We've ordered a car seat & stroller!

I know I posted earlier about both infant car seats and strollers, but it took a while for us to actually make up our minds! Papa Bean and I visited Buy Buy Baby today so that we could check out the stroller options. We wanted to look at the strollers that can be used with the Peg Perego infant car seat that we like. 

Papa Bean did not like the 4-wheeled Peg Perego strollers and he thought the stylish UPPAbaby strollers were not worth the extra price. Unfortunately, the Peg Perego car seat was not compatible with the Phil & Ted's stroller that we had seen around town in Bethesda. And the store had no BOB strollers on the floor for us to look at. But we did find several Baby Jogger models that we liked! 

The Baby Jogger City Mini is small and light -- 24" across and less than 17 pounds -- but it features plastic wheels and we weren't sure how they would handle cracked sidewalks and challenging terrain that make up the streets around town and in Bethesda. Also, it only holds children up to 50 pounds. 

The Baby Jogger City Classic is also narrow but a little heavier -- 24" across and 21 pounds -- but it has more durable rubber wheels. Also, it can accommodate children up to 75 pounds. 

The Baby Jogger City Elite is the biggest and heaviest -- 26" across and 25 pounds -- but it comes in some very stylish colors. 

In the end, we decided to go for this handsome chocolate and cream combo -- The Baby Jogger City Classic stroller in brown/stone with the Peg Perego infant car seat in matching moka! Love it! The stroller is both stylish and not too heavy. Perfect! Plus, this color combo will look great with pink and green blankets and accessories... 

Yay for Fabulous FREE stuff!

Everyone, it seems, has baby stuff leftover -- Even in Hawaii! My parents scored big time when a client of my dad's held a garage sale and GAVE my parents a whole slew of FREE gently used baby stuff!

Check it out... THIS fabulous Baby Bjorn Synergy carrier in white, which usually retails for $159! 

THREE baby slings from Peanutshell, including one in black and one in my favorite color, green! These slings retail for $48 each or $29 on sale! Click here to see the green one, here to see the pink one and here to see the black one.

ALSO, this orange messenger-style diaper bag from Skip Hop that usually sells for $54! 

And, FINALLY, several packages of Baby Bjorn bibs and a Baboosh Tauts tummy band to help out after the baby is born. These waist savers, which sell for $55-65, are sold by actress Brooke Burke, who after 3-4 children, knows a thing or two about keeping her figure...

What a wonderful collection of FREE stuff! That was so thoughtful of my dad's clients. Baby stuff adds up and only lasts for a short time, so I am happy any time I can get a good deal or re-use something!

30 weeks down, only 10 to go!

Today was our Week 30 doctor's appointment and sonogram, and everything is looking good! To start out, here is a shot of my belly taken this morning on our way to the doctor's office. I am getting bigger and bigger! It's, um, mostly my belly.

Here are the highlights from our appointment:

-- Baby Lima Bean weighs 2 pounds and 14 ounces and is in the 31 percentile for her size, meaning that she is larger than 31% of babies at this point and smaller than 69% of babies at this point. My doctor said this is perfect!

-- Fibroids are the same, unchanged. They do not appear to be impeding the growth of the baby or affecting her in any way. Also, although it's too early to tell for sure, they are not indicating a definite c-section at this time. We'll know more at my next sonogram at 34 weeks. Good news!

-- At this particular appointment, baby was breach, meaning butt down and head up. However, she doesn't need to be in "position" with her head down until 36 weeks, so anything can happen and we'll deal with that situation when we get there, my doctor said.

-- I weighed in at +24.5 pounds since my first appointment. Eeek! My doctor says that I am right on target, but to keep an eye on things so that hopefully I will gain only another 10 pounds before delivery.

Now, what you have all been waiting for, new pictures of Baby Lima Bean! This first shot is of her foot! You can see all of her toes!

This next shot is of her face, taken from above looking down:

And this final shot is one of five similar profile shots taken today:

We have one more picture, but we have decided, for her privacy, not to post it online. The picture confirms without a shadow of a doubt that Baby Lima Bean is a GIRL! Today, we saw a different sonogram technician than we have in the past, so we now have two different people who have checked and confirmed that we have a little girl on her way! Let the pink times roll!

Finally, we have something special to share with you today... Using our camera, Papa Bean was able to video Baby Lima Bean's movements on the sonogram! This short 26-second movie starts off looking down at her face, then switches to a profile shot where you can see her put her hands in her mouth and then yawn. So cute!

Update:

You can now watch this video in a larger format on YouTube!

Stocked up on gDiapers for our little Bean!

