The First Time You Have a Second

Everything about your first child was...a first. All of your experiences as a parent, from minute one to year one, were had with fresh, green, nervous eyes. Even if you had already enjoyed the beauty of changing a diaper, you had never changed your own child's diaper. And you'd probably never changed a newborn's diaper. Remember when you learned about and saw and cleaned up the black, gooey, poop-ish stuff in that itty bitty diaper? By now, you may have forgotten that the official name for that stuff is meconium. I did.

The second time around, those eyes are a bit wiser. You've seen some. You'll be able to change that meconium filled diaper with one hand and one wipe, blindfolded. You won't be as nervous when he or she gets a cold because, by now, your firstborn has had 500 colds. You're wiping your firstborn's nose as you read this post. You have the ability to pump while making dinner, talking on the phone and watching The Bachelor.

Speaking of The Bachelor, if you don't know who this is(shame on you),
this is Andi Dorfman. And after she reamed out the current Bachelor
for saying "It's Okay" too much (among other annoying habits),
she's the frontrunner for becoming the next Bachelorette. 
image source Andi Dorfman Twitter (@AndiDorfman)

Frankly, second time around, it's going to be a less scary, less difficult journey because you know what's up. Well, maybe not entirely. If you have a sibling, you know that you and your sibling have a couple differences. For starters, you're a she and he's a he. Your interests are different, your sizes are different, your appetite and taste for spicy food are different. And your personalities - they're different too. You're slow to warm up, he commands the spotlight. You're a talker, she's a listener. He tells the jokes, you laughs.

Your second born won't be an exact clone of your firstborn, so your experience won't be exactly the same. All that practice and conditioning from your firstborn won't necessarily be applicable to your second born. Your first might have been a marathon and your second might be more like a sprint. They're both races, but require different muscles and different skills. This isn't to say that you're not a seasoned parent. You are seasoned. You are a pro. You will have many "I got this" moments. But, you may also have a few "Never seen that before..." moments.

Even though you're having a second baby, you're still going to have plenty of firsts.

The Perfect Double Stroller

If you're doubling down on the number of kiddos in your family, you may need to double down on the size of your stroller as well. So, which double stroller should you get? Well, I have no idea. But I'm willing to compile a bunch of stats for you so that you can make an educated decision. There are a many, many, many options out there, but I've narrowed it down to a list of strollers that I've seen in action.

BOB Revolution

This is a jogging stroller. A big, sturdy, can-handle-the-bumps-in-the-road jogging stroller. Amazon reviewers love it (4+ stars) and so do the friends I have who own it. The quality holds up over time and it's a nice ride for the pusher and the pushee. It's not a great stroller for cruising the aisles of Target because of its width, but it'll kick ass on your stroll around the neighborhood. I've also read that it's not ideal for tall kids because it can feel a little squished and cave-like. 

Specs for SE Duallie Model

Cost: $459 on Amazon.com

Weight: 34 lb.

Dimensions: 58.3 x 30.6 x 40 inches

image source

Baby Jogger City Mini Double Stroller

People be loving this stroller. For starters, the 2014 model weighs almost 10 lbs less than most other double strollers. TEN POUNDS. And it stores in relatively small spaces by folding in half. And it's kinda sorta narrow, so it can fit through most doorways, making it a great stroller for outdoor and indoor cruising. While there were very few complaints amongst Amazon reviewers, a common mention was problems with the wheels - breaking, locking, wobbling. It's also not truly compatible with the Snugride infant car seat (even with the adapter), and people also be loving the Snugride.

Specs for the 2014 Model
Cost: $449 on the Baby Jogger website 

Weight: 26.6 lb.

Dimensions: 38.5 x 29.75 x 41.5 inches

image source

Phil and Teds Classic Stroller with Double Kit

This stroller is loved by city dwellers. It is the narrowest model in today's post (by a long shot). It has the footprint of a single stroller because the seating is front to back. And, the Classic model weighs even less than the City Mini above, making it a winner for shopping in tiny urban boutiques and hauling up and down subway stairs. Although, nothing is truly light enough to haul up and down subway stairs. On negative side, I've repeatedly heard from friends that they dislike the front to back seating. The back seat is, well, the back seat - smaller and less comfortable with a worse view - and siblings can't interact easily (or at all).

Specs for the Classic Model
Cost: $399 on the Amazon.com 

Weight: 26.6 lb.

Dimensions: 38.5 x 29.75 x 41.5 inches

image source

Bumbleride Indie Twin Stroller

This is the Cadillac of double strollers. The positive is that it's an all-around awesome stroller. The (predictable) negative is that you'll need to drop some serious cash to own one of these puppies. Owners rave about the massive, full-coverage canopy, the comfortable seating, the smooth ride and the general quality and attention to detail. It also fits through a standard doorway despite the side-by-side seating. Like I said, this one has all the bells and whistles, but you'll spend upwards of $800 for a new one with minimal accessories. Amazon reviewers complained about bad customer service should you get a lemon. And don't try to jog with it because the smooth ride will immediately become treacherous. 

