "Nana".

Nishi621 · Jan 2nd, 2008, 01:02 PM

Wow! Jill-you are so young! I am shocked to hear this!

Umm, Granny is another word for Grandma (ducking............)

the Britax seats seem to be the most popular and around here, the most popular strollers are the Bugaboo and those Phil and Ted Strollers.

Congrats!

Jill · Jan 2nd, 2008, 08:16 PM

rofl..... Omg! I LOVE glamMa!!!I just laughed so hard!!!! Its perfect!! Wait till i I tell Jillybean this... She's gonna fall over laughing.

My evil daughter(!!) ,Tay,spent all day calling me granny at lunch with Jillybean.... Rofl !she knew she was driving me nuts!

Jan 2nd, 2008, 01:16 AM	#3
RudeGal Member Location: Los Angeles	Re: Out Of The Loop....lol! Hmmm...Well congrats! My personal faves: Carseat: Britax Marathon Stroller: Bugaboo is nice when they are small, but anything that can have the baby facing you while you push them is a plus! Peg Perego makes some nice strollers as well as the Quinny Buzz. We have a Zapp right now since my son is older and love it. A great shower gift is a Little Giraffe blanket though. I loved those blankets...soooo soft for baby and a bit pricey so not many moms buy them for the baby so it is nice to get one for them. __________________ Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Food Journal

Jan 2nd, 2008, 01:17 AM	#4
scarlett_2005 Crazy 4 LV Location: USA	Re: Out Of The Loop....lol! Instead of buying 2 car seats you might want to buy a snap and go car seat with 2 bases, it will be much cheaper and easier. You just install the bases in each car and the carrier part just snaps into place. Right now we have the baby trend infant car seat. The main reason I bought this one is because it got the top safety rating from consumer reports. All in all its a good car seat but the only con so far is the handle is a little hard to adjust at times. __________________

Jan 2nd, 2008, 05:12 AM	#5
rileygirl Prune's up next...	Re: Out Of The Loop....lol! Congratz...I will refrain from using the "G" word with you, but damn, you'll be one stylish one, and whoah, the Diaper bags you'll be carrying! Anyway, I am currently using a Graco Snugride as my infant carrier. With first baby I used a Peg Perego but she grew out of it real fast because they are designed very narrow. Snug Rides are very inexpensive but have excellent safety ratings. I am using the Infant Carrier with an attachment on my Baby Jogger stroller. The reason I like the Baby Jogger is that it is a three wheeler and light weight which makes it incredibly easy to manuever in and out of tight spaces (ie the mall). I can even carry baby with one arm and steer the jogger with the other--which I could not do with my Peg Perego stroller. Infant carriers are supposed to last up to about 20 pounds but like I said my daughter out-grew her's quick. We then shifted to a Britax car seat. We have both a marathon and a Round about. After buying those two I found out we were having another baby and we purchased Recaro convertible car/booster seat. Both Recaro and Britax have excellent ratings. Most of the Britax seats can be used from about 5 pounds but the Recaro is for older, 20 pounds (I think) and 1 years old since it can only face forward. I found the book Baby Bargains to be an excellent resource and buying guide. It gives you excellent reviews on the million and one things you need and think you need. Baby center is also a pretty good website. Other things you may want for baby sitting during the day are: Pack and Play, Baby Swing, Baby Bouncer, Some sort of floor gym mat, Bottle warmer and baby carrier (sling or baby bjorn type). Those are the things that I see in our baby room that stick out as things that we use a lot. If I think of anything else I'll reply again. __________________ Trying to stay focussed on: Lena or Liao Horn Necklace Prune Clemence 30 cm Lindy CDC with PH in Black, Rouge, or Potiron

Jan 2nd, 2008, 08:22 AM	#6
Speedy Sofa King Banned Location: N. California	Re: Out Of The Loop....lol! Congrats "Grandma" :::runs back to the Up To The Minute forums:::::

Jan 2nd, 2008, 10:39 AM	#7
berryblondeboys Member Location: VA (DC Burbs)	Re: Out Of The Loop....lol! If I were to do it all over again, I would NOT get an infant car seat. I had HUGE children and they outgrew them so quickly and even if they didn't, those things are HEAVY. Just the SEAT is 10 lbs! I have the Britax Decathlon seat and it can be used from birth and I would just use this as a car seat. OR, as mentioned, if your daughter wants a snap in car seat, just get two bases, not two actual car seats. For strollers, you need to choose which features you think are most important. Do you plan to go out with the baby a lot (like do you go out a lot now during the day?) If so, then you will want to get something nice that is comfortable for you to push and something that is comfortable for baby. I personally LOVE strollers with reversible seats/handles because you can interact with the baby as you are out and while some babies don't NEED it, some do. If money is no object, these are my favorites (in no particular order), Stokke Xplory, Orbit, Bugaboo. For jogging type strollers Red Castle Whizz (love this one to DEATH as it's lighter and plusher than the others), Baby Jogger and Bob. For lighter weights Peg Perego Plikko or Inglesina Zippy and for smaller yet, Maclaren strollers. Are you going to allow the "G" word for baby? I sure hope so because every woman I know who has not allowed that from their own grandchildren had some pretty big issues. It TRULY is Ok to be "G"!!! Heck, the checkout/bagger at my local grocery store asked me the other day if I was grandma or mom when he saw the diapers in my cart (toddler was home with dad)... and I'm 38 years old!!! At first I thought, "OMG, I'm way too young for anyone to think I was a grandma, but you know what??? I am NOT too old!!! Just think, you can be one of the hippest "G"s there are and other grandkids will be JEALOUS!