Another plus for surfing Craigslist... A soon-to-be mother of three just posted a really great coupon code for gDiapers. If you recall, we are planing to try these diapers and hoping they work out! They feature a cloth outer shell and eco-friendly flushable liners!

The coupon code is "g829Romano" and it saves $30 off of each purchase of the everyday g's six pack, which is a package of three vanilla bean diapers (pictured) and three orange diapers, six liners and a swish stick. Since this pack usually sells for $70, being able to buy it for only $40 is a real deal! 

So, to stock up, I ordered three sets, one in each size: Small, Medium and Large. Saved $90! 

I also e-mailed the mother who posted the code to thank her, and to ask how gDiapers worked out for her. She wrote back, with many positive things to say!

I have two boys (almost 5 and almost 3) and I have used gDiapers since they first became available. I really like them a lot and have used them in conjunction with cloth (because when my second was born, I just couldn't commit completely to cloth diapering). I am now expecting my third baby--literally any day now--and plan to cloth and gDiaper exclusively. I love that the gDiapers are really convenient for being out and about (where you'd typically want something more "disposable"). The inserts can easily be flushed, and/or you can just use the cloth inserts. 

My almost 3 year old has been "potty trained" for quite some time now--both of my boys trained early (18-20 months old) and I think it has a lot to do with NOT using disposables. Disposable diapers give babies/toddlers a false sense of being too dry, so they never get the jist that they need to use the potty. I found that using cloth and gDiapers helped speed the transition along. I continued to use a large size gDiaper on my youngest son at night up until a few months ago when he finally started making it through the night dry. SUCH a savings over disposable "Pull-ups". 

The flushable liners also make great addition to compost, and the fluff from inside works great in flower pots to keep moisture in (an unexpected bonus).

Just got a Moses Basket!

It's a funny name, from the Bible, but that's what these baskets are called! They are for infants only and can be used as a bassinet or bed in another room (like downstairs). More on Moses Baskets here.

I saw this one for sale on Craigslist by a woman down the street from us in Logan Circle for only $20! I picked it up earlier this week and just washed all the bedding and pillows. It looks great!

Moses Baskets cost anywhere from $69 to $89 to $129. I think the one I purchased is this one, which retails for $119. Definitely not an expense that I wanted to incur since you can only use them while the baby is an infant. But for $20, sure! What a deal!

Stands cost $39, so I'll either buy one new (in espresso) or keep checking Craigslist. Maybe I can get a stand for a deal too!

Happy Father's Day!

We had a wonderful weekend in Ocean City visiting Papa Bean's dad for Father's Day!

Unfortunately, it rained most of the weekend. But we still enjoyed some great dinners and relaxation with Howard & Wanda. (If you are looking for a great book, I just read "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" over the weekend. Couldn't put it down! Very powerful.)

On Sunday night, we headed out to dinner and -- surprise -- look who put on the SAME Aloha shirt? Haha. Before they changed, I had to snap one picture!

In honor of Father's Day, I surprised Papa Bean with a few books...

One for him to read: "Be Prepared: A Practical Handbook for New Dads"

One for him to watch: "Being Dad" DVD

And one for him to read to Baby Bean: "Daddy Kisses" board book

Baby Bean also got Papa Bean a Father's Day gift... A Baby Bjorn carrier so that he can carry her around everywhere he goes and show her everything there is to see!

Coupons, coupons, coupons!

I think my quest for coupons might be due to my strong desire to nest. But without a house to nest in yet, I am going nuts looking for coupons and deals and sales! Here are a few of my recent discoveries... For any mom out there, these following Web sites should be bookmarked and checked frequently!

As I mentioned earlier, you can use those handy Bed, Bath & Beyond 20% off coupons at Buy Buy Baby. So, how do you get them? Go to the Bed, Bath & Beyond Web site and click on "Email Signup" at the top of the page to get the coupons mailed to you. Once you sign up, you will be e-mailed a 20% off coupon good for 10 days. It must be used in store and can't be used on most baby strollers or infant car seats. But it can be used on most anything else! Score!

Update: Duh! You can also go to the Buy Buy Baby Web site and sign up to be on THEIR mailing list too! Click on "Our Mailing List" at the bottom of the page to sign up. They also send out 20% off coupons! We just got one in the mail yesterday!

Another great place to get deals on baby stuff is Diapers.com, and especially right now. For the next two weeks, the site is having their Semi-Annual Sale. They have dozens of coupon codes for 15-20% off many brand name items. The coupon codes are listed on their Web site and can be used all at the same time! And when you spend more than $49, you get free shipping!

