This week feels so monumental to me. I get emotional at least twice a day lately because I’m so excited and worried and happy and anxious. And just to be clear, I’m not talking about my pregnancy. Except for one thing: The idea of having my daughter born during the first female presidency is absolutely amazing and utterly fantastic. We’re with her. We’re with her a million times over and on Tuesday we’ll vote together for the very first time and then I’ll get goosebumps and surely tear up about it.
Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all. // Emily Dickenson
The photos for this week were taken happily by Rachael after our brunch at Mamaleh’s yesterday. We wandered for a minute around Kendall before finding a spot to take these shots. I feel like I’ve grown a lot this week! Partly because I have grown, and partly because I’d just eaten a very large and amazing breakfast. Win, win.
Some new mom thoughts this week:
What do you guys think about strollers? Besides the election, stroller thoughts have been running through my mind all week. Do I really need the super fancy Uppababy? Or would the Baby Jogger be just as fine? The convertible stroller intrigues me, as I hope we will have at least one more kid, but the ease of this City Mini is really making me excited. I want something nice, obviously, but I really just want to find something that is NICE ENOUGH for us. So really, in all honesty, how much do strollers matter and how much time is too much time spent thinking about all of this? Any advice, I would love.
Also on my mind, Doulas and Daycare. One I need sooner, and the other later. But apparently it’s never to early to start looking for the latter. I feel SO LUCKY to get to spend 6 months at home with the baby but I’ve already started sending emails about openings for baby care in September. Nearly 11 months away seems crazy far away! I’ll follow the rules on this one, though. Hoping to find an accredited in-home child care (I think I want in-home, but I’m open!) close to our house for 4-5 days a week. I would love for family to chip in on babysitting hours, but don’t want to expect anything too much of anyone either! So we’ll keep emailing and see.
I can’t believe I am at 24 weeks! Only 16 weeks to go….
Have a great week, everyone. Positive Vibes. FINGERS CROSSED. HOPE FLYING HIGH.
xo!
The short answer is that no, you don’t need the fancypants stroller. If you do a lot of city-walking, a stroller with a slightly larger front wheel is helpful for bumpy sidewalks. I used our stroller almost daily during maternity leave for neighborhood walks (very short ones at first), and now we’re on a once- or twice-a-week schedule for family outings. It’s easy to overthink it. It’s okay to buy one that’s solidly within or even below budget – I found that user reviews and practicality (cup holders!) ultimately matter more than pretty design.
You’re just darling pregnant and I wish you a healthy and happy second half! :)
I haven’t had a baby yet, but a few of my friends rave about Uppababy, Bumbleride, and Bugaboo. To them, they were investments and made city strolling super easy. They have convertible options too. Good luck with the hunt!
I think the easiest way to determine how much you need to invest in a stroller is to look at how much walking (vs. driving or riding in the car) you do on a regular basis. We only go on Ali’s occasionally and drive everywhere (almost nothing is close by), so we’ve always gotten away with cheap strollers. I know people in NYC who walk everywhere, and their stroller basically IS their car, so they spend more. Maybe you’re somewhere in between? Also, look at jogging strollers if that’s something you’re interested in, because a regular stroller won’t be up for the job. I’m in a group of moms of multiples on Facebook and easily, the general consensus is that the City Select is everyone’s favorite stroller. It’s a really nice stroller without being over-the-top and has a car seat adapter so you can snap your car seat in & keep baby asleep – a necessity! Good luck with your decision!!
I agree with the posts above. If you’re going to be doing a lot of walking the Uppababy Vista is awesome, but it’s big and heavy and I find it a pain to take in and out of the car. It was great to put the car seat in, but once my daughter could sit in a stroller I use my Uppababy G Lite, which I really like. It’s light and easy to get in and out of the car and perfect for walking around. I got my parents the City Mini to have at their house and wish I had gotten that one for myself. It’s so much lighter and although the basket on the bottom isn’t as big it’s just more manageable. The car seat fits on nicely too and it’s good for long walks. None of the above are jogging strollers so if that’s something you’re interested in look at jogging strollers specifically. Good luck!
Hi Anna! You may the cutest pregnant lady ever!
My 2 cents on strollers: we have a Bumbleride single – going on 5 years and it is still going strong, albeit a tad crusty – and a Bumble ride double – 2 years and no problems. I’ve taken them both everywhere – Florida, the train to the city. I bought the single brand new but found the double on Craigslist and it was in perfect condition. I am passing on the double to my sister and going back to the single for Oliver since Avery is too big for the double. I definitely feel we have gotten our moneys worth out of both strollers.
So many decisions with that first baby! You will do great! Lots of love to you Winchells.
agree and disagree — in a city like boston where there is walking everywhere, a stroller is a big deal. it’s expensive, yeah, but think of it like a car. you want one that is going to be good enough for now but last you a while, too. we have the uppababy vista and i love it. one perk about it — for minimal money, it converts easily to a double. so it might sound crazy now, but if you want to have another baby close together, then i’d definitely suggest the uppababy.
doulas are fantastis, but i don’t believe they are necessary. if you can have a good, knowlegable, supportive partner and then one additional ‘support person’ who can be there when your partner eats or sleeps or just needs a break [or can be another sounding board for options, another set of hands, etc], i don’t believe you need a doula. if you can find someone you feel close to, maybe who has been through birth before, i think you will be just fine.
also, read ina may gaskin. if you want hope and positivity in this pregnancy, you will find it all in ina may’s guide to childbirth.
Aah you look so amazing Anna!!
I`m living in Vienna, so the elections are not really concerning me. But I do hope so much that she`s going to win!! Women power!
xx Caroline
P.S. There`s a little Christmas special on my blog: https://carolinespassion.wordpress.com/tag/etsy/
Hi Anna,
I have a city mini gt double stroller (twins) and love it. Ir is easy to collapse, the wheels go over everything no problem (dirt, rocks, bumpy roads, etc). I am assuming their single stroller would be the same way!
Anna, this is all so exciting :)!
So having a doula changed EVERYTHING for me!! I know it’s all subjective, but the first time around, I relied on friends and loved ones for support (who did just that for me, loved me and were my friends!) but I really needed to be encouraged, pushed, taught, and coached. I ended up with a emergency c-section and lots of drugs with Luke’s birth. It became it’s own thing. But with Kate’s birth, I benefitted GREATLY from the support of a doula. Oh my gosh, I can’t say enough. I felt like I had a team, someone to massage me and coach and support, and ultimately make room so that James could do that. Also, her birth experience and education was so important for me, I really felt educated by her. TOTAL dream. We would not have had a drug-free, stress free, peaceful birth without her, hands down!
We had a very simple stroller (Britax) with Luke that had the connecting carseat function. I loved it but I definitely didn’t find it super functional for off-roading. That said, I didn’t really need it for that sort of thing so it did it’s job, folded easily, had simple features. I still use it from time-to-time for little jaunts. I also have a Thule double now, and since we’re less one vehicle, it’s truly become my second car. I’m so glad we splurged (especially in lieu of the second car part!). Worth every penny. I walk almost six days a week with the kiddos and it can handle any terrain, jogging, hills, rain (and we have a rain cover), groceries below, snacks, basketballs (yup!), everything. We love it.
Chiming in re. Daycare. We’ve been using a wonderful, small home daycare in west newton since our daughter was a few months old. She follows the school schedule, which is definitely something to consider (i.e., no paying during the summer!). Shot me an email if you’d like her info!
Best of luck with all the choices. One thing that helped me was realizing that nothing had to be settled before the baby arrived. Some things are easier to think through once you have the baby and can more clearly see what your needs / life is like with them in it!