2.7.10

Upside, Downside

so it's crunch time.
8 weeks until the baby comes.
EIGHT.

I have a baby registry that's online so I can see what gifts have been purchased for me and I'm getting nervous about not having the "major" items (i.e. stroller, car seat) yet. Not too nervous, but starting to think about buying them myself second hand since they haven't been bought yet for the baby shower next week.

The car seat I've registered for is strictly for infants and fits into my stroller and is a must for when we take MM anywhere by car.

The downside? I have to buy her something that will work for like 6 months. And then never again until baby #2.
SIX months.

The upside? Nobody uses these puppies for too long, so all the secondhand ones I've seen online are in terrific shape and less than 50% of the original price. Since the one I registered for was $200 and will last 6 years (yeah these also have expiry dates, like milk, and they're only about 6 years from date of manufacturing, so I probably can't use it for all the kids we want to have!), I'm highly motivated by the "like-new" ones I've been seeing online for $90. Plus they only shave off a year, making them "expire" in 5 years, when we most likely won't be done having kids, but we'll be SO close (according to "the plan", and you don't mess with the plan... do you hear that God? Please.)

Bringing me to another downside. We'll probably be on our final baby and have to buy another one that we will not be able to reuse. Great.

Upside? One day I'll be the calm and collected and experienced mom who is selling her "like new" baby stuff on craigslist to basket cases like me, and making some cash back when all is said and done :)

4 comments:

  1. Em, you could potentially use an infant seat for up to a year. I know a LOT of friends who have smaller kids who used the infant carseat while their kids were a year old. Now, my boys were (and still are) huge so they were out of the infant seats by 4 months. (Yah. I know.) but if they had been smaller I'd totally have used the infant seat (so much more convenient for naps on the go and whatnot).

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  2. plus they fit into your stroller which is nice... yeah I just did some more research and found out the average baby is in them for 8 months, not bad at all. Or rather, less bad haha!

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  3. I know, it's tough to see the prices of some of these items, there's clothing and carriers and nipples that last even less time than 8 months! My nephew had clothes he never wore because he was BORN too big for them!

    I bought two matching car seats on craigslist for $50 total. It was a total steal and though they don't look shiny and new I know the first time they puke all over them I'll smile at the thought that it would have ever mattered. I hope you find something that's a great deal, or get surprised with a car seat at your shower!

    The hard part for me is knowing what is worth investing in (like a swaddling blanket that really works and will save my sanity) and what is just expensive because it looks nice. Sometimes I just have to close the craigslist window and walk away!

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  4. hahaha good perspective sarah! we did end up buying a car seat on craigs last night, as well as a breast-feeding pillow, today we're looking at a stroller and some baby girl clothes, and one of those edie bauer winter sacks you plop the baby in while you stroll them around... busy busy busy!

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