Before I had children, I had baby fever. I was known, long before my husband and I were married, to walk with friends and comment how adorable babies made me ovulate. Right then and there. However, not once did I look at their clothes. Not once did I glance at the diaper bag. And pay attention to the brand on their stroller? Not in a million years.
And then J was born. Then I was looking. Scouting out, perhaps, for the most functional and, in the interest of honesty, fashionable stroller.
Living in a particularly affluent neighborhood in our large city, I began to notice that strollers were accessories (just like nannies); a sort of status symbol. Desperately, I wanted to reject this - but it can be so hard when you're surrounded by these beautiful, almost robot-like, modes of transportation for little beings that sh*t in their pants. Yes, we're transporting our babes in thousands of dollars worth of equipment, and taking a crap is really one of their few daily priorities.
Pardon the crass nature of the above. But it is bizarre.
We ended up purchasing a BOB stroller. $400. More than my monthly car payment (but not student loan payment, grr). Thankfully, we received many generous gift cards after J's birth that we hoarded for this purpose. I wanted a functional stroller where I could exercise and bring him along. All of the other jogging strollers that I considered buying were, frankly, just as bad as their price was good. It didn't hurt that BOB strollers were/are highly popular and "fashionable." And I hate that I admit knowing this.
I am not regretful in the least that we spent that kind of money on a stroller for our little man who still, at 19 months, is satisfied with standing in the corner of a room full of people and taking a crap. I hope that the resale of the stroller will be such that it makes this purchase worthy of the original cost. And getting a little exercise here and there (admittedly, this department has been neglected since #2 announced her existence).
But now I need another. Want. Need.
J's baby sister, S, is due to arrive late this winter. And I know, come spring, I'm going to need to get these two out of the house. With J's rambunctious nature, I know it will become necessary to strap him into a stroller with his sister to keep them both safe (because I keep him tied up in this contraption which is somehow more acceptable to me than putting a child on a leash. It just is.).
I am in the market for a, preferably used, double stroller. My eyes tell me I want the Bugaboo Donkey stroller, retailing at over 1k. But, in actuality, I need something about 1k cheaper.
So, wise mothers out there, do you own a double stroller?
Have you found one that is highly functional, not particularly hideous, and
CHEAP!?
5 comments:
a sister!!!? Congrats! You will have the perfect pair :)
i'm going with the bob duallie this round. i'm determined to train for my marathon as soon as this kid pops out. can. not. wait.
the stroller thing is weird though - i really only notice it in cities, too.
oh, our poor stroller has been so abused without a garage or shed. it looks like crap, is mildewy and growing shit. i hardly use it anymore, but i also don't jog. is it crazy to think about wearing one on front and one on back? is it even possible?
YAY for little girls!
My SIL has a dualie BOB and swears by it. Considering how much I love my single BOB, I'm guessing that's the route we'll go as well if we ever get a second child in our life. Good luck deciding!
(Ps, my neighbor has twin girls, and loves her dualie BOB. she also baby wears both of them sometimes, or she'll wear one and then have the other twin and the 4yo in the stroller - crazy!)
My friend and I (neither of us have ever really been in the 'in crowd'), were discussing how some Moms get along - and she told me that after much observation, she discovered that the secret to popularity in Mommyhood was in the type of stroller you had - so this is an exceptionally important decision! :) Really, just kidding... but I thought her theory was hilarious. I purchased a double stroller second-hand - if you find one in good condition, you can get a much higher quality one for less $...
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