Greetings!

We designed this site in order to keep in touch with friends and family who are far away and in order to communicate with other adoptive families from around the world.

When we first started researching this wonderful way to become a family we read everything we could get our hands on. Even though there are a lot of great books out there, nothing was as informative or touching as the blogs we found by adoptees, biological parents, and adoptive families. So we are writing this blog now in hopes of returning the favor. We hope that if you are dear to us you will enjoy keeping up with our adventures. If you are someone out there involved in a part of the adoption triad we hope you will find information and comfort here and provide us with some of your own!

If you would like to get in touch with us we can be reached at: becomingafamily@gmail.com
Feel free to stop by anytime. We're happy to share our family story.

Take care,
Brian and Rosemary

Monday, February 8, 2010

The Stroller

So in case you can't tell, we are those annoying "consumer reports" people who feel the need to read everything about said product before buying it. We also check public opinions on chat rooms and cross compare various safety features. Yes, by "we" I do mean Brian. The other day, someone who does not know us very well, overheard us discussing a recent baby purchase and (in this extremely condescending tone) said, "Oh my gosh, you guys are like really anxious first time parents! Trust me - by the third kid you'll just be buying whatever is on sale." I looked at Brian and thought "Hmmm, only if that third kid comes with a lobotomy." This is not new behavior for "us". I would love to be able to say that this has something to do with our swelling parental love for Button but sadly... this is how "we" bought our vacuum.

Enter the stroller purchase! I had only three concerns 1.) It had to be parent facing to encourage bonding. 2.) I had to be able to lift it (I'm weak like a smurf). 3.) I had to love the design in every way. Brian had a host of other concerns that I won't bother detailing here because I never understood them. I will say this though: As much as I tease him, I am grateful to the man for making some semblance of order out of the good time parade that is my life!

So the stroller shopping basically started and ended like this:
Roses: Ooooooh, I really want the Stokke Xplory stroller.
Brian: That is an insane amount of money and totally impractical in every way.
Roses: I love the design!! It's so tall and I'm so short that Button and I will practically be face to face!
Brian: It has terrible fold down and very few abilities.
Roses: I love the design!!!
Brian: It is a financial QUAGMIRE!

So after multiple rejections on both sides Brian finally came up with this little beauty:
The Mutsy 4Rider. Ladies and gentlemen, a compromise was reached! It is a very cool (mostly unheard of) stroller that has great fold down, parent facing options, removable wheels, fantastic maneuverability, and the website has all the usual accessories available for purchase. I can personally assure you it is pretty light for a stroller. They all weigh a ton, in my opinion, but I can lift this one so that's saying something.

My favorite feature is that the child's seat sits pretty high which moves Button closer to my eye-level. Brian's favorite feature is that the handle bar moves in and out at the touch of a button so we can each use it at a comfortable height. This is important for us since he is more than a foot taller than me.

So anyway, if you are on a stroller hunt of your own - good luck! If you get the Stokke send me pictures of you and your tot taking it for long walks in the park. I know the Stokke (especially the yellow one) will be happy in a park...

--Rosemary
**A special word of thanks goes out to my parents, Button's Papa and Gai Gai, who lovingly bought us our stroller as a baby gift!! Thanks, Mom and Dad!

14 comments:

Whatshername's Mummy said...

I'm a research junkie too! I had to find every option and I chose the Mutsy 4 Rider Light (and that was really quite heavy, despite its name!) I only used it until DD was about 18 months old and then preferred the Bugaboo Bee. I chose both as they were facing me, but the Bee won in the long run (wasn't launched until DD had been home for 4 months) as it was lighter and folded while rear facing. I love that the Mutsy has the Backpack changing bag that attaches to the frame, a great space saver!
Good luck.

florence said...

good morning, I have just found your blog which I think splendid I see that you had the attribution of your garcon baby (6 months if I definitely understood) then I wanted to feliciter you. We are too in wait of an adoption in Thailande and I imagines very well joy and exitation in which you owe to be I wish you a marvellous meeting and especially full of happiness with your baby
I am sorry if my comment is not correct but I am french and I used a translator to leave you a message
florence

a Tonggu Momma said...

We have a Stokke that folds well, but it WAS a financial quagmire AND it was only good for toddlers to preschoolers, not babies. I love the options available now. I'll be saving this info for our future little one.

Kerrie (and Jason) said...

We have three strollers.. Yes perhaps a little overkill!

One we were given - its very bulky (would leave no room in our car) but has nice large wheels and I intend to use it for long walks in the local area.

The Second cost me a dollar on ebay (seriously!) and its going to be the 'play stroller' - our little one can load it up with toys and drive it around the yard because its a nightmare to fold and even bulkier than the other one.

The third is my fave and the only one that actually cost a reasonable amount of money. Its a very light and compact one - folds down into the size of a briefcase! Its going to be the going places stroller because its so easy to fold up and will take up NO space in the car at all! I can't tell you the brand though - cause I have forgotten!

blackbelt said...

I TOTALLY wanted one like this but they hadn't invented it 7 years ago! Aside from you concerns, I hated the idea of my baby being that close to the ground with all manner of grossness going into his precious lungs!!

Nichole and Craig said...

I really like it. I am a huge stroller junkie. We ended up with 3 strollers.
The BOB revolution for driving around our neighborhood. It has the big wheels we wanted so we can take it camping.
I have a zooper bolero for one car. I really love this one but the basket underneath sucks.
And we bought one while in Thailand which is in the other car. We only planned on using the ergo in Thailand but that didn't cut it at the malls because Jaxin would sweat in it. The stroller also came in very handy in the airports. Jaxin slept in it during our long layovers.
I LOVE strollers and hope Jaxin never grows out of them 8-)

Maci Miller said...

Love the stroller you ended up getting! Cool design and I like all the features. We got the Bugaboo Bee and I have to say I love it, although Ruby seems to be will be outgrowing it soon. Hoping it makes it through Spring and summer! The Stokke is nice and I looked at it too, but it seems more geared for a younger baby and not toddlers so didn't work for us.

Yoli said...

You are such a Virgo...LOL.

Mireille said...

I love STOKKE, we have 2 of the TRIPP TRAPP highchairs for the girls and they still are using it at age 7,5! Great choice you made, since Stokke is so expensive!! Do you have a high chair already??

Jessica said...

This stoller has been on our contender list for a while now. We have close friends who have it, so I've gotten to test drive it a time or two and really like it. Glad to hear that it has your stamp of approval too.

Some days I have to groan though when I think, so this is what I've been reduced to, comparing handle bar adjustment on strollers like my life depended on it!

rosemary said...

I love hearing about everyone's stroller choices! We do want to get a jogging stroller eventually but we are waiting on that purchase. I'll be sure to ask everyone what they recommend when the time comes.

Mireille - we just bought a little booster seat for now instead of a high chair because we weren't really sure what he would need. I love those trip-trapp chairs though! Stokke is amazing!

Whatshername's Mummy said...

and while you're considering Stokke - we have the changing table and I still use it everyday! My poor daughters, I intend to buy one of the extension packs so one will have it throughout their time at home, changing table then Desk or TV stand! I love it.

Chris and Terri said...

Love the look! Very cool!

Isn't this fun!

Kim Hancock said...

Yea... so glad they were able to get it for you! For moms on the go it is not unreasonable to spend 600+ on a stroller.

On the funny side of this would be the memory of Curtis' comments when we purchased such items... "if you're going to spend that much $ on that, I expect that it is going to change the baby... put them in the car & then load itself up in the trunk."

That still makes me laugh!