Awesome weekend...

My mom was here this weekend, and we had such a great time.

On Friday, we had dinner with our friends Joe and Kate. We were a bit late due to waiting for luggage at the airport, but Joe & Kate were patient and waited for us. :)Sushi was yummy...all cooked, of course.

Saturday morning mom went on the normally scheduled morning walk with me and Kate. Mel had houseguests of her own and couldn't come. We did 6 miles, made about as many potty stops and finished it off with a yummy breakfast sandwich from Mancini's. We then hurried and had to meet the family at Bistro Bis for John's graduation celebration! CONGRATS, TIA JUANITA! Such yummy food! We then went to BRU to buy Melanie's gift for her shower, which is coming up on May 30th! Shhhh...

Sunday was rainy, rainy, but Mike and my mom still ran the Marine Corp Historic Half Marathon. They both did great despite the rain, and it was pouring! After the race we had to go to Walmart to buy my mom a new sweatsuit, then we went to lunch at Macaroni Grill (where my mom found a piece of a top of the can in her soup (can you say free meal?)), and then to FOHA (Friends of Homeless Animals)(check out www.foha.org) to look at new dogs. I hate the idea of "replacing" Sierra but I've decided as long as we don't get another huskey then it'll be fine. We found Oscar, a 3 yr old German Shepard who was just turned in by his owners 2 weeks ago. He's so balanced and well-behaved. We have a house visit this week sometime to see if we'll be allowed to adopt him. Hope so!

Monday mom and I went to Great Beginnings so I could show her the store, which is AWESOME! I also wanted to play around with the strollers. I had no idea she was intending to buy us our stroller, so this was a very generous and welcomed surprise! :) I knew going in that I was leaning toward the UppaBaby Vista 2009 due to all my research recently (for those who have been reading this from the beginning and remember mention of the Stokke Xplory -- I changed my mind! It didn't get great reviews and was sort of odd and cheap looking). UB Vista is rated highly (an "A" in Baby Bargains) and can be used from infant to 50lb. It comes with a bassinet and a toddler seat, and it also has the car seat adaptor for the Graco Snugride 32. Yay! It's also rated for heavy use with it's all terrain wheels and front and rear suspension, so I'll be able to take it on my trail walks with the girls! (just a side note: at 1 yr, we will need to buy the Bob Jogging Stroller for running on the streets and trails, but since you can't run with the baby til they're a year old we have time for that one!). We bought it in red -- should arrive in 4 to 6 weeks. Can't wait! Thanks, mom!

Baby Bargains...or not

Baby items can be seriously expensive!

Being the planner and bargain shopper that I am, I have obviously already started looking at everything from nursery items to cloth diapers and comparing and contrasting based on quality, aesthetics, price, etc. Admittedly, I had already started to do this with some things before we even became pregnant, but the search has only increased in recent weeks. I am proud of the fact that I am being quite reasonable with my expectations of what we can afford for Baby H (especially given the current job situation). My goal for all items is safety first, super cute, functional, educational (as applicable) and non-budget breaking. That being said, I think everyone has their vices, and mine is the blessed stroller.



The Stokke Xplory -- truly cutting edge, and I fell in love with it over a year ago. It's wonderful in every way. It is a complete travel system that will grow with Baby H from newborn - 3 years of age. I could rave about it for awhile, but it's easier to just paste text from the Stokke website.

The Height Advantage
The extra seat height and angled design of the Stokke Xplory provides these benefits:

*Your child has a better perspective on his or her surroundings
*You do not need to bend over as much to touch or pick them up
*When dining out or stopping at a café, the XPLORY® doubles as a highchair
*A closer physical connection while strolling

Make no mistake, the XPLORY® is a completely new take on walking strollers. Beyond its eye-catching ergonomic design, the STOKKE® XPLORY® is elegantly simple. It's set up in such a way that you can maintain a close connection with your son or daughter without losing a step.




For the tall Husband (and, by this, I mean Mike):

The height and angle of the XPLORY®'s handle is fully adjustable, meaning that this stroller is excellent for parents of any stature. Thanks to the wide wheelbase, the XPLORY® is very stable and accommodating of taller parents who take long strides. There is also a footbrake for parking

XPLORY® Seating is Safe, Soft, and Secure

The XPLORY® Complete comes with both the standard seat and the bassinet. The standard seat of the XPLORY® is high, reversible, and offers both an adjustable footrest and different recline settings. It also has a retractable sun canopy. These qualities keep your child closer to you while you stroll, promote eye contact, and allow you to tailor their comfort perfectly.

Ideal for infants, the XPLORY® bassinet has a thick padded mattress and a retractable sun canopy.



Your STOKKE® stroller is also a travel system. We carry two car seat adaptors for the XPLORY®, one for Graco infant carseats and another for the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP.

Anyway...I LOVE this stroller! And just had to share it. :)