Aiden's New Ride

Check it.

We just got this new stroller for Aiden. It was TOTALLY worth the pretty penny it cost. Well, it was for me, at least. I have discovered that I am not into having him face the world with me not being able to see him - not yet, at least.

There are articles and such coming out lately that say parent-facing strollers lead to better vocab and language skills because the parent is speaking to the child more when out and about on a stroll.

That's NOT why I wanted this. Just in case you think I'm jumping on the latest bandwagon.

When we're out and he's in the regular stroller, I find myself constantly wanting to lean over to see him or peek around because I want to see his reactions to things. I find that it's so hard to talk to him because we're not facing each other and I have to talk louder - and he can't see me while I talk. I can't see what he's doing or anything like that without making a big effort to do so. And that's not always practical.

When I do talk to him in the forward-facing stroller - I feel like it's just something like "Aiden...I'm still here. What are you doing?" "Hey there Aiden!" And that's about it. And I feel like it's forced. And I feel guilty and want to get him home and out of it ASAP. When he's in his infant carrier in the stroller or in the Ergo carrier on me, I have actual conversations with him! (Yes, I realize he's not actually conversing back with me...) And now I can do this in the new stroller!

I kept trying to tell myself this new stroller was just a "want." It was not necessary. We had a decent stroller already. But EVERYtime we went out with it, I realized how much it bothered me! It actually was VERY important to me. And those of you that think that's quite silly. Think it. I don't care. (I really don't.)

Ryan realized how important this was and that I wasn't just really wanting something for the sake of wanting it. So....when I happened to see it $50 off at Babies R Us the other day (the only retail store in the U.S. carrying it by the way... How's that for no competitive pricing?), we jumped on it and got it. And you know what? We have used it EVERY DAY since then. Even though I have to carry it down the steps to from the apartment (the few steps to the parking lot - we live on the first floor) going in and out, I am getting out with it. I still love the Ergo - but this stroller is awesome. Yes, awesome.

When I say it cost a pretty penny....it did. But not as much as the other similar strollers like Quinny or Bugaboo. Compared to those, this was a bargain. Compared to our Chicco stroller...notsomuch. To me - totally worth it. (And yes, I did research in depth before choosing this stroller - and looked for used ones and anything else to find a cheaper one.) ;)

Things I wish were like the other stroller? There is no parent tray - just a cup holder. And the basket is smaller. And I could fold/unfold the Chicco stroller with one hand. But that's it. Just those few minor things.

Some details....
It goes either forward or rear-facing.
The seat comes off to fold it down. But it's still really easy.
The canopy is HUGE!
Larger tires are air-filled instead of plastic.
It comes with a rain cover that even covers his feet.
It holds a child up to 50lbs - which is more than many strollers hold.
When he's bigger, he can climb up into it himself b/c of how sturdy it is and where the foot rest is
The wheel lock is one where you push a button with your foot to lock/unlock it (versus the ones where you push down to lock but have to pull up to unlock - which I hated when I wore certain shoes - sounds silly, but it's a big deal when you wear those certain shoes all the time...)
Everything is super-easy to use.
There is fabric that covers the buckle part of the straps - so he doesn't get pinched, won't get hurt if the buckle gets hot, and can't try to undo it himself.
Seat is placed higher than many strollers - nice if you want to pull it up to a table while out somewhere.
The handlebar adjusts up and down for people of different heights.
It is SUPER easy to turn and move around. I mean SUPER. It glides...
The basket underneath zips on one side and has a drawstring on the other - so stuff is not going to just fall out.
I've already had one person comment under her breath that she's either never seen a stroller like this or hasn't in a long time (she was so quiet I couldn't tell which it was...but it was a nice comment the way she said it).
Ummm....I love it. What more is there to need to know??
And Aiden looks oh-so-cute in it. (Just like he does in anything...)