Checking out before we check in

We had our hospital tour yesterday after the doctor visit. Apparently hospital tours are a thing of the past. I guess it's understandable that people don't want to go to a place people consider dreary and sometimes scary. For us it was about getting to know what the place is like and figuring out where to go. It was also our first practice run to the hospital.

The hospital itself was pretty nice. It's typical for a hospital but I have not been in a maternity ward since I was born. Sure it's got the hospital beds and needle disposals but it's very different from the emergency waiting rooms. It's more self-contained, being on its own floor, and much more inviting. At least there's no waiting room right at the entrance.

It was kind of interesting to see that the entrance is secured for both entry and exit. I can understand that. You don't want newborns escaping the hospital.

Time to kick into high gear

Little one just passed 32 weeks this past Saturday. With only 8 weeks according to schedule it seems so close but still about 2 months to go.

I've started packing a bag for us to grab and go to the hospital. It's a great idea and there are many good resources online about what to bring. Packing for the hospital probably isn't new but I think it wasn't done as much in the past. These days we have so many more things to bring because staying connected helps to pass the time during labour.

Although it's anything but a vacation, I've packed things like shampoo, slippers, lip balm, etc. From our honeymoon trip we got these nice travel kits from Air Canada that will come in handy. I'll be packing some more items that will help to keep wife comfortable, as comfortable as it can be anyway.

Here's a list of things we're packing. Feel free to use it and let me know if there's something else you're bringing (or would bring) that's not on the list. It's based on the list from The Bump. We also have a hospital visit this week so we can customize it for our stay.

List:
- shampoo, body wash
- phone charger
- lip balm
- socks
- slippers
- baby's going-home clothes
- nursing pads
- to be continued

I'm not going to hide that I'm nervous. I mean, nobody is more nervous than the first time mother, but I worry about things like whether we've prepared enough. Some things we can wing but I'm not sure this is one of those moments. There are other things like what does a dad even do during first few weeks.

In the heat of summer

I've been spending more time looking at baby carriers now that we've taken care of the stroller. There are a lot of options including simple cloth up to something like a hiking pack.

I don't need all the bells and whistles, as I mentioned before. In terms of features my number one need is to keep cool. I get hot easily and it probably will be hotter with a baby strapped to me. Previously I looked at the Ergobaby Performance but it is an older model and doesn't support the "front forward" position (wearing the baby on the chest and baby facing the same direction as me). There is the Ergobaby Performance 360 but runs around $250.

I'm currently considering the Lillebaby Complete Airflow. Also available is the All Season.

I've been reading good things about the Airflow because it helps to keep everyone cooler. For a slightly lower price the Airflow has similar features as the 360 Performance. I wish I could test out both and provide a good comparison between the two.

At the very least however I'll go to a store to try it out with an air baby.

Long walks on the beach during sunset

Back in the day just after babies became lazy, parents began carrying them around in cloth wraps*. Strollers, like many smartphones, have grown bigger and bulkier over time. So while a stroller can get us many places there are times when you want to ditch the wheels. Most strollers don't do well on sandy beaches. Since babies still can't walk we can carry them.

I've been looking at some of the options for baby carriers. Unsurprisingly the price range on these is huge. You could get one from Walmart for $30 or you can get a high end one for $300.

On a recent visit to a local baby specialty store the rep recommended a carrier that is adjustable. If it wasn't for that I wouldn't have thought that is an issue (babies and/or parents grow with time). For the $300 you might get extras like cup and smartphone holder but I don't need those. What I do like is the breathable fabric. I sweat a bit in the summer (OK, a lot) and a little ball of heat probably doesn't help. The Ergobaby Performance line features the breathable fabric. It's less than $200. I can Kijiji it for $100.

I had the opportunity to try it on, without a baby again. It's snug but baby will be comfy. It's a bit hard to wear without help on the front load. It smelled a bit like baby. I guess it's a calming feature.