Plus, if you want to actually order DIAPERS on diapers.com, you can get $10 off your FIRST order of diapers (must spend $49) if you use the coupon code "LIMABEAN." Yes.... I made up that coupon code! By using it, you would become a referral of mine and thus, I would earn a $1 credit every time you order something. Just a little thing to keep in mind. (Note that the Semi-Annual sale coupon codes don't work with the $10 off diapers one, so you would need to use them in two different orders to take full advantage.)

Speaking of diapers, you can go to the Seventh Generation Web site (click here) and print out a $2 coupon for their diapers. These are the eco-friendly diapers that I want to use along with gDiapers. Speaking of gDiapers, they have sales from time to time, so it wouldn't hurt to sign up for their e-mail list also.

Update: You can order a six-pack of everyday gDiapers for only $40 with the coupon code "g892Romano." This set of 3 vanilla bean g's and 3 orange g's usually costs $70, so this is a savings of $30! Coupon code good only until/through July. (I just ordered three sets, in S, M and L! Saved $90!)

Another good place to look for deals is BabyCatalog.com. They don't have many selections and the inventory turns over quickly, but you can find some great deals on mattresses, glider rockers and other baby gear.

And while we are at it, be sure to check out Target.com (free shipping on orders over $50), Walmart.com (free shipping to a nearby store), and Amazon.com (free shipping on most orders over $25) for prices on most brand name baby items. I found, for example, that Amazon sells both the Medela Pump in Style and Summer Day Infant Video Monitor for $30 cheaper than Buy Buy Baby. BUT, if you use the 20% off coupon, then BBB is still cheaper. Just something to keep in mind.

And, finally, there is always Craigslist.com. If you click on "Baby+Kids" under For Sale on most any day, you will see hundreds and hundreds of entries for all sorts of baby stuff. It's amazing how many things are for sale. It really is a good reminder not to purchase too many baby things because they don't last long and once the baby grows or decides they don't like something, you are left trying to sell or give or donate it.

I think that is it... But if anyone knows of another great Web site or tip on how to get deals on baby stuff, let me know!

Brain food! And other yummy stuff

One big thing happening in my belly during the Third Trimester is Baby Lima Bean's big brain is undergoing massive development! According to my books, that means it's especially important that I eat certain foods that promote brain growth.

Have you been feeding your baby's brain? Getting enough of those fabulous fats, the omega-3's, is more important than ever in the third trimester when your baby's brain is being fast-tracked.

-- What to Expect When You're Expecting (p. 283)

Fat? I have to eat fat? Yes, says my book...

Omega-3 fatty acid most notably DHA, are the best addition you can make to your diet when you're eating for two. That's because DHA is essential for proper brain growth and eye development in fetuses and young babies. In fact, researchers found that toddlers whose moms consumed plenty of DHA during pregnancy had better hand-eye coordination than their peers. Getting enough of this vital baby brain fuel in your diet is especially important during the last three months (when your baby's brain grows at a phenomenal pace) and while you're nursing (the DHA content of a baby's brain triples during the first three months of life).

-- What to Expect (p. 101)

Another perk of getting enough DHA during pregnancy, according to my book, is that "you're more likely to have a baby with better sleep habits."

The "good" fatty foods that I am to eat more of include: walnuts, eggs, arugula, shrimp and crab. After reading this in my book, I promptly went to Whole Foods and bought a big bag of walnuts! I am happily eating a handful a day.

In addition, I would add that my daily prenatal vitamin set (pictured below) contains a pill that packs 200 mg of DHA. (In case you are wondering, I have been taking these prenatal vitamins every day since we found out I was pregnant. I tried the One-A-Day brand-name prenatal vitamins for a month, but the DHA pill gave me really awful fish breath! The CVS brand tastes better, costs less and my doctor said it's just as good.)

So, as you can see, Baby Lima Bean is going to be one VERY SMART BABY! In fact, I will go out on a limb here and say that I would not be surprised if she turns out to be the smartest baby in the whole wide world!

29 weeks down, 11 to go!

Just thought you all might want to know that this coming week, Baby Lima Bean should be all of THREE POUNDS! Holy heavy! No wonder my back has started to ache... 

Also, get ready for the start of next week's countdown when we'll start counting down 10 weeks until go time... Eeeeeek! As part of the countdown, we have a new poll! Check it out, on the right. When will Lima Bean arrive? Also, we'll be starting a list of what to bring to the hospital. If you have suggestions, send them our way! 

