I was half tempted to label this as part of my Exercise Streak. We were in Babies R Us for at least two and a half hours and by the time we left we were quite exhausted.
The plan was simple. Go to Babies R Us and select the car seat, stroller, and pack n play for the baby registry. I had already selected which brands we were going to go with so it was just a matter of trying out the products. That kind of job only takes about 30 minutes, right? Wrong!
First up was the car seat. We were choosing between Graco and Chicco models. Both seats were virtually the same in weight and car base size. We ended up going with a Chicco because we were told that they fit into shopping carts and they also include a nicer padding for newborns. Time playing and deliberating over car seats: ~ 30 minutes.
Next we had the strollers. The choice here was a standard travel system that can be packaged with the car seat versus smaller stroller bases that the car seat can just slide in to. (SIDE NOTE: I am probably going to get a jogger stroller but I didn't do enough research prior to going to choose one.) The major upside for the smaller stroller bases is that they weigh about 10 pounds less than the travel system. At least that's what it felt like. The major drawback about the smaller stroller bases is that they don't have a reassuring 'click' sound when the car seat is inserted into them. This is because they are usually built by a different manufacturer and there is no universal standard for car seat bases. After testing inserting car seats into the strollers, how they fold up, tipping them over, and crashing them into aisle ends we decided to go with the smaller stroller base. (We didn't actually do the last thing but in retrospect it would have been fun and a nice stress relief). Time playing and deliberating over strollers: ~ 30 minutes.
Last thing we had was the pack n play. With us having to move and the multiple trips we're supposed to take this year we decided that a pack n play was essential. Like with the other items we had already narrowed it down to a couple of items but wanted to 'play' with them before deciding. First up was the Chicco. That thing took me forever to break down. Once I was able to, it took another significant amount of effort to wrap it up for its travel container. I was physically worked up. I even had to go to the bathroom to take off some layers. If it was that frustrating to play around with I couldn't imagine having to do that with little sleep and a crying baby in the background. We ended up going with the Graco. After messing around with the Chicco, breaking down and packing up the Graco was a walk in the park. Time playing and deliberating over pack n plays: infinity.
Right now as I write this I'm getting exhausted just thinking about it. Be warned. If you have to go shopping for these things expect some frustration but it is for a great miracle. We have friends who did all their baby shopping in one day and I have a new found respect for their tolerance.
If anyone is interested in specific links for what we chose let me know in the comments and I'll be sure to post them.
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