Tuesday, January 9, 2007

S H O P P I N G !!!

I was too busy talking about my Friday adventure; I didn’t even mention my much anticipated shopping excursion this past weekend! On Saturday, we rented a wheelchair and made our way to Bergstrom’s (terrible website), a baby specialty store in Anaheim and Irvine. They had an expansive selection and the prices were in line with the manufacturer’s suggested retail. I didn’t find any great deals, but did get to check out the higher quality items I’d researched online. Sunday was all about Babies R Us, wow it's like Baby Costco. So much stuff!

Initially it was fun to go into the store and see all the stuff. But when it came to the nitty-gritty, it got a little overwhelming. Sometimes, it felt like there were too many choices?!?! For double strollers we have a choice of a Snap N Go, a tandem stroller, a side by side and of course a double jogging stroller. From what I’ve read, we’re going to need more than one. My sister has one baby and she’s got 4 or 5 different strollers!

And don’t get me started on cribs. Oh my gosh, why does there have to be so many different kinds of cribs? And what’s the deal with the convertible cribs? What kid is going to want the same bed they’ve had since birth through their teens? Sounds like a good idea for the parents (less furniture to buy over the years), but it really sounds like a scam. I’ve also read reviews and polls and only a few people have actually converted the cribs. Mike likes the idea of a convertible, so then we have to decide on the color. Sounds trivial, right? Originally, I thought we’d get two white cribs and have boy bedding and girl bedding. But if we do get the convertible crib, a white bed frame might be a little too fem for the boy and I really dislike the color of walnut or pine. Argh, what to do?!?!?! Procrastinate! At first we’re going to start with the Arms Reach Co Sleeper. I’ve read it’s good for people recovering from a c section because you don’t have to get up. It’s also great because the twins can lie side by side next to you. So we can hold off on the cribs for a month or two.

I did buy car seats last week online because that is one thing we must have to bring them home. I found a good deal online through TinyRide. Even though they’re located in Santa Monica, they charge no tax and give free shipping. They are also cheaper by $20 for the car seats than other retailers. Unfortunately, I found out this morning the car seats are on backorder until 1/22. Eek! Hopefully the kids will hold out until then. I’ll be almost 35 weeks at that point.

Since so many things are up in the air, we didn’t purchase very much. I wanted to at least get a ‘coming home’ outfit, but we have no idea when the babies are coming much less know their size. They could come tomorrow and would be considered preemies or if they hold out until 36 weeks, then hopefully they’ll be at least 5 lbs and will be able to wear Newborn size.

A few people have asked, so we started a registry. I wasn’t sure how long I’d be able to shop so it was also a good way for us to note items we wanted to get at a later date. I’m glad we did because after a couple of hours, I suddenly started having some uterine tightening and we left soon after. We had picked out a few items, but had to dump them quick. So although I got to finally go out, it wasn’t as satisfying as I thought it would be. Oh well, it was still nice to get up and about. I also got to check out the new ‘hood. It finally hit me; we’re now living Orange County! After almost 9 years, I’m back in So Cal!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Lisa -- this is Rachel Breen, one of Mike's friends from high school. I've been enjoying reading your blog. Good luck with everything! I have three kids, but by no means a baby expert (especially when it comes to twins!!!), so here's my advice on baby stuff. If at all possible, try to borrow stuff (cribs, strollers, etc.) from friends that have older children. That way you can try it out and see what you really need and really want. We borrowed a crib, but ended up returning it because we never used one with any of our kids (I ended up sleeping on the floor with them until they were weaned -- about two years old!). Side-by-side double strollers are easier to steer, but they're horrible for trying to get through doorways. One thing that we did that worked out really well is we had some extra car seats that I kept in the bathroom so I could strap the kids in and keep an eye on them while I was in the shower (since we didn't have a crib). Are there any Mothers of Twins groups near by that you can contact and get their advice? I just know that I bought tons and tons of stuff that I never ever used. I would try to borrow stuff first to see if you really need it before you start cluttering up the house and spending a lot of money. Good luck with those babies! We're so excited for you and Mike!