In my life, I have collected many things: stamps, little bottles of perfume, pins, enemies, but I never thought I’d collect strollers. I’m not the kind of person who goes crazy over baby gear, I don’t like to spend money on “stuff” and I don’t have very much room in my house. Yet, three years after the birth of my first child I find myself with 3 full-size strollers and wondering if there will be more in my future.
We bought the first stroller, a Graco Travel System, before our firstborn, Michaela, was born. We knew we wanted a travel system so that we could transfer Mika from the car to the stroller with minimal problems, and indeed the stroller met my need for the first few months of Mika’s life. It was comfortable enough for her, it had a large basket, and I took it back and forth to the supermarket and library practically every day. But the stroller was a bith to fold down and when folded it was difficult to carry and occupied most of the trunk of the car. When Mika was 8 months old and we planned our first trip with the baby we knew we’d need something lighter and smaller – and we went shopping for our 2nd stroller.
This turned out to be a Peg Perego Pliko Trek – a travel system which worked with our carseat (though it didn’t lock) and which met most of our requirements: it was light, it folded down into an umbrella-shape, it folded down almost completely for naps, it came with a rain shield, it had all-terrain tires and a tray for the baby. I was in love, the stroller did well in Washington DC, in Park City, throughout Argentina, the Amish Country and NYC. I liked it so much that I stopped using my first stroller altogether (which, after loaning to a friend, I’ll probably donate to a woman’s shelter).
But, with the birth of a second baby, I needed a stroller that could accomodate two. At first I thought I could get away with using the Peg Perego and carrying the baby in a baby bjorn – my back strongly protested. I then thought I could try putting the baby in the stroller and having the 3yo ride on the little platform on the back – alas, that doesn’t work when the seat slides down. Thus I relented and I bought my first double-stroller.
It wasn’t a double stroller per se, but a sit-n-stand. That meant that I could put the carseat in the front seat of the stroller, and have my 3yo ride standing in the back. She protested a bit at being too tired and wanting to seat down, but mostly she has accepted it. I used it every day for four months to pick her up from school and stroll around town. I liked it a lot, it’s light, I can steer it with one hand, it encourages Mika to not be too lazy and it’s not as bulky as a double stroller. But alas, this week it stopped meeting my needs.
For one, my baby is growing. Soon she’ll be out of the carseat and into the stroller proper. The sit-n-stand is very cool, but its front seat only reclines a little bit. Camila looked very uncomfortable lying on it. In addition, there is barely any room to seat in the back if the front seat is reclined. That’s not a big problem if the kid in the back is standing, but Michaela has been waking up so early to go to school lately, that she is often tired by the time we head home after an afternoon of play. Yesterday she was so tired that she fell asleep standing up on the stroller. Not my ideal. Today I had her seat down in the back, but as the seat doesn’t recline she looked and felt quite uncomfortable as well.
So I relented once again, I bought a double stroller. It’s an old Cosco which I got off Craigslist for $45. I took it for a ride today and it’s definitely not ideal. It’s quite heavy and I have to fight to keep it straight on those sidewalks that slant sideways. It’s long and bulky and takes a lot of space when folded. No way I could steer it with one hand. But it does have a large accesible basket, both seats recline, and it’s considerably more comfortable than the sit-n-stand.
So here I am, with four strollers. I’ll probably get rid of the Graco one as soon as the friend I loaned it to gives it back – but I’m going to keep the rest. Mike uses the Peg Perego one when he goes out with the girls – he baby bjorns Camila and Mika goes in the stroller. Plus I figure it’ll be useful when Mika is off the stroller. It’ll probably be the one I’ll take to Argentina in my next trip, Mika will just have to accept riding on the back.
I’m also not ready to give up the sit-n-stand. I think I’ll continue using it for trips around town when I don’t think the girls will fall asleep. Eventually, though, I’ll probably sell it. Or donate it 🙂