I need GRANDMA HELP -and buying help - and ......what do you call that thing? Help

[Star*]

The shower is next week. For the baby. I can't make it obviously - but She's asked for a few things and is registered at Babys R us (Jungle Jill Theme - OH it is so cute) and at Target.

Okay - in 21 years - things have changed quite a bit for safety, and comfort....and well for the good of a baby I'm sure. BUT some of these things? I just - well Do you really need a three wheeled stroller? And WHY? ARE there long term economical advantages?

I mean I wasn't going to hook my first grandchild up wtih an umbrella stroller for a toddler and a pillow - but do you think ------this is a good thing? Is 15% off $170.00 a good deal? Are there better deals? Where? I have zero funds. I'm not sure i'm even getting a deposit from unemployment - bw filed an appeal and they took back the four weeks I thought I won. Now I get nothing unless I win the whole appeal - so Glad I got a job. But I won't get paid for weeks.

And the crib she wants - has a story - because she says that at Target - it's ONLY $179.00 - BUT it can be her bed as a toddler, and a tween - and even a teenager if it lasts - I have my doubts about new zeland pine. BUT I was all set to order this and then saw - NO MATTRESS. WTH? So how much is that? Well - add in another $80 bucks. ARE YOU SEEEEEEEEEEERIOUS? Who was I talking to that said their brother slept in a dresser drawer? Yeah - well - I'm above that but She has her heart set on this crib - and Dude said he wants to do this - okay - now he says "Can you help me Mom?" (spit teeth) OH SURE.....


Then there was the thing that intrigued my MOm - The tushy wipe warmer. She just giggled for hours - A warmer for tushie wipes....Well guess what Great Grandma got that present. She said that was something for comfort - she liked that idea. LOL - of course you did. She said - tell her to remember me when I'm in the home - (youi mean an adult tushie wipe warmer?) okay Mom - no problem.

And what about a car seat? HOW do you pick a good one - I mean SERIOUSLY??? I want one that I could put a chicken egg in - and drop it from an overpass - let it get hit by a semi truck - have that run it over and push it down the road about 1/2 a mile and then get run over by a bus - and there be no marks on the egg - GET MY DRIFT? So what one is like that?

ANd were do you buy this stuff so that you're not broke......worse than you are? Or pay later? I think the most important things right now - are car seat - and crib - stroller can come later - and she does have HER parents and grand parents - with us - there's just us.

Im just lost here - really lost. If anyone knows how to get a coupon for Gracos Charleston Crib - let me know - lol. It's getting too close to be messing around and I need to get this done this week.

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR ANY ADVICE.......I WILL USE IT - WISELY.

And what is up with having to have designer diaper bag? That's just silly. Nope - not doing that. AND IF ANYONE can tell me HOW to get diapers with coupons and do free diapers deals - let me know so I can show her. GREATLY apprecaiate it. Or baby freebie sites - or good baby web sites.

 

[mstang67chic]

I don't know about the rest but I CAN help with the car seat. DON'T waste money on the fancy, all in one, will last till the baby has her own baby, car seat. Most of the time it doesn't even fit into cars and is the biggest PITA.

TECHNICALLY the baby can use a convertible car seat from birth. (Front AND rear facing). But as most people prefer the convienence of the infant carriers, they get those. Honestly Star, as long as it is a new seat (NO used seats unless you know the people who had it and know it wasn't involved in any kind of crash) you are good. Be sure to check the mfg date though as sometimes some of them will sit in a warehouse for awhile before making an appearance on a shelf in a store. Actually.....just call me and I can tell you what you need to know. My puttying hand is cramping and making it hard to type. LOL

 

[Star*]

What is a convertible car seat? Front rear - Do they make the thing so you can put it in the car.......and unlock it and carry it in the store/ that's what you're talkign about? Are those as safe as?????

Wheer is a good place to get that? What one? She likes this giraffe and monkey stuff......I have no clue what I'm doing. I really need help.

 

[Hound dog]

We have stores here in this area for children called Second Time Around. Excellent place to buy like brand new stuff for dirt cheap, and I do mean dirt cheap. Maybe google and see if you have a 2nd hand children's store in the area?

The 3 wheel stroller is for jogging, all terrain type deal. Mom is into jogging?? easy child literally learned to loath the carseat/stroller combo she bought, sold it while preggers with connor and went the traditional route.

I have to laugh at the wipe warmer, problem is.......she'll probably only use it a short while and then stop.

