GOING ON A BEAR HUNT

The Hub and I went out today.  We had a mission.  A fact finding mission.

Despite having what seem like 800 friends with some 17,000 children who can offer advice, we wanted to find the products and answers that fit our lifestyle and our needs.

First off.  This shit is expensive.  Looking at all of the crap that people buy for their kids, I found myself saying aloud that there were plenty of items that our child would be doing without.  Cheap?  No.  I'm practical.  No two month old needs 180 different kinds of baby toys.  No yearling child needs that much shit.  Yearling.  Because my baby is going to be a horse.

Speaking of cost, I am just hoping that all of the baby gifts the Hub and I have purchased through the years are going to pay off.  Seriously.  We bought crazy baby supplies for friends when we were young and didn't have the scratch.  I think we should be rewarded for waiting until our people could afford such ridiculousness.  Right.

We have narrowed the new furniture down to a few items.  There's the convertible crib (crib-toddler-full size bed), 

the dresser/changing table combo



and the bassinet.  They are simple and classic.  The bassinet will only be used for a few months - and really, only because it will be easier to step across my own bedroom for those middle of the night feedings.  I hope I can sell that bad boy soon after.  Knowing that we will be moving into a bigger home in a couple years, we can use the crib converted to a full size bed for a guest room if the kid doesn't want it.  Pragmatic.

Baby car seats are crazy.  You have the first drop in carrier (which with the extra base will run you around $250) that lasts maybe a year. 

Then, you move up to a convertible seat that will run you 2 to 3 times the cost of the infant seat - but will last you several years.  I think we found the ones we are interested in. . . primarily because the infant seat is highly rated in safety and satisfaction but also because. . .

. . . it is one of the brands that can be dropped into the BOB strollers.  These things are redonkulous but impressive at the same time. 

The $450 average price brings you some serious perks for something you will get a few years use from.  (I think there is a young age at which a kid should be expected to walk.  Please ask me about the 5 year old I saw stuffed into a stroller at the Missouri Botanical Gardens)  That being said, you have a seriously tight turning radius, plenty of available and included accessories and a really cushy ride.

Other shit that is going to leave your family and friends - AND YOUR - bank accounts empty?

Breast Pumps.  Really?  $300?  Yeah.  This is something you shouldn't get cheap on.  These things get attached to your NIPPLES.  A LOT.  Keep that in mind when you think about buying the cheap ones.  Or, worse - the manual one.  Cows don't milk themselves and neither should you.

High Chairs.  It seems like the smaller the area that it takes up - the more moolah is necessary.  I'm contemplating strapping a contraption to a dining room chair and calling it a day.  I think it's unfair that I have to pay a gillion dollars for another THING that get used for a very finite amount of time - all the while taking up room in the corner of my dining room.  Boo!

We still have a bit of research to do as I think we have only touched the tip of the iceberg.  Some of these items can be found on Amazon for cheaper than their list price at the other places.  However, with the right coupons, they are nearly the same.

When we finally get around to registering, I'll post an extensive list.  (Not really.  We don't plan to be filling our home with baby.)
Big THANK YOU to the folks at Buy Buy Baby who are informed and very friendly.