In the meantime, check out this new Web site that a new mom just passed on to me... Baby Chic Gear Guide 2009. This site uses recommendations from Baby Bargains as well as other baby sites and magazines to give you the best of the best in terms of baby gear. The good news: Most of the products recommended are already ones that we've chosen! Go us! 

We just got a bassinet!

This is it! A nice-looking Eddie Bauer bassinet... For half price!

Over the weekend, I got an excited call from Grandma Enid Bean, who had heard about a Fisher-Price Zen Collection gliding bassinet at a garage sale and wondered if I was interested in it.

Good question.

We had been toying with the idea of getting a bassinet, but we were reluctant to spend full price on something that our baby may or may not use. And if she did use it, she wouldn't use it for more than a couple months!

There are several options for where an infant can sleep before their crib, from bassinets and cradles to Moses baskets and co-sleepers. We were more inclined to go for a bassinet or cradle and had noticed a nice Eddie Bauer model on our first trip to Buy Buy Baby.

Back to the excited call from Grandma Enid Bean. The Fisher-Price bassinet retails for $250 and goes for $199 on Amazon.com. She heard the one at the garage sale was listed at $100, which is a pretty good deal at half off! So she went back over to take a look, but it had already been sold.

Inspired by her garage sale find, I checked out Craigslist.com, looking for the same bassinet or the Eddie Bauer one. I found several of each!

After e-mailing with a few sellers, we decided to purchase the Eddie Bauer one, which was being sold by a young couple who live in downtown D.C. about 5 minutes from our place. Their son had colic and had not used it much, so it was in new condition. (Click here for listing)

They purchased their bassinet from Target for $149 + tax. We picked it up tonight for $75 cash.

Score!

And a good lesson on what savings we can find on Craigslist. We hope to get a futon and some furniture that way too. And I'm also looking for the Fisher-Price Zen Collection swing (retails for $189-$219)... Some things you want new, but it'd be great to find savings on other things.

Good News: I passed my tests!

Nurse Faith from my doctor's office called yesterday with the good news . . . I passed both my glucose and iron tests by a landslide!

On Thursday, after consuming a bottle of orange-colored sugar liquid that tasted like a sports drink (empty bottle pictured below), I had to scoot to the doctor's office to get my blood drawn exactly ONE HOUR from the time that I took my LAST SIP --- 9:32 a.m.

This test is commonly done during the 26th to 28th week of pregnancy to check if you have gestational diabetes, which is a form of diabetes that starts during pregnancy and typically ends shortly afterward. However, if you have it, then you have to regulate your diet drastically so that you don't end up with a HUGE BABY and/or other complications.

Lucky for me, I don't have it! I credit being in shape and generally eating a healthy diet. So, to celebrate, Papa Bean and I got some gelato & sorbet today! Yum.

For those who like the numbers: Nurse Faith said they like to see people with a score of less than 130. I scored 108. Go me!

What your results mean: If your one-hour plasma glucose level is greater than or equal to 140 milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL) -- some doctors place the cutoff at 130 mg/dL -- gestational diabetes is suspected and further testing is recommended. If your one-hour plasma glucose level is less than 120 mg/dL, you likely do not have gestational diabetes. (Click to read more)

My doctor's office also checked my blood for iron. They like to see patients have a score of over 32. My score was 35.7, meaning that I am getting enough iron and am healthy and doing well! to celebrate, we ate burgers at Stoney's today! Yum.

Further celebration to continue this afternoon with popsicles and cookies as we watch the Gay Pride Parade from the stoop of our condo! That's right, one of the perks of our centrally located downtown condo is that we are actually ON the parade route.

Our downstairs neighbors (who hooked us up with the Old Executive Office bowling) also just sold their condo and bought a house, so we are celebrating with one last stoop party.

We are registered!

Several of you have asked me where we are registered... Well, it took a while to sort everything out, but we are FINALLY registered. Whew! Researching baby stuff is a second job!

I told Papa Bean's grandmother how much research I had been doing and she laughed and said they didn't have so many choices in her day. Plus, she asked jokingly whether I did that much research into Papa Bean before I married him!

I think I just got lucky with Papa Bean. :-)

Anyway, as I mentioned earlier, we scouted out two Maryland stores a couple weeks ago - Great Beginnings in Gaithersburg and Buy Buy Baby in Rockville.

We decided to go with Buy Buy Baby because it's closer to DC and Bethesda (by 30 minutes), so it's much more convenient to get to. Also, the Buy Buy Baby Web site is MUCH more comprehensive and easier to navigate than the Great Beginnings site.

