Going to BRU and the Auto Show on Valentine's Day.
V-day isn't huge for us. I think as long as we are together, we're happy. We went out of sushi on Saturday and did some shopping.
Then on Sunday, we took advantage of BRU's trade in event. A friend of mine was gracious enough to donate 3 old baby items so that we could obtain three 25% off coupons for baby gear. We bought a baby gate, travel system, and a separate car seat for Danielle's car. We had to put back the mattress because we ran out of room in my small car. The coupons saved us a ton of money.
Because I have such a small car, I've been toying with the idea of getting a new car. It's such a difficult decision because my car is paid off and has been for several years, runs well, and did I mention paid off? The thought of going back to a car payment sucks. However, my car is small and I worry about our safety more so now that a baby will be in the car with us.
So yesterday we went to the Auto Show. All of the top makers were there showing off their cars, suv's, and minivans. Danielle is really pushing for a minivan and while they are cool inside, I'm not truly in love with the idea. My current car was chosen and half paid for by my parents when I finished grad school. So this will be the first time that I actually get to choose a car that I want. I seem to be really drawn to crossovers and suv's. I'm also really drawn to the Nissan Altima. The nice thing about the auto show was that I got to look at and sit in suv's by makers I had never even thought about. Maybe during my maternity leave I'll look into shopping around.
Last night we watched "The Happiest Baby on the Block." Has anyone tried his techniques? My friend and SIL had success with his 5 S's. Just wondering what other people thought about him.
9 comments:
LOVE the happiest baby on the block!
Mini vans aren't very cool looking,but with all the equip that goes along with hauling babies to others home BIGGER seems to come in handy.
I'm not a fan of the mini van either, partly because of all the snow and ice we get around here. I love, love, love my small SUV. Farty's car seat fit great in it both rear and forward facing, and there's a lot of storage space in back for his stroller. And it has 4-wheel drive, which has been a godsend. It sits up higher than a van so you don't get 'hung up' on show drifts. They also seem to have a decent resale value compared to cars and vans.
Just food for thought...
i second rachel's comment re: a small SUV. works great for toting around the stroller, etc. and is easy to put the carseat into.
i have the hbotb book, but found most of the suggests to be intuitive. we swaddle, shhh, and sway...sucking and side-lying never worked for us. actually, we replace the s in "shhh" for "sirius" most of the time -- our girl loves falling asleep to some coffeehouse covers! :D
What car are you driving now? I'm driving a Nissan Versa and so far so good with Sadie, it's not feeling small at all.
For HBOTB - Apparently its fairly simple and repetitive. It may not be something you need to purchase before your LO arrives because you may not have a baby that needs it. We have books but we haven't read them. What seemed overwhelming beforehand (taking care of a baby) seems much more instinctual now. Books = waste of money for us!
A friend of mine is in the child development field and does home visits with lots of different babies. Apparently they all respond very well to the techniques in HBOTB- she absolutely swears by it. In fact, the first thing she said to us when we told her we were pregnant is "I have to buy you that book!"
As far as the cars go, I suppose a lot depends on what you're driving now. If it's safe and reliable, I'm sure you can find a way to fit in everything you need. The fact that it's paid off is really important too.
I had a small SUV when I had my first and it was awesome. But if you are thinking of adding to your family again...I'd invest in a bigger car. Minivans/SUVs both have lots of space - something you definitely need a lot of with a few kidlets being carted around from one place to another!
I'm jealous...I badly want a new car but we can't justify a new one right now :(
happiest baby on the block is awesome.
mini vans are easier to use than suvs. you have a side where you can actually get in and do stuff like change diapers or set up a potty. i like having a van but overall, i think small cars are best. not really small but you don't need a huge car. or at least one car to be the small city car and then you have the larger one for certain times. it just costs so much in gas for the van. my second car will be the corolla.
jesus christ! the 5 Ss saved my life. this may be bad mom alert, but loudly shushing the baby actually made me feel calm along with her.
that book is a live saver!!!
not too sure about the mini van, but TL has a pinto bean car. we strapped the car seat in the middle. safer? don't know, but it makes me feel safer about the little car...
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