August 19, 2008
Gearing Up
Our big weekend outing was a trip to a rightly named "baby superstore" to get an Ergo carrier because I had a $15 coupon, and whaddya know we ended up coming home with that plus a highchair, a carseat, a changing pad, some glass bottles and extra nipples, the silliest chapeau ever (Simon calls it "Fauntleresque"), a great idea for another (less-humiliating) hat that I can handcraft on the cheap, and a handful of used books, although those weren't from the baby superduperstore but from the smelliest used bookshop I have had the displeasure of spending ten minutes in (and that was even before the owner's friend showed up with his wretched burrito and made me want to hurl and then also burn down the place he'd bought it from).
After that we went to a real brick-and-mortar JCPenney to exchange some things from my Linden Street promotion, which you can read about as soon as I've had a chance to rub my naked body all over our purchases. (Towels and sheets, people. TOWELS AND SHEETS.)
And then we went to the mall because it was right there and we were starving and hey, it was A Mall, which, for two kids raised in suburbia, is always a little like going home and being fourteen again, although we were so much more mature and well-mannered and better dressed than kids these days, don't you agree?
But the best purchase of the weekend, aside from the cheesy chicken quesedilla we shared (I think I've entered the Everything Tastes REALLY Good, Can I Have Seconds and Thirds and Fourths, Please? phase of pregnancy) was the Ergo, which is stylish and cool and the perfect solution for all our hands-free babywearing needs. Or, you know, something fun for the cats. You can see we didn't hesitate to try out on the first one we could catch:
And get this: they LOVED it. Both of them. I carted Linus around for a good ten minutes, purring his little ears off, and then Simon, against my warnings that she would not like it one bit, no siree, hefted Eve into it and voila another purring cat content to play baby surrogate for just a few months longer. I'm only half kidding in the video below when I say that I don't want a baby anymore, this one is fine, and besides, he's (usually) self-cleaning.
Here's one of Simon and Eve. (Apparently "going to market" is something I plan to do with my child a lot. Not sure what that's about, as I've been going to the "grocery store" my entire life thus far.)
In other, more disturbing baby news, I spent way too much time at makemebabies.com (I just love the imperative nature of the site name), and lordy did it churn out a real looker on the first go:
GAH.
I emailed it to Simon with the note "We made a baby douche!" and he replied with "I'd sooner cut my kid in half than let someone style his hair like that." Happily, the results got better, although also...curlier, which, wow, I don't have a clue how to deal with curly hair.
I guess the answer is to always make him wear a hat.
Or be amphibious.
Gawd. I must do this when I get home! LOL.
Posted by: Shanee at August 19, 2008 10:51 AMI also spent some time on that site (along with another pregnant friend) and my question is: why do all the kids look like they're one time-out away from killing their parents in their sleep. They all just look so...demonish.
Posted by: She Likes Purple at August 19, 2008 10:53 AMFun!! Love the ergo! I could totally have sewn you (or still could) a custom mei tai.... the offer stands!
Posted by: Elizabeth at August 19, 2008 10:55 AMhmmm, should I try that site with pics of hubby and me and see if the results come out as either Giggles or Chicken....I think I should.
As for the going to the market...have you read one too many kiddie books gearing up for the big day?
Posted by: domestic Extraordinaire at August 19, 2008 10:58 AMThe videos are to die for. I only wonder if the rest of the world can hear my ovaries screaming away as well? Maybe I should get a cat...?
Posted by: Drew at August 19, 2008 11:05 AMMy cat would never look that cute in an ergo.
Posted by: kirida at August 19, 2008 12:08 PMMakemebabies makemescared.
Posted by: jive turkey at August 19, 2008 12:15 PMDid you ever have that science museum exhibit where you sit straight across from each other, look at one another through the distorted glass, and somehow it reflects an image of what your "children" will look like?
Yeah, me too. I can't wait to play with that website!
Posted by: chirky at August 19, 2008 12:36 PMHee. I am totally going to go see what kind of scary looking babies Jay and I might have.
Posted by: water sign at August 19, 2008 01:42 PMOur cats would both LOVE to ride in an Ergo. (though not at the same time). And I'm not joking.
Posted by: Emily at August 19, 2008 01:48 PMOoh were you shopping in my neighborhood (Tanforan)???
Posted by: Camels & Chocolate at August 19, 2008 02:55 PMHow cute! Your cats seem to be enjoying themselves. I wonder if my cats would be so relaxed. It would be funny to go out in public like that and see how people would react.
Regarding pictures, I tried a website where you send your picture to find out who your celebrity "twin" is. The match that came up was Julianna Margulies. I'm not too familiar with her.
By the way, you both have pleasant voices.
Posted by: Green Eyes at August 19, 2008 02:59 PMI would have gone for Fauntlerovian, but hey.
I thought for sure those videos would end in carnage. Glad they didn't. Your end was better.
Posted by: Alyce at August 19, 2008 04:04 PMI totally want to do this to see if they would look anything like the kids we already have...
Posted by: Angella at August 19, 2008 04:19 PMThat last one? Looks just like MY creepy kid. The whole thing is total BS:
http://flickr.com/photos/slynnro/2772004963/
Posted by: slynnro at August 19, 2008 05:36 PMThose videos are the cutest thing ever! Can't wait to see more with human babies!! :)
Posted by: jennyl at August 19, 2008 07:33 PMSo I think me and you will be having the same child.
http://makemebabies.com/viewbaby.php?bid=3222525
if you don't accept the offer of a custom mei tai (from Elizabeth) you're crazy! I love mine and it's brilliant for once the baby is slightly older than newborn.
Even though I'm totally not into the continuum concept (I too pragmatic), I love baby wearing. I hope your wee boy will love it!
Posted by: trish at August 20, 2008 01:07 AMI love our ergo. I use it every day to go hiking. However, for the first three months you have to use the infant insert and that thing is padded and HOT. Baby would sweat buckets in it. But luckily you live in the chilly northern part of CA. Maybe that won't be such an issue up there.
Posted by: Hue at August 20, 2008 09:45 AMYeah, the Ergo infant insert will probably be a godsend, since Wombat will be born mid-December and it will be 50 degrees INSIDE the house until at least February.
Posted by: Leah at August 20, 2008 10:12 AMOkay, so all of our monster babies look a LITTLE similar (must be the getups they're wearing), but come on, you can definitely see resemblances to the different sets of parents.
Posted by: Leah at August 20, 2008 10:13 AMWhile I really loved my Bjorns and felt I totally got my money's worth out of them, I think the Ergos rock. If I had known about them when investing in the whole Babywearing Thing, I would have plunked down my dimes and nickels for one in a heartbeat.
In short, good choice. :-)
Posted by: cagey at August 20, 2008 03:24 PMWe were able to use one of those baby carriers for a short time, and they are great. But before you know it, they get too heavy or too squirmy, or want to walk everywhere (including six city blocks from the car to the front door of Academy Sports and Outdoors).
Thankfully the Web-generated images of your spawn are just make-believe. With a mug like that, the kid would get beat up often. Probably by one of my sons. :-(
Posted by: Texas T-bone at August 20, 2008 08:18 PMI love how the site advertises that they are making you "babies," and then when the pictures come out your "baby" ends up looking more like "a five-year-old, who has spent too many nights out on the town."
Jesus. I just went and made me a baby and the first one was cute, but the boy looked like some kind of serial killer. Awesome. I shall name him Sam and make him wear girl clothes until he's 6.
Posted by: Jemima at August 22, 2008 12:35 PM