And to top it off, did you know that you can use Bed, Bath & Beyond coupons at Buy Buy Baby? You can! They are owned by the same company. So save any of those 20% off coupons that you get in the mail for BBB because that could translate into a BIG savings on baby items! (If you aren't using yours or have extra, send them to me!)

I must say, however, that we were very impressed with the level of customer service that we received at and over the phone from Great Beginnings. We ordered our crib (thaks Gram!) from Great Beginnings but ordered the glider rocker chair (thanks Grandma Enid Bean!) from Buy Buy Baby.

I would add that we are also registered at Amazon.com. This secondary registry is much smaller and contains only those items that are either out of stock at Buy Buy Baby, not carried by Buy Buy Baby or carried for a lower price.

Thank you to all who have asked... We are blessed to have such amazing friends and family. We can't wait for Lima Bean to meet all of you!

Oh, and for all the moms out there, if you see something that we forgot to register for or think we should have chosen another brand or model, please e-mail me! You know best, and I trust and appreciate all of the advice that I have received thus far from my mommy friends!

Let's talk details!

How far along: 28 weeks/1 day

Total weight gain: 21 pounds

Maternity clothes: Skirts! Dresses! Yoga pants! Anything loose and comfortable.

Main symptoms: One pregnancy-related symptom that I have been experiencing is that my gums have been very tender (bleed when I brush). So I went to the dentist this week and got a good thorough cleaning! They have been much better when I brush lately! I go back next week for a follow-up visit with the dentist.

Exercise: Prenatal yoga last Sunday! Then long walk with Papa Bean and Ruben the Dog!

Best moment: Earlier today, Papa Bean got to use the fetal monitor on my belly to hear Lima Bean's heartbeat! It was so funny. The nurse let him hold the wand and showed him how to hold it on my belly. He found her strong heartbeat on his first try!

Movement: Lots of it! She kicks. She twitches. She sticks her butt up so that one side of my belly sticks up and I look lopsided. Also, I think she also gets the hiccups sometimes!

Food cravings: A new gelato/sorbet store opened up across the street from us and we have become regulars!

Gender: GIRL! Unless the sono technician is wrong... I might ask her at our next sonogram to check again! FYI, our next sonogram is in two weeks, on June 25.

Labor signs: None.

Belly button in or out? Still in, but getting very very very shallow! Eeek! Stay in. Stay in. Stay in.

What I miss: Running. Being skinny!

What I am looking forward to: Moving into our new home! And, my baby shower!

Weekly wisdom: Exercise balls are supposed to be great for labor (bring your own to the hospital) and rocking the baby. So I just ordered one!

Milestones: So many! Since my last update, we have closed on selling our condo. We have closed on buying our house. We have bought a car! I have registered. I have ordered the crib & glider rocker chair. And we attended our birth class at Sibley Memorial Hospital last weekend! Plus, we had a doctor's appointment today during which I took the glucose test to see if I have gestational diabetes. More on the registry and birth class to come in future posts... And I find out the results of the glucose test on Monday!

Third Trimester is here! We are now homeowners! Plus, we just went bowling at the White House ...

Life has not slowed down for us! If you look at the ticker at the top of this page, you will see that today marks 28 weeks! That is the start of my THIRD and FINAL trimester! Only 12 weeks, or 3 months, to go! Unless Lima Bean is early... But if she is anything like her momma, she'll be nice and tardy.

She is still about the size of an eggplant, so no fruit pictures this week. Stay tuned for a squash pic in the coming weeks, to be followed by honeydew and, finally, watermelon. Or, as you'll see later in this post, bowling balls.

She is not as big as a bowling ball, it turns out. I used a 6-pound ball, the lightest one they had. Lima Bean right now weighs just 2 1/2 pounds. But in just two weeks, she'll be 3 pounds! Eeek!

She has eyebrows, eyelashes and taste buds! So she can taste all the sweet things I've been eating... She'll have a sweet tooth for sure! And this is kind of a bummer, this week she can feel pain the same way that a full term baby would. So pain starts before birth. Who knew?

Besides all these monumental things going on inside my belly... Today was a big day for us as a family because today we officially purchased our first HOUSE! Our first home. And, yes, we moved to the 'burbs. After today's closing, we are now officially Maryland residents. Sort of. We don't actually move in until July 6th. But it is now officially our house!

And if that wasn't enough... We had a fabulous evening bowling a couple games at the Truman Bowling Alley, a two-lane alley located in the basement of the Old Executive Office Building. This is the building next to the White House where many White House staff members work. It's located on the same grounds as the White House and is surrounded by the same fence.