If you want a quality crib, check out Sears. (I can't think of other places that have cribs off the top of my head lol) Mine went through all 3 kids and I dunno how many after that. If that crib at target is similar to the one Nichole bought at walmart......it's not going to last, trust me. She practically gave it away when Aubrey was about 2.

What I do for showers? Diapers (several different sizes, this baby is gonna grow faster than they think), wipes, shampoo, lotion, baby wash, diaper cream, often clothes in several sizes. I didn't buy the big stuff. What I did instead was help them with the stuff that eats away at your money. I used the coupons and easy child and I got so much for Nichole......she *might* still be using it. Same for baby cereal ect.

Then when that gorgeous new grandchild arrives..................I like to go look for an adorable stuffy for it. Sometimes I find one, sometimes not. But I think I've managed it for most of them lol

 

[Hound dog]

Star, car seats are regulated such that they ALL meet the same safety standards. Doesn't matter how expensive or how cheap. So buy one that is easy to use and easy on your wallet.

 

[Star*]

Okay - so car seats STAY i the car right? I mean you plug them in - and they STAY put now? Because I've seen a lot of the kids - have Car seats that the base stays and the little basket with the baby comes out and then that basket either is the carrier and attaches to a grocery cart - (while they're little) OR they get the stroller out of the back of the car - and pop it up and put that little basket with the baby in it - ON the stroller.....

See this is what I don't understand - DOES the car seat - STAY in the car - and they get a stroller out ?

Do they take the baby out of the car seat and carry a baby seat with them?

Or is a baby seat and a car seat the same thing? And you just hook it back up every time you leave - which in my opinion if you don't do it right or are in a hurry - can be dangerous. I was thiking they made them to just click out and click in - NOT SURE.....

But I think the ones you are talking about hound are the ones she quit using are the kind that take out of the car = clip to the stroller - and then go into the store - and COULD be used on the grocery cart?

 

[mstang67chic]

What is a convertible car seat? Front rear - Do they make the thing so you can put it in the car.......and unlock it and carry it in the store/ that's what you're talkign about? Are those as safe as?????

Wheer is a good place to get that? What one? She likes this giraffe and monkey stuff......I have no clue what I'm doing. I really need help.

LOL Just call me....I'll explain it.

 

[DDD]

No suggestions my friend just sitting here slightly smiling. Sorry I can't help myself. The value system is so blankin' different now than it was even ten years ago. Even if you're on food stamps you want to use the same products as the Hollywood stars. Blows my brain, honestly. Somehow I always thought LOVE was the main requirement. DDD

 

[keista]

When I lived in NY where son was born, I would have loved a wiper warmer! When he'd wake up an need to be changed in the middle of the night, the cold wipes would make him go AGAIN and me in my half asleep state always made the mess worse. I didnt' have this problem with the girls in the south.

 

[donna723]

I think the "convertible" seats are like what my grandson had, although he has a different one now. The same seat/carrier is used in both the car and in the stroller, and also as a baby seat for in the house. When Ethan was little, they would sit him in it on the dining room table to feed him. Then they could just pick up the whole thing like a basket (with him in it) and snap it into the frame in the car and it became his car seat. And the same seat snaps into the stroller frame to become a super nice 3-wheeled stroller. The 3-wheeled strollers are great because they ride very smoothly and are easy to manuver. These are nice because you can put them into the car, then into the stroller, then back again, all without waking them up to transfer them from one to the other. These systems are really nice but they are also VERY pricey and not a necessity.

The "convertible" cribs are very nice too. The one Ethan has converts to a toddler bed, using the ends as the headboard and footboard and the same crib mattress. Then you can convert it to a regular double bed, using the two long sides as the headboard and footboard and a regular mattress and box springs. The style they got isn't "babyish" and they have the matching dresser and chest, so theoretically he could use the same bedroom furniture till he's grown. But they haven't done it yet. He just turned three and when he outgrew his crib, they got him a toddler bed that looks like the Lightning McQueen character from the Disney movie, "Cars"! But when he's ready for that double bed, they'll have it. Again though, these things are very nice to have but certainly not a necessity.

