Famous last words.
So over last weekend, Simon and I took both kiddos shoe shopping at the huge and busy outlet mall and then to costco (because we're crazy, lol!) Before Titus was born, my mom was encouraging me to look into double buggies, but my plan was to get Felicity a little buggy-board she could stand on at the back if she got tired. (What? A three year old voluntarily standing squashed up behind the stroller when she's tired, hungry, and emotionally volatile? And you think you can perform this miracle how?) The weekend shopping experience convinced me otherwise. We need a double buggy. Like. Yesterday. (Listen to the woman who's had twins, dear. Listen to your mother.)
If nothing else, it's important to have a seat for Felicity as a consequence, as in 'If you don't come here and hold my hand right now, you're going to ride in the buggy for 5 minutes, do you understand?' And it's a matter of keeping her safe in busy places (like town, for instance) if my attention needs to be focused on the baby periodically. And while she's getting so big, she's just still too wee to trust on foot any further than the local park, and even then not around meal times or tired times.
So I've been researching strollers and scrolling gumtree and I was so excited to find the one I saw a woman pushing in tesco called a Baby trend Sit 'n Stand. This is a double stroller with a difference - first, you can attach an infant car seat to either front or back seat (or in case of twins, both seats at the same time), and the back seat comes off altogether so that the toddler can stand on a boogie board, or sit on a wee bench. The kids can face eachother, both look forward, infant facing you/toddler facing forward, or sit back to back (depending on how much or how little nteraction you choose to give them at different stages. So versatile, its hard to describe the different choices. Heres a picture:
Neat, eh?
Sticker shock looking up new double strollers! I went to Mothercare and have been reading up on a few others. This sit n stand was secondhand but looked in good condition (and £80 instead of £350, yes please.) Though Simon warned me not to pick just anything up because it was cheap.
Right, so thats the background story. The lady selling it lives in the centre of town, right across the road from the museum on a busy street over the post office. I knew parking (especially festival time) would be impossible, so I planned the viewing of said stroller right after picking up Simon from work, since it's roughly on our way home anyway. After circling the block twice looking for a space, I finally left Si and the kids in the car on a yellow line down the road from the address. I'd just fed Titus 45 min ago, so I thought I'd get away with a 15 min trip alone. Simon said, 'I trust your judgment if you think it's a good one.'
The stroller was in practically new condition and the lady showed me at length how all the adjustments worked - took it apart and put it back together a couple of times for me to get the hang of it. It folded up tighter than our single buggy, so I thought I was safe to buy it. I was walking with a bounce in my step through heaving festival traffic as I tripped back to the car.
My high didn't last long. Through the sunny back window, I saw Titus's contorted face silently screaming and a haggard look on Simon's. Felicity was wiggling in the back seat (you know what that means.) I opened the boot to place the buggy in and - ugh, no, it didn't fit!! I wanted to melt into the pavement, but also determined to have my double buggy! 'Let me feed Titus and then I'll take it home on the bus' I defended.
Hot babies come first. Titus was dripping with sweat, both from the warm car and his exertions. I sat in the front seat (as festival foot-traffic passed - hey, after what goes on in the fringe, a little breastfeeding action should be blase to the stage of invisibility) and while I tanked up Titus, I hear dreaded words in the backseat - 'My seat is all wet! Mommy! I need a poo!' Simon doesn't hear over the road noise as he babysits my Folly behind the boot of the car. No towels, not even a burp rag - typical. (Mommy fail.) I pad F's bottom with a cotton blanket while holding T on the milk train. I feel really ridiculous and it's Dinner Time. (Sorry hard-working man who's been safe at work all day who is now hungry and tired and miffed!) Finally T calms down - poor baby, he doesn't cry unless there's a problem though we were approaching crazy time. And I have an inspiration as it's really imperative to get home before the toddler #2 action explodes - please let the d*** stroller fit in the front seat and I'll squeeze in the back with the kids. And it did. And it was the best place for me to be too, as Titus was really not happy to go back into the car seat and I'd have been worried if I couldn't see him on the way home.
Anyway, I had trouble sleeping last night worrying about the car seat fitting into the new stroller and how I'm going to fit it in the boot of the car, but I'm pretty sure if I take off one of the hoods, it'll just fit. Haven't had time to monkey around with it (yet - maybe after dinner tonight?)
However, I did use the stroller today! And it was good! We walked all the way up to Dr. Bells (which is just across the street from the church). It took me a good half-hour, but man, is it confidence boosting to know I can do that. F loved being in the double pram. And I took pictures.
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| We started with Titus in front, but I didn't like this as I found him too far away when I was pushing. He's crying here, but he settled quickly once we got moving. |
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| Felicity loved having the hood over herself. |
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| They are such good kids. |
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| Cute, huh? |
It feels like a bit of a stretch limo of a stroller while I'm pushing it. It's not too bad on the flat, but I wouldn't use it off-road at all. And boy, am I gonna get fit when it comes to any uphill journeys!
I'll figure out a way to fit it in the boot before our next costco run. And if not...well, we got such a good deal on this stroller, I'm sure Simon won't mind the new and bigger car to fit it in.... lol ;-)
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