* Babies are not actually lazy

Now we're finally getting somewhere

Yesterday we saw a post on Kijiji that was awesome for an Uppababy Vista stroller. Most Kijiji posts only include the stroller items and are six or seven years old. We decided that this was the best deal we've seen so far so we contacted the seller. Lucky for us the seller was also giving away an infant seat so we got that for free. Even if we don't use it in the car it's still good to have for the stroller when we don't want to use the bassinet.

So today we've finally got a good chunk of baby's gear, and baby has a place to sleep now for the first few months. There's still a lot to go and our registry is filled with items so we're hoping to cross off more things very soon.

Bring out the chariot

I'm continually amazed at the options available for strollers. I see them all the time on the bus and in public but never really noticed how they differed but did notice how bulky many of them were.

Originally we were looking at an Uppababy. We had the chance to test drive it in store and I really liked the handling and weight, though it was on the heavy side.

The options changed a bit when we found out that our friend can lend us a Britax infant seat. A quick Google showed that they don't really fit in strollers other than their own. In order to make best use of it we'd have to get a Britax stroller. We went back to the store to test drive a Britax. They only had one option even though their web site showed others. We tested it anyway and it also felt good except that the main seat couldn't be reversed. That's unfortunate. The other option does have a reversible seat. It is similar to the Uppababy but cheaper. No matter how much research I do there's always something to mix things up.

I'm leaning towards this one now. I'd like to find one to test drive but will probably buy it new since the used ones are almost full price.

Sounds good

We went for our final planned ultrasound yesterday. As we suspected there's a baby inside.

We also finally got a decent picture, a clear view of the face (wife saw my nose but my nose was definitely still attached to my face), some shyness (hands covered the face as we took the pictures) and showing some agility trying to foil our pictures. In the end we got some good ones that I'll post up later.

Thanks to another fast-growing baby a friend was able to donate some of their used gear. So far we've received a swing and diapers. We've decided on owning cloth diapers and we got some disposables, so these should be fine for emergency use during travel.  (I just came up with a great idea to change into disposables before going out so we don't have to carry around the cloth. Genius.)

We're also inheriting/borrowing an infant car seat. It makes the first few months a bit easier as we don't need to buy a car seat just yet but it changes our stroller search.

A friend also helped list a bunch of things to put on our registry. Most are things I thought people would gift anyway but we could use it as a checklist too. There's going to be so much stuff, can't wait for the little one!

We're three quarters of the way there!

It's been a while since I posted. I'd like to say I've been busy but really I've just been lazy.

I haven't been lazy about checking out baby stuff though! I'll get to that in a bit.

A lot has happened in a month. Wife went to get another blood test done mainly testing for gestational diabetes. We're scheduled for another ultrasound tomorrow, most likely the final one unless the doctor wants to monitor something.

Baby is happily doing well. The active schedule is fairly regular so we can feel movement at expected times throughout the day. The movements seem to be slightly more controlled now - some movements feel like yawning stretches (the kind where you only stretch the elbows). Wife complains that baby likes to stomp on her stomach now and gently asks baby to move away.

Happy Mother's Day! Wife got her first gift from baby - a card written by daddy on baby's behalf. Next year I'll help write a real message from baby.

A couple weeks ago we decided to go test drive some of the strollers I've been researching. I'm kind of glad we did since there are so many variables that online reviews can't really cover because they are subjective.

I was most interested in the Uppababy Vista. It is one massively expensive stroller but a 3 minute test drive told me why. The Vista is a very sturdy stroller with a very nice frame.

We also pushed the Cruz around a bit and found that it could be a bit too light. The front wheels has trouble changing direction and wasn't sure if it was the design or the store demo unit. I was wondering if a bit of weight in the seat would solve that issue but decided not to borrow a fellow customer's baby to test. (Note to self: create baby test bundle for future parents)

In all the Vista felt like a better choice. The base seems very wide, might be difficult to take on a bus and push through crowds. We'd be taking the car most of the time and the occasional bus trip shouldn't be too much trouble (other people have done it just fine.

Kijiji has a lot of Vista strollers listed. Understandably most of them are 4-5 years old and probably used for two or more kids. They still sell for about half the price and most claim to be excellent condition.