Jan 2nd, 2008, 12:41 AM	#1
Jill	Out Of The Loop....lol! My youngest....my "baby"...is almost 12 years old..I havent bought much baby stuff since she was little.So Im a bit out of date when it comes to what to look for. I need advice on what is the latest in car seat technology...strollers,all that stuff! My daughter from a previous marriage is pregnant and Ill be watching her baby while she works.....etc.... .I need to throw her a baby shower.she is due mid FEB/Early March. Im SOOOOOOOOOO not knowing what to buy!I looked online at the strollers and carseats..but I could really use some advice on what to look for and what is easy to use...etc..... Its a boy too....I have only raised girls...hehe...so Im clueless! Ill be buying 2 car seats...one for her and one for me...so I want to make the right decision! Thanks a bunch!!!!! PS-anyone calls me Grandma....Ill beat u up.......ROFL...... Im open to other names...so if u know a name that sounds like grandma but isnt actually grandma..LMK...ROFLMAO Last edited by Jill; Jan 2nd, 2008 at 12:45 AM.

Jan 2nd, 2008, 12:05 PM	#8
Sanguar I need a Paddy! Location: Perrysburg, OH	Re: Out Of The Loop....lol! Congrats! Has she registered online? If so, you could just buy something similar to what she already has. If she hasn't registered, you should encourage her to, because it will make it easier for shower guests to get her what she needs. We bought the Graco Safeseat (up to 30lbs, rear facing) and an extra carseat base. It just snaps in. Also, there are several strollers that go with it. We purchased the "lightest" one, the Snap-N-Go because I'm weak. Here's the link: http://www.gracobaby.com/catalog/pro...yID=1&subCatID= Ours is a different color, but I liked this one because it doesn't have too much of a pattern, etc. __________________

Jan 2nd, 2008, 12:28 PM	#11
berryblondeboys Member Location: VA (DC Burbs)	Re: Out Of The Loop....lol! Oh good for you. I did a lot of babywearing too. Have you gone to the big babywearing site yet? Wraps are great, but bulky. You might really like Mei Tais too. My son is now 2 years 8 months and we are down to just the Ergo baby carrier which we haven't used in at LEAST 8 months, but we keep, "Just in case". He's 39 inches and about 39 lbs, so carrying him isn't on my list of fun things to do! LOL babywearing is the BEST.

Jan 2nd, 2008, 12:40 PM	#12
imyflutterby Member	Re: Out Of The Loop....lol! Congratulations!! And how great that you're going to get to spend so much time with the baby. My youngest at the moment is 14 and my baby is due end of March - it's amazing how things have changed since I last went shopping for baby stuff! We didn't know where to start either and so we had quite a few chats with some very helful SA's, getting as much advice as we could. We've just bought the Pliko Pramette travel system from Mamas and Papas, it's made by Peg Perego and is very light-weight with loads of great features. We got the isofix car seat base, and it's incredibly easy to clip the car seat in to. As far as what to call you, my mum originally wanted to be 'Grandma' but my boys chose to call her 'G'ma' (gee-ma). It stuck and I thought it was a cute combo/alternative making her sound more funky! Some of her other grandchildren call her 'Nana', which I also like. Good luck with everything! __________________

Jan 2nd, 2008, 12:52 PM	#13
KatsBags Have a Nice Day~Jon Location: Amid Mountains of Handbags	Re: Out Of The Loop....lol! Jill...Best Wishes on the arrival of your grandson! As for names...I'm not sure this is true...but I heard Goldie Hawn wanted to be called "GlamMa" by her grandchildren. I thought that was cute...true or not. One of my friends called her grandmother "Nina"...kind of close to "Nana". __________________

Jan 2nd, 2008, 01:02 PM	#14
Nishi621 Member	Re: Out Of The Loop....lol! Wow! Jill-you are so young! I am shocked to hear this! Umm, Granny is another word for Grandma (ducking............) the Britax seats seem to be the most popular and around here, the most popular strollers are the Bugaboo and those Phil and Ted Strollers. Congrats! __________________

Jan 2nd, 2008, 08:16 PM	#15
Jill	Re: Out Of The Loop....lol! rofl..... Omg! I LOVE glamMa!!!I just laughed so hard!!!! Its perfect!! Wait till i I tell Jillybean this... She's gonna fall over laughing. My evil daughter(!!) ,Tay,spent all day calling me granny at lunch with Jillybean.... Rofl !she knew she was driving me nuts!