This was more of a Christmas present instead of a shower present, but I started buying little baby things as soon as they told me that a baby was coming. I got all kinds of little basic things, anything I saw in the store I bought, even before they knew he would be a boy. I got lots of little socks, gowns, t-shirts, onesies, crib sheets, blankets, a little comb & brush set, a tiny teddy bear, a set of rubber duckies for the bathtub - all kinds of things. I started out buying things in gender neutral colors but then when we found out he was a boy, I started buying more blue things. None of the items were more than a few dollars each, bought over the space of a few months. I had at least 50 different items and wrapped each item in tissue paper, then put them all in a big gift wrapped box for Christmas. They LOVED it and had a great time unwrapping it all. And it provided a lot of those little basic things so they didn't have to go out and buy them.

 

[tiredmommy]

Do you know what I would have appreciated? Gift cards to my local grocery store, pharmacy, target or walmart. They're especially handy when in a financial bind: only enough cash for gas or diapers? Cash for gas and use a gift card for diapers. And a baby swing (no crank!) because it helped calm Duckie. And a bouncy chair: she slept in her bouncy chair until around 6 months since she had reflux and the vibration soothed her.

 

[Hound dog]

Both easy child and Nichole used a car seat that's base remained in the car at all times, but you could remove the seat to carry baby or to use in the shopping cart. They thought it was wonderful, I thought they were idiots. lol But I wasn't the one carrying them around in it so........ Me? I prefer the ones that just plain stay in the car, because carrying baby around in one of those seats you sure don't need a gym......they're heavy as all heck. Much lighter to carry baby in my arms until big enough to sit up.

With my kids, with the first 2 husband and I were poor as dirt. I was thrilled to death to be able to buy that crib at Sears (saved for MONTHS for it) and an umbrella stroller. I think I bought bottles too. The rest came from my shower and thank heaven all my aunts are practical people who were grandmothers many times over before it became my turn. I had diapers in staggered sizes up to a year, wipes, shampoo, lotion, ect, and clothes staggered up to a year or more as well.......tons of those onesie tee shirts and booties. I think my mom hit a motherlode at a yard sale and smothered me in sleepers. lol If it hadn't been for that..........husband and I would've had a much rougher time of it. And yes, Travis wore many a pink or purple sleeper.....until mom found another payoff yard sale.

 

[witzend]

How much money do you want to spend?

 

[Tiapet]

Ok, my youngest is 13 but I have to tell you, with each kid things changed. With middle difficult child I had all the "nice" things because she was born with special needs so I was given some really nice things that everyone thought would "help". A really nice regular stroller. Was nice for a while but I have to tell you, those umbrella strollers were able to go more places then others because they were light weight and the wheels moved better. They didn't have the 3 wheel kind then or at least they probably where just coming out. I bet the wheels do work a whole lot better! As for as the carrier kind convertible carseat.... UGH! Yeah, it was nice that it did all sorts of things like rocking, carrying, carseat and had a hood (middle difficult child loved her head covered and when no hood she wanted a blanket over her head!) but it was a pain to get in and out of car, the latch pinched my fingers more then a few times and a few times it even came undone and if baby hadn't have been belted in tightly, out she would have dropped! I gave up on it because it was literally dangerous! Maybe they are better now. As for the crib, it was just a standard crib and it lasted through all 3 of them and then on to another. It was not one that would change into a bed.

Clothe diapers, not for diapering but for burping! You can never have enough cheap spit up rags, like receiving blankets for swaddling (they really soothe babies).

Like others said, diapers are a really big thing as are the little things that they don't think about but end up costing a fortune.

 

[InsaneCdn]

That Graco stroller?

If you can get it "lightly used", it would be a better deal price-wise, but...

We had a Graco "ATV" style - ours was 4-wheel, the 3-wheel came out later.
We lived in very hilly terrain with a zillion miles of hiking trails, most of which were just that - dirt trails.
Stoller only got used until each one got to about 18 months, but... it would take husband's long stride over rough round without ANY problems. Never had an issue with it, at all.

But we didn't have to pay for it... it was a gift. <grin>

You definitely want the big, heavy-set wheels. Even just going off curbs is easier, and they don't tend to break so easy. Is this the one where you can turn the kid around to face you? That was a really nice feature... friends of ours had that one, and it wasn't hard to see the advantages.

 

[susiestar]

I was both disabled nd cheap years before I had kids. Ao I will explan the various things she wants.

