Ruca

My passion for Chicco: $279 fixed price.

When looking for a travel system I initially wanted to get something that Dave would be comfortable pushing without debiting his man card for being too frilly. I found a company called Chicco. They are an Italian based company and have had very few if any recalls on the majority of their products.

We went with the Chicco Cortina Travel System in the Discovery theme. (The lime green and gray) We initially wanted Sahara which was orange and khaki cause those are Daves favorite colors but when we bought the system there was only one avail in all of SD county and it was the Lime Green. There are a lot of colors avail but mostly online. I haven't seen any color combos retail other than the Discovery or Sahara.

This bad boy corners like it is on rails and so far I haven't had to back it up or back track it just automatically swivels that way. The folding mechanism in the front allows you to fold the stroller portion with one hand and it locks in place as soon as its folded. The car seat is rear facing and very well padded. I didnt need a second head rest and Brandon was 6 lb 11 oz @ birth. The only thing that some ppl might not like is the fact that it doesnt hook on to a shopping cart like some of the others. I prefer that honestly as it isnt really safe. The second base was pricey too, @ $70 but well worth it as we dont have to switch bases between vehicles.

So having tried out the stroller prior to Brandons arrival and loving it that prompted us to choose the same brand for our Bassinet/Play yard. Initially we didnt want a pack and play cause it seemed like something we wouldnt use until he was older. We had initially decided to go with the Co-sleeper that folds down and adjusts to the parents bed but I liked the performance of the stroller so much we decided to go with:

Chicco Lullaby LX Playard $159 everywhere

The bassinet is just the right height and the mobile can stretch across the entire play pen as pictured here or you can put it over 1/4 of the area as well. I currently lay Brandon lengthwise along the width of the yard instead of lengwise on the longer part. This gives me easier access and makes him more secure since he is in a smaller area. He was initially unhappy when we placed him in the center. The thing folds with the push of 1 button too. Kinda cool.

This has a remote control music box, light and vibration combo. It is just the right amt of vibration to soothe him without being annoying to me. (I hate any buzzing, whirring or white noise while sleeping) Oh and it has a changing table that folds down and pockets and storage for diapers, wipes etc.


Swaddle Things:

There are a lot of different brands out there but so far we like the one by Kiddopotomus. You just burrito wrap them and voila! Insta soothing. Babies like to be wrapped super tight and this thing made it sooooo easy:

It washes well and keeps baby super warm. The cotton ones avail will come in really handy heading in to the warmer months. I wont let Brandon sleep over night in this just yet, he is still too small and his mouth skooches down under the front flap. 2 more pounds and he will be golden!

The Halo Sleep Sack: $20 Babies r us

This sleep sack is so wonderful, my son loves it. I had tried swaddling him to make sure he stayed warm, and he would always kick his way out. The sleep sack is easier and more convenient. He can't wiggle out of his blanket and be out in the cold, and I can't seem to keep socks on him for more than a few minutes, so the sleepsack is great for keeping his little toes nice and warm! I can change my baby without waking him fully, so he goes back to sleep much faster than if I have to unbutton his jumper and then snap it back up. Nighttime changes are much easier and faster, and I don't worry about him getting a blanket over his face or pushing it off and getting cold. Zips from top to bottom for safety.
Doc Browns bottles:

I originally registered for these but took them off since others commented about the excessive parts and time it takes to clean time. Well, we tried the Avent bottles and weren't happy at all. They leaked and I felt the nipple was too big and might hinder breastfeeding.

We switched back to Dr. Browns and they were perfect! Brandon was pretty darn small and the nipples provided just the right flow rate for him and seem to be softer than the Avent ones. We've had no troubles with leaking and although they can be a burden to clean, it's been worth every bit in the long run. (I usually clean bottles every other night so it isn't a big issue anymore.) We use the travel caps a lot to take milk on the go. They work very well!


I have a few more items that have been absolutely wonderful to me so far. I will post more tomorrow. Please share your experiences with me! I am always ioen to new ideas!

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