March 15, 2005

• Snot suckers are invaluable when children too small to blow have colds. You'd think something 1/4 to 1/2 the size of an adult would produce less, but it's not true. It's like there is an inverse relationship between body mass and mass of snot produced. Also, it saves on kleenexes.
• I'm a consumer whore. I want a Bugaboo. Gimme.
• the first thing my newborn learned to fear/hate was the snot-sucker. just holding that bulb would cause him to squirm and squeak.
• Where will the cult of Baybee stop?
• It seems like there're only two marketing strategies when it comes to new parents: 1) Your baby is your newest, most fabulous accessory, and 2) If you do not buy our product, your baby will cease to breathe/burst into flames/never develop intelligence beyond that of a lungfish. Lies, all lies! And they get you when you're at your most hormonal and sleep-deprived. That said, I love the Dr Buck's.
• I'm afraid my baby is my newest, most fabulous accessory.
• Congratulations on that new accessory, Wolof!
• congratulations wolof. my new accessory was a month old last week and is very fabulous. i highly recommend the bugaboo frog. it's very cleverly made.
• All hail our new monkeyfathers/mothers! *Hugs all round*
• Bugaboo? My baby wants a Stokke Xplory! Seriously, the worst, and unfortunately most successful marketing to new parents has been formula over good old-fashioned breast milk. And that mucus trap is available right here in the USA.
• I don't know what we need in a stroller or other baby gear (to be a future curious george), but we have a few months yet to decide. I keep looking at this company's products, both strollers and wilderness camping baby gear.
• Phil and Ted's stuff is awesome, but highly overpriced here in NZ.
• I suspect it is overpriced everywhere
• My humble advice: Forego strollers as much as possible, and use a baby carrier. (I'm very partial to the Theodore Bean models, for the reasons stated here.) Your pup gets to view the world at something approximating adult level, you and the wee one share body contact, and lugging a babe around on your person builds powerful, sexy leg muscles. Also, it's fun. And you'll find yourself interacting with your baby far more than if you were just pushing him along in a stroller.
• Oh - but front carriers kill your back, and are useless over 6-8 months (though essential for tiny babies, of course). We searched forever for affordable back carriers when my neice was little, but couldn't find anything under $250. I'm just hoping they are more common by the time I have kids, because I hate pushing strollers. You have so much more freedom with a child on your back.
• I had a kiddie backpack thingy, but never used it. Essentially you are carrying the full weight of the child all the time, which you do not with a pusher. Here's the one I had, which was quite good and doubled as a seat (CA$160).
• We bought the Kathmandu backpack on sale (down from around $300NZ to around $140) and I doubt we've gotten our money's worth out of it. Like Wolof says, you're carrying around the child's full weight - and the weight of the pack, which may not be much but when you've got a wriggly toddler in there it feels like a large sack o' bricks. It's also awkward to get on and off with child inside unless you have something around table height to start from. It kills my back, and #2 won't even use it. It's probably the naffest baby product we own, and the most useless. (I see it's available in the UK now, too, for 140 pounds which is roughly NZ$420.) I found a frontpack (warning: stupidly large jpg) merely "meh" with offspring #1 (comfy but awkward), but I'm planning to use it more the second time, based on the theory that I just didn't let myself get used to having a large immobile blob strapped to my chest.
• I don't know- I used a front carrier a lot while I was walking my kiddo & dog, and I didn't have any back pain at all. Maybe it's because I was using it so often, and I adjusted to it from daily use. I stopped using it when my son hit about 24 lbs, mostly because he was beginning to walk more and I wanted to encourage that. I have one of those super-light MacLaren travel strollers, but I only use it when I know we're going to be walking long distances. I guess I've seen too many 6 yr olds being pushed around by thier parents- I'm hoping my kid will want to be a hiker instead of a rider.
• Maybe it is what you're used to. When I was hiking, I carried 40lbs on my back just fine (with hip strap, of course - I like to put almost all the weight on the hips); I regularly carry 10-20lbs, sometimes more if I have lots of books in my knapsack. But it really did hurt my back when I was trying to carry my 6 month old cousin in a front snuggle thing. I mostly know about the backpack because I still remember being in one - my mum said she carried me around in one until I was almost three I also see people with Mayan (?) wraps - slings that go right over one shoulder. They look nice and simple, and are said to be very comfortable, but again, it might depend on what kind of back strength you have.
• jb, that's a good point. If you're used to carrying a lot of weight on your back, a backpack is probably a much better choice. You can use it a lot longer too; I think most of them can support a child up to 40 lbs, so that's about 4 years of use compared to 1 or 2. The front carriers (at least the ones that position the weight over your stomach like the Theodore Bean) are good if you didn't have a problem with back pain while you were pregnant. If you did, you'll just end up reliving it. I really wanted to use a backpack, but the one I tried threw my center of gravity so far askew that I had a mild panic attack- I thought I was going to tip over and squash my son. I still think carrying a baby is better than using a stroller exclusively, though, if only because it's a much less passive experience for all involved. Those Maya wraps look really beautiful, but they look like they'd be hell on the shoulder supporting the weight. You ever carry a heavy messenger bag around for a few hours? Seems like it'd have the same effect, IMHO....
• I know two mothers who use the Mayan baby slings, and they swear by them. They say they're really easy and comfortable to use.
• my cousin has just opted for this podegi, the Korean style of baby carrier. It definitely looks neat, but I'll see what she has to say about it once she's carrying the kid around not in her belly.
• I suspect we'll wind up using a few different carriers. A front one, such as a Snugli, Baby Bjorn, or the Thomas Bean, when we're hiking or snowshoeing, during the fall and winter. The Kelty or the Mountain Co-op back carrier will follow for spring and summer. The stroller is a question mark. We have no storage space for those modern ATV models, so we may have to fork out for the frog.
• Northern Exposed, there are untold millions of umbrella strollers out there that cost next to nothing and take up not much more room than, well, a folded umbrella. They're only good for flat surfaces, though, don't look nearly as cool as the frog, and are really only good once baby can sit up independently. I've been thinking along these lines, or these lately: I carry my son on my hip anyway, and this would free up that hand a little more. I figure I've probably screwed my back up completely by now in any case.
• Thanks for pointing to that first link, tracicle. That carrier looks like it could be useful in an fix with a sleepy older kid.