Skip the new stroller for a while. Most new moms don't hsve the tim or energy to use them for several months. What sounds/looks great before you have s baby is NOT what you want/need/like after the baby comes. Except for the wipe warmers, which are NOT a luxury item but a necessity. I have an aunt who was a PE teacher, ran a swimming pool for decades before she had a child, and was seriously into fitness esp running. After her first kid was born she tried jogging wth him. Twice. Never again. It was NOT fun and was very hard to fit in with all the other stuff she had to do. Like eating and attempting to sleep. Even when the 2nd kid was born the jogging stroller never came out of the basement.

IF they live on a gravel road and do not have a vehicle, then the 3 wheel stroller is a necessity. But ONLY if walking is the ONLY way they can get around.

The car seat debate. We used the kind with the base when the kids were babies. We had the kind that lasts until they are toddlers and can be turned around for older kids. It was miserable. Every time you have to get the kid out of the car, if they are in the kind that stays in the car, they wake up. If they are in the kind that has a base and the base stays in the car? The kid stays asleep 90% of the time. Wiz woke at everything and he stayed asleep even with the way husband bounced it around to get it to be in the right place in the base (idiot husband refused to use his eyes to line it up, just sort of yanked it around like an idiot. It is why the stay asleep rate was only 90% with Wiz.

If the infant is in the kind with the base taht goes into a shopping cart or stroller, you just lift it out and onto the stroller or cart, then you don't have to carry them. If you have the convertible seat that stays in the car, what do you put the baby in when you go to the store? HArd to take a stroller into the grocery if you need much. Hard to carry an infant and shop if you have to push a cart. Sure some stores have the carts wth baby seats on them, but you MUST clean those before you put a kid in them and that is hard to do one handed. Those things are NASTY and in most stores the straps don't work or are so gross that it is a wonder that kids don't end up with mrsa or something from them. I used to know a guy who worked for the health dept and eh said those infant seats on shopping carts are about the most germy and disgusting things tht anyone can get near - he would rther his kids drink from a toilet in a public restroom than sit in one. And he was NOT a germophobe by any means. He ate at places that made me shudder and he KNEW what nasties lived in their kitchens.

One thing that no one tells you about the car seat with a base is that it is handy inside because it can be a baby seat. Jess would not have survived with-o hers. She had allergies and post-nasal drip tht was and still is constant. She could not breathe while laying down for the first six months or so. This means that she could not sleep in a crib. We tried. We raised the end of it several times, just like the doctor said. She just rolled to where her head was down and her feet were up and then couldn't breathe. She actually turned blue once and terrified us. So she slept in her car seat because it kept her head raised. The back of her head flattened a little but it did not cause any damage to her brain and was a small price to pay to have her breathe all night every night. We had one of the first models that went into a stroller and it was a total lifesaver. Again, if the baby was asleep, the baby stayed asleep but if the baby was taken out of the carseat to be put into a stroller, the child woke up. Every time.

Having the child stay asleep might or might not sound important. Until the child hits the stage where they don't feel good or won't sleep unless they are in the car. You get them to sleep on a drive, head home, and can either keep them in the car or take them otu of the carseat and wake them up, needing to take them for another drive to get them back to sleep. with the seat that goes into a base, you can get the seat OUT with-o waking up the child.

The seat with the base is also far more flexible if another parent is picking up the child after school, or a grandparent is. the base can stay in one car and the seat can be fastened into another car with-o the base. So you don't need several of the big heavy convertible seats or to lug the big heavy convertible seat around. The convertible seats are much harder to carry around, harder to fasten into the car safely, and many daycares don't want you to leave them there during the day because they take up so much room. the carseat with the base can be used as an infant seat in the daycare so it is more welcome. Or that is what we experienced and what friends of mine here experience even now.

As for the pretty new crib, that is a nice dream. If Dude and his lady want that, then they need to buy it. esp with you being in such hard times. It is easy to get a used crib off craigslist or ebay. Just make sure the bars are close enough together that a baby bottle won't go through them. A new crib is a luxury not a necessity. A new mattress is far better for the baby as they don't sleep in just one place and they need the spinal support for healthy development. They can contact places like Birthright and other pro-parenting groups for TONS of free/ultra cheap baby supplies.

For free diapers/formula, every baby formula company has a program that sends new moms a case or so of free formula. Or they do here. Just look up their websites. Not so sure about diapers, but they do have tons of coupons.

 

[slsh]

Grandma Starbie -

I'm so tickled for your preparations! Still can't quite wrap my head around Dude being a dad - where did the time go???

