Navigating the registry

Summer is over, V-Day has passed, and my shower invites went out last week. That means my registry is live for my friends and family to see, which wasn't an easy point to get to. Who ever thought shopping could be so confusing! I thought I'd share some of the things I learned along the way:

Strollers - Test drives are a must! I did a lot of internet research on which stroller I would want before I even set foot in a store. I wanted the baby to be able to face either direction, and I wanted a stroller that would hold an infant seat but still be the right buy after the 6 month mark. Ability to add a 2nd kid to the set in the future would be a plus. Other considerations included chassis weight, tire type, how compact it folded, and more. Enough to make your head spin!

My internet research had me focused on either the Baby Jogger City Select or the iCandy Apple. Both in the $500 range, and both meeting the above requirements. So my mom and I went to check out the City Select. At 5'4", I would've spent the rest of my pregnancy in the gym beefing up my biceps if I wanted to heft an infant seat (plus infant) into the frame of that thing. Not to mention the infant seat didn't even snap in, just kinda sat there, all weebly-wobbly. 

We wound up registering for the Uppa Baby Vista stroller. While it's in a little higher price point ($679), and comes with a bassinet that I don't think my December babe will get much use out of, it fits the bill and won the prize. It's light, folds easily, and is as simple as a snap-and-go when you're in the infant stage. 

Check out the Carlin Green color I went with:

Photo credit

Carriers - I originally registered for the Baby Bjorn carrier, because it looked the simplest and the guy in the store said it was the most popular. Then I started actually looking at moms and babies in my neighborhood, and realized that the Ergo was positively everywhere! A friend who's 2 months ahead of me registered for the Ergo, so I went back to the drawing board on my internet research. 

Found out that the Ergo will hold a bigger baby, while the Baby Bjorn maxes out around 15 lbs. And the game-changer for me was the weight distribution. The Baby Bjorn puts it all on your shoulders and upper back, which the Ergo distributes the baby onto your hips. As someone with upper back and neck problems, this cinched the deal for me, and the registry got changed at the last minute:

Photo Credit

There's more, but this post is getting long enough, and since I've vowed to start posting more regularly, I'll save my thoughts for later.

Next up: Crib and Glider shopping. Oh boy!