I would note, however, that there is ANOTHER one-lane bowling alley in the basement of the actual White House. But, according to the White House Museum, former President Nixon bowled in the Old Executive Office Building alley where we were tonight! So did Lady Bird Johnson! Some more history on the lanes here.

Here are some photos from our game!

Ordered glider rocker chair! Ordered crib!

I have placed orders for our main nursery furniture! Hope it comes in on time... We close on our house tomorrow and move next month. The rocker is scheduled to arrive in 8-10 weeks, or earlier. The crib is supposed to arrive in 10-12 weeks, or earlier.

We chose the glider rocker chair after a visit to Great Beginnings baby store a couple weeks ago! After sitting in several different chairs, made by Little Castle, Dutalier and Best, we decided that Best was the most comfortable chair! Plus, it reclines, so there is no need for an ottoman. We ordered the chair in chocolate brown micro-fleece from Buy Buy Baby.

A big thank you to Grandma Enid Bean for the chair! Baby Lima Bean will love it! At least we will love rocking her to sleep in it. :-) 

For the crib, we started off looking at the Graco Lauren crib, but there now everyone (like Consumer Reports) is saying that drop side rails are unsafe and should be avoided. So none of the baby stores are carrying cribs with drop rails anymore! They are even talking about banning drop side cribs in all U.S. stores.

We'll err on the side of caution and get a static side crib. Also during our visit to Great Beginnings baby store, we fell in love with the Munire Urban crib (pictured below)! We have decided to order it in espresso so that it'll match a dark brown dresser that we already own and plan to use as a changing table. 

A big thank you to Great-Grandma Ida Bean for the crib! We plan to get a lot of use out of it with Baby Lima Bean. And maybe another Bean someday too! 

FREE SAMPLE - Huggies' Pure & Natural diapers!

So you all remember how many diapers we will need, right? 

More than TWO THOUSAND for Lima Bean's first year of life! That comes out to more than EIGHT changes per day! 

Well, here is how YOU can help us diaper our little girl -- at no cost to yourself! 

Huggies, one of the leading makers of disposable diapers, has just introduced it's new Pure & Natural line diapers made from eco-friendly, organic materials. 

Click here to find out more about the line. 

Sounds great, right? What's even better is that Huggies is offering a FREE SAMPLE of their diapers through their Web site. All you have to do is sign up and they mail you some FREE diapers! 

Click here to sign up for the free sample.

The offer is good for one per family (or one per computer). So we have already signed up for our free sample. But that got me thinking... If all of you also singed up also, then that would be a lot of free diapers we could end up with! 

Might as well give it a try, right? Choose either a newborn size or size 1. Have it delivered to your home and then bring it with you when you come see Lima Bean (or the next time you visit us.) 

If this works right, we'll have a steady supply of diapers rolling in! 

Updates on search for baby stuff!

UPDATE: Stroller search

Click here to read original post.

We were just up in Bethesda this weekend and had some lunch at a street festival in between test driving cars. While there, I checked out everyone strollers and noticed a new brand - Phil & Ted's stroller system, on which you can attach a second seat for a second child! You can use the regular stroller without the second seat, then attach it later.

I saw at least two families with this stroller. I looked it up in my Baby Bargains book and it got an A- so it's a solid brand. And priced at $449, it's a better deal than the $669 UPPAbaby stroller, which also allows you to add a 2nd child seat to.

It's a three-wheeled stroller with a sporty look, so it would be most comparable to the Baby Jogger and BOB strollers that we were considering. AND, you can attach the Peg Prego infant car seat that we want to it. Hmmmm....

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Breast pump

Our birth class teacher and three other women in the class all said go with the Medala Pump in Style breast pump, hands down. No other contender. That's easy.

I looked at the options and the one that made the most sense was the one that comes attached into a shoulder bag (above link), priced at $279. You can get the same pump with a shoulder bag that it comes out of for $329 so that you could use the shoulder bag later on after you stop pumping. I don't need to use the bag again, so I think it makes sense to save the $50 and go with the standard pump.

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Baby Monitor

Video or audio? That is the first thing to decide. A good friend of ours said that with the audio, they were constantly running upstairs to check on the baby when they heard a sound. Then they got the video one and could just check on the video and not run upstairs and disturb the baby. That makes sense. So we decided to go for video.

Our friend recommended the Summer Infant video monitor. So did our Baby Bargains book! That makes it easy. We found a great monitor -- Summer Infant Best View Hanheld Color Video Monitor with 2.5" screen -- that has video with zoom and it's digital so there is minimal interference with neighbors.