Anyway - everyone does things differently, so here's my perspective. I'd check with Mom on her thoughts on a baby carrier. I found it much easier to carry my babies rather than lug a basket around with- them in it. I also liked having the body contact with- the kids. Even when my 2nd, 3rd, and 4th kids came, it was just *much* easier to have one kid in my arms while I pushed Boo in stroller and later wheelchair. I personally have never understood the attraction of a carrier. Seems bulky and clumsy, and you miss the opportunity to snuggle with- baby while you're in the checkout line at the grocery store.

I did have one of those kangaroo carriers (backwards backpack) to carry the kids. Used it maybe twice.

We had a solid car seat that lasted through all 4 kids. Think it was Graco. Actually, thinking about it now, I think we bought a second identical one when Diva was born, 'cuz Wee was still in his. Boo got an adapted car seat about the time thank you was born.

I think a well-built diaper bag is essential. That thing was a permanent accessory for me for 10 years, LOL. I finally gave up carrying purses as the kids kept coming because there was so much stuff I had to take in the diaper bag. I just dumped my wallet and stuff in there too.

I totally agree with- cloth diapers and receiving blankets for burp duty. Essential.

Glad Great-Gma got the wipe warmer!!! I saw one when I was preggo with- Boo, and thought "how ridiculous" - of course, was living in Hawaii at the time, so yeah, it was kinda silly. But here I am 23 years later, still using wipes on him, and cold winter mornings in Chicagoland make both him and me wish I had got one, LOL.

We had a wind up swing that turned into a lifesaver with- Boo. He was incredibly cranky as an infant and that thing could sooth him any time. Other kids loved it too. We never did a walker or a bouncy seat thing (think bungy cord from a doorway with- a baby seat at the end) - had warnings that we didn't want to encourage high tone in Boo's legs due to the doctors knowing there were going to be some kind of motor issues, and we just carried that advice across the board for all the kids. They were all walking by age 1 anyway. (Quick vision of thank you in a walker... um, NO! LOL.)

There's so much "stuff" out there and really, she's not going to know what she needs/wants until she's knee deep in motherhood. The crib and car seat are I think the most important things right now (and the burping cloths!!). The rest will come.

So excited for you!

 

[AnnieO]

Honestly?

She needs to register for some not-so-pricey stuff!!! The travel system we registered for is $149 - car seat, base, stroller, and the stroller is convertible to make it a full or smaller. Extra base for the seat too. BUT - I also registered for mid-range stuff like a Boppy pillow, a freezer system for pureed food (basically a tupperware package), and a bottle warmer, and "cheap" stuff like nursing pads, bottled, passies, etc. (Who came up with the name "binky" for a pacifier anyway?!)

I did NOT reigister for a wipe warmer. In fact I found a recipe to make your own wipes and I might try it. Thinking I'll do that fairly soon as I use baby wipes for makeup removal. If I don't like them or they are a pain to make, then never mind.

I did want a car seat with multiple bases. My car, husband's truck, Mom & Dad's car... But - Our lovely Trinity sent me a Snugli to carry Bean around, because the thought of carrying a whole car seat very much makes my arms hurt already. Still, getting them in the house asleep... And an extra base is $30 where a second or third car seat - YOW!

I think the multiple sizes of diapers and the gift cards to Wal-Mart, Target, groceries are an AWESOME idea. because let's face it, nice stuff is great but the baby and Mama and Daddy need to eat, Know what I mean??

 

[tiredmommy]

This is the type of bouncy chair Duckie had, not the doorway type:

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10802994

 

[DammitJanet]

I have an extra crib! Face it, you can buy pretty much brand new on craigslist for a quarter of the money. I bought two of the exact same cribs she is talking about for $100. Total. They go from crib to toddler bed to full size bed. Sadly neither of the cribs have been put up in either house.

I went out and bought the biggest, safest carseat you could find. I wanted one that we would never have to replace again. I replaced Keyana's 3 times. They have just changed the car seat laws and I was livid that I would end up replacing car seats over and over again...again. Well...that car seat is sitting in my living room. We took the baby home in it but its so big you have to leave it in the car and my car is small so the front seat has to be pulled all the way forward for the stupid thing to be in it. There should have been a warning on it that you could only use it in vans or SUVs. Mandy is going to take it for their SUV when Mickey can turn around.

The best things for me are bouncy chairs that vibrate (baby's first vibrator!), swing, jumper, boppy, lots of sleepers and onesies. And diapers in all sizes. And gas drops.