This weekend we spent some time in San Francisco: saw some art, had some lunch, did a bit of shopping. The weather was nice and we wore ourselves out walking around. I also found out some truths about our baby needs/wants, and the brutal reality of the costs involved.
Let me preface this by saying, Yes, we sort of knew what we were doing when we went into a few baby boutiques up there. I remember reading in Neal "Alternadad" Pollack's book about some baby boutique clothing but unfortunately not until afterwards. So entering these places for me now is like shopping at Neiman-Marcus. But I had an open mind and loved seeing all the cute/fun stuff our baby would either not need or we would use once or twice before the baby outgrew it.
These items include incredibly funny and cute "onesies" with clever phrases on them. Our favorite was "iPood," an obvious play on Apple's iPod. I would have loved to get a dozen of these until we looked at the price tag. Again, this is something that would not be treated well, with spit-up, food and stretching, not to mention the speed with which infants tend to grow and outgrow clothing. But this little article (like the dozens and dozens like it) cost an eye-gouging $32!! That's like a couple bucks per each week the kid will fit into it before getting too big...
Then I was hit with the fact that the "cradle" we received from sis-in-law is different from the "crib" we will need in the baby room. And sadly enough the cradle will only last a couple months before the kid is too big for this too, while the crib can be converted into different beds as the child grows. The boutiques we went into have cribs, sure, but you almost need a loan to purchase them! So not only is the crib a large piece of furniture but the price tag can be larger. Even when factoring in the years this furniture might give you, the initial investment seems rough. And of course the crib DOES NOT come with the friggin' mattress, hahahahahaha!
Thankfully there are places to shop that will put a less-major dent in your pocketbook, and that's where we will be hanging out. I would love to get some feedback/suggestions for baby furniture (keeping in mind the safety and durability, of course).
Oh, right, I forgot to mention the changing table, the crib bedding sets, the models, the books the toys the the the the........
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2 comments:
BUY USED!!! There's a lot of very good quality stuff out there, especially swings, changing tables, even cribs if you're carefull, that you can buy for a fraction of the new cost. Check out any of the "gently used" resale stores throughout the bayarea. Do NOT skimp on the carseat though. I can go on all day. I'll stop for now. :) -g.ashe
As for a crib, get a basic one, not necessarily one that converts to a toddler bed. I moved Molly right from a crib to a twin bed, why fight the battle of a new/different bed twice when you don't have to? As for changing table, I have a double dresser with a changing pad on top, it's not a "changing table", and then when she's out of the diapering stage it's a perfect dresser. Try to buy some items that will double as bigger kid items. I bought the whole crib set for Molly - the matching sheets, crib bumpers etc...but truthfully, I tossed them quickly. They so pricey and really they're just decoration. I understand the desire for them,they look so sweet, but really, why? the bumpers should come out as soon as the baby is moving around the crib more so they don't get wedged under them and suffocate and definately need to be removed when they can pull to a stand because they're hazardous since the babe can use them as a boost up to launch themselves out of the crib potentially. Just a few tidbits I've learned!
-Sheryl
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