Right now, it's out of stock at Buy Buy Baby. But it's available AND costs $30 cheaper at Amazon.com! (Update: Back in stock at Buy Buy Baby! Still cheaper at Amazon.com, unless you have a 20% off coupon for Bed Bath & Beyond, which you can use a Buy Buy Baby!)

We have a new BABY! This one has four wheels and a lot of ZOOM!

That's right... We are just got a car! Well, not just any CAR... We got a cross-over SUV. The most gorgeous in its class. The amazing, beautiful, stunning Volkswagen Tiguan! 

The Tiguan (cross between a "tiger" and an "iguana") is NEW this year. It's smaller than VW's regular SUV and runs on a GTI engine. But not only is it a stylish, solid build, the car is very safe for our growing family. It just won the IIHS Safety Award, after sailing through the front and rear crash tests with little damage.

As some of you recall, I used to own a GTI named "Baby." But when I moved to Washington, I didn't drive her much and ended up selling her to a co-worker. Well, I am back on wheels and remembering just how fun these cars are to drive! (And I think Lima Bean likes the new ride, she was kicking in excitement on our drive home!)

Our beautiful Tiguan is silver and came with a GPS navigation system so that we'll never get lost in our new hometown of Bethesda, Md. We plan to test out her directional capability tomorrow morning as we head to Sibley Memorial Hospital for our birth class!

UPDATE: Just so you know, we did do as much research on buying a car as we did on baby products! It's just that Papa Bean did the research, not I, so it wasn't blogged about. The other brands we researched and test drove were the Honda CRV, Subaru Forester and Toyota RAV4. All were in the cross-over class and priced similarly. We just liked the VW Tiguan better!

About diaper bags . . .

Should we get one bag to share? Or two? Parents, please weigh in here! Obviously, the styles of bags that I like are more ... stylish. Whereas the type of bag that Papa Bean likes are ... plain. Should we go with a sensible black messenger bag? Can I also have a fun, stylish chic bag?

Before we decide, here are some bags out there that caught our eye...

Diaper Bags for Momma Bean (Kate Spade, in my dreams; Liz Lange, but will that work for winter? Oi Oi in black zebra probably a winner since black goes with anything, works for the winter and is also oh so stylish):

Diaper Bags that Momma Bean could share with Papa Bean (top one from Diaper Dude, rest are from Skip Hop):

We're looking (well, Momma Bean is), so this list is NOT conclusive. If you have any favorites or suggestions, please e-mail me!

About high chairs . . .

Granted, this is not something we need right away. In fact, we won't need a high chair until Lima Bean is old enough to eat solids, so at about 6 months. Still, we looked into which high chair to choose because I have a feeling I won't have time later. 

According to my Baby Bargains book, some 9,900 injuries each year can be attributed to high chairs. So we need a safe one! That means the nice-looking Eddie Bauer (rating: D) and funky-looking IKEA chairs (rating: C) are out. Eddie Bauer chair below:

Which ones are recommended? 

Our book recommends the Fisher-Price Health Cair (rating: A), followed by Chicco's Polly high chair (rating: B). As you can see, the Fisher-Price chair (below, top) is a bit... colorful. It's priced at $113 while Chicco's Polly chair (below, bottom) is $139.

So, decision done. We chose the Chicco's chair.

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UPDATE: Fisher-Price's Zen chair is also rated highly. While it's not sold at Buy Buy Baby (where we are registered), it is sold at Amazon. And check out how cute it is! Plus, it's about the same price ($144.99 with free shipping) as the Chicco chair ($139 + shipping)... 

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The book also gives high marks to Boon's Flair high chair (rating: A) but notes that this chair doesn't recline, a standard feature on most chairs, and the chest buckle isn't tight enough for smaller babies. It's priced at $219.

Another chair that gets high marks is the Stokke Tripp Trapp (rating: A-). This chair has a seat and footrest that adjust, so you can use it from 6 months to 8 years. But the baby rail ($69) and seat cushion ($45-55) are extra and it doesn't come with a tray either ($89). So, the quality is excellent, but this is probably better for an older baby. And it's expensive -- $249-299.

The Peg Prego Prima Pappa chair, below, is nice looking and stylish and recommended by Buy Buy Baby, but my book says the tray is too high and too far from the back of the seat, creating a "Grand Canyon between your baby and her food." 

The chair is also notorious for collecting food in every nook and cranny, making it hard to clean. Plus, it's priced at $219-264. What the book says: "If you like the looks of the Prego, save yourself $80+ and get the Chicco Polly instead -- same styling, just easier to use and clean." 

Like I said, we'll just go with the Chicco Polly. 

Of course, there is also the very stylish and modern-looking Bloom Fresco and Bloom Nano (rating: B). The Fresco (below, top) reclines while the Nano (below, bottom) doesn't. Parents seem to like them, according to my book. The Fresco costs $399 while the Nano is only $179. 

Another interesting high chair is from Svan of Sweden (rating: B+). The all-wood Svan (below, top) converts from a high chair to a chair for toddlers and then older kids. But it has no recline and the height must be adjusted with an Allen wrench. It costs $259 and cushions are $40 extra. Svan also makes a simple wood high chair, the Anka, (below, bottom) for $179.

So where does all this research get us? Back where we started. We're going with the Chicco Polly. Or the Fisher-Price Zen chair! 

About strollers . . .

Based on the fact that we plan to go with the Peg Prego infant car seat, we looked at only those strollers where we could securely attach the seat by clicking it in -- as opposed to strapping it in. So here are our options:

First, the obvious -- Peg Prego (Pilko Switch, Skate)

Skate Stroller in Bubbles:

These high-end strollers are nice, but the infant seat clicks onto the stroller on top of the toddler seat, so it's very bulky! One nice thing about the Switch model, however, is that you can position the infant car seat facing you or facing out. They cost $499 or $599 (for the one pictured), so they're not cheap.

Baby Bargains rating: B

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The high-end option -- Bugaboo (Frog, Cameleon)

Camelelon in Pink:

This Dutch-designed stroller made famous by "Sex in the City" and all those Hollywood couples who have had babies in recent years is considered the top of the line. They better be, with a price tag of $799 before you add most accessories. The stroller does come with an infant bassinet and telescoping handles, which is nice. Plus, it's an attractive and stylish ride. And it comes in various chic colors. You can purchase an adapter so that you can attach the Peg Prego car seat to it. You'd need to pay extra for a sun shade as well.

Baby Bargains rating: A - if someone else is paying for it

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Another option -- UPPAbaby (Vista, G-Luxe)

Green Vista:

These strollers are also very stylish. The Vista model is considered Bugaboo-ish. It also comes with an infant bassinet and telescoping handles, but it costs a little less ($670) and allows you to position the infant car seat facing you or forward, which is a nice feature. Unlike the Bugaboo, you can fold the stroller with the seat attached. And unlike the Bugaboo, it comes with a sun shade. Another great feature: You can purchase a $130 rumble seat for a second child, which extends the use of your stroller. This stroller also would work with a Peg Prego car seat via an adaptor bar.

Baby Bargains rating: A 

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Athletic/Urban option -- Baby Jogger (City Classic, City Mini, City Elite)

City Mini in Green (We also like Black):City Elite in Green (also comes in Black and Red):

This three-wheeled stroller is great for urban parents and long walks. The City Elite ($449) and City Classic ($399) have air-filled tires and suspension; the City Mini ($229) has plastic tires, which makes it 5 pounds lighter. They all feature a popular quick-fold technology -- I checked this out in the store and it's great! Plus, these strollers fully recline and come with a sun canopy. You can purchase one adapter bar that works with most car seats, including Graco and Peg Prego. (I ran into a new mom at Buy Buy Baby with the City Mini and she said she loves it!)

Baby Bargains rating: A 

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Another Athletic/Urban option -- BOB (Revolution)

BOB Revolution in Chocolate/Pink (also comes in Black/Tan):

This is also a three-wheeled stroller that is great for uneven surfaces (all sidewalks and roads in the area). In fact, BOB stands for "Beast of Burden" trailer, so Mick Jagger would approve. It came highly recommended to us by some good friends who live down the street from our new house in Bethesda. The Revolution ($389) has polymer wheels and comes in several colors, but Black/Tan and Navy/Tan are out of stock at Buy Buy Baby. Also, my Baby Bargains book says that you can get an adaptor to use the BOB with a Graco or Peg Prego car seat, but the person at the store told me otherwise, so I need to verify that. Either way, the adaptor bar that we would need is also out of stock. 

Baby Bargains rating: A 

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So which stroller is the one for us? Honestly, we're still a little undecided. I really like the UPPAbaby Vista. But we will probably go with either the Baby Jogger City Elite, Baby Jogger City Mini or the BOB Revolution... Stay tuned to find out our decision! 

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UPDATE: We were just up in Bethesda this weekend and saw two families with the Phil & Ted stroller, which has an optional second seat for a second child. It's also a three-wheeler and very sporty. Plus, our book rates this brand A- so it's solid. Hmmm...