Specs for the Indie Twin

Cost: $729 on the Amazon.com or Bumbleride.com

Weight: 30 lb.

Dimensions: 36 x 29.5 x 34.5 inches

image source

Bottom line: these are all great strollers. It's a matter of your needs, your lifestyle and your budget. 

Do you own one of these double strollers and have a review to add? Or maybe you own a different brand and can share your experience? Fill us in.

Happy Hedgehog Nursery

I've shown you elephants (here), I've shown you giraffes (here) and today I'm showing you hedgehogs.  Maybe I'm feeling nostalgic about never getting a high score on Sonic the Hedgehog, maybe I just loved the Land of Nod bedding below.  Either way, here is an orange, gray and woodsy collection of hedgehog items for a gender neutral nursery.

Image Sources - see below

Details on these cool products:

Throw pillow by Laura Frisk

Hoop Art by Box Room Bazaar

Bright Eyed, Bushy Tailed Bedding from Land of Nod

Tree trunk lamp from Svpply

Bib by Pocoa Poco Baby

Xtina, Bodhi and the Kardashian Trio

It's Friday, so let's keep it light.  How about a week in review of celeb baby news?  Let's do it.

For starters - Xtina is preggers again!!  This is definitely worthy of the double exclamation point.  Her son, Max, with her ex-hubby is already 6-years-old.  So, she hasn't done this in a while.  It's certainly a sprinkle appropriate occasion, although I think celebs have a full blown baby shower for every baby.  Just one of the many ways that the rules don't seem to apply to them.      

Megan Fox and David Silver welcomed their second son, Bodhi Ransom.  Not long ago, I told you that I was excited for all these celebs who are expecting baby boys.  And this is why.  Hollywood has not been disappointing with boy name choices as of late.  Bodhi is not nutso, but it's unusual.  We're all familiar with the name Bode, thanks to Bode Miller kicking it in Sochi.  Bode and Bodhi are different spellings of the same name.  And, believe it or not, Bodhi has actually been in the top 1000 US names since 2010.  It's at the bottom of the list, but it's there.  Now Ransom, let's be real - nutso.  I mean, not completely and utterly nutso, but standard nutso.  It was actually popular at the turn of the 19th century (circa 1915), making this name a mashup of modern and vintage.  I love it, in a I-would-never-name-my-kid-this-name kind of way.

The real star of the real Beverly Hills 90210.
image source

The Kardashian sisterhood announced their baby fashion line.  Yawn.  Jessica Simpson also has a fashion line for everything ever, but she doesn't make such a big deal about it.  Why do they have to announce everything?  Why do they have to be such attention...needers?  I say all this, but then I also On Demand the 2 part episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians when Kanye proposed to Kim.

Thoughts on Christina Aguilera's pregnancy news?  How about the name Bodhi Ransom?  Will you buy clothes from the Kardashian fashion line at Babies R Us?

Snow Snow Go Away

I couldn't let another day pass without venting about all this snow.  If you don't live in a part of the world that has been smothered by snow storm after snow storm after wintry mix, here's a visual:

It's snowing.

It snowed.

Some version of the above two photos is outside my door, day after day.  And I'm sick of it.  Not just because it's cold or because it requires me to dig out my ungaraged car and clean it off and warm it up before going anywhere.  And not just because my front stoop is hopelessly covered in ice or I fear death by icicle when I go to the bank.

Getting yourself and a toddler equipped for the snow covered outdoors is a friggin pain.  The gear is incredible - multiple clothing layers, enormous coats, hats, mittens, scarves and boots.  My normally sturdy toddler is an impossibly drunken sumo wrestler under all the woolen, downy weight.  My glove covered hands can never find my keys.  We both slip, constantly.  She can't see under her over sized hat that never seems to just sit on her head.  Meanwhile, I usually forget my hat and we have to go back.  If we have to carry anything other than ourselves, it will add ten minutes to the process.

When we finally make it to the car, approximately twenty six minutes have passed since we began putting on our coats.

Then, the car seat project begins.  I usually take off her puffy coat once we're in the car thanks to all those horrible reports about the dangers of your baby/toddler wearing a big down coat in a car seat.  But, the car is absolutely freezing.  Usually colder than outside.  How is that even possible?  So, the car has to warm up before I can take off her coat because, as mentioned, it's absolutely freezing.  Other than not wanting her to be terribly cold, the last thing I need is for her to get pneumonia.  We've already been battling every winter cold (and stomach bug) that exists in the world.  

It's been forty minutes since we embarked on our winter errand and I finally pull the car out of the driveway.  If I'm lucky we can actually go forth, if not I realize that I've forgotten the letter I need to mail or the shoes that I need to return back in the house.  And, when that happens, I sit there (listening to Down by the Bay off of Raffi's Greatest Hits) and wonder how the hell one does this with two kids.