The Test Drive - Broom, Broom - Krrd der brr, Ching

I test drove my new stroller last night. It was great. It is a wonderful all-terrain stroller. There are practically no sidewalks here in Texas and lots of rough terrian. It moved over the field next to our apartment very easily. It was much better than the Graco travel stroller I have. Although, the Graco is extremely easy to open and close and it's bulky. As far as a piece of exercise equipment, the new stroller going to really aid exercise. It will work great for post-partum exercise.

I sat and played with all it's features last night. I broke sweat. It's not very user friendly as far as adjustments go. Although, having never used other jogging strollers before, I don't know if they have as many features, or are easy to adjust. I know that this stroller is an all-in-one. It has the all the features of a jogging and conventional stroller, plus, it turns into a double stroller. You can't beat having the option of having two seats or one. I will not always have Alexander with me when I go out to exercise, so it will be nice to just have a single.

All of my friends with two kids (all two of them) have gone through five or more strollers before they settled on one. Even my friends with one kid have gone through multiple strollers. They went through the single (when they had one kid), the umbrella for travel, the double conventional, the double umbrella, the single jogging, the double jogging, combinations of all depending on their need at that moment. My new stroller folds up small enough that hopefully it will eliminate the use of all other strollers.

Andrew does not like the construction materials. He says they look cheap. I do not totally disagree with him. I read multiple reviews online about fabric fraying in the first month of use and the company not replacing it--"normal wear and tear" they said. That's not good, and I am going to keep an eye on that. It says in the warranty to not contact the manufacturer, but retailer for this kind of thing and the reviewer seems to have contacted the manufacturer and then let the warranty run out.

A couple of things I like about the stroller is that you can adjust the handle depending on your height--that is one of the few easy adjusments. I like that you can lay the seat all the way down for a sleeping babe, when you are out and about long hours. Although, that is not an easy adjustment and probably will wake a sleep babe--not cool.

More Cons: It has a bunch of add-ons you can buy for extra, increasing the cost and in my opinion they should be included. For example, it does not have a cup holder, but you can buy one with annoying pouch for $50. I have to shell out $80 more for the doubles seat (I don't mind this one too much). You cannot attach your carseat to it unless you buy the $30 adapter kit and it looks like more annoying adjustable parts.

I will probably write a review for this stroller on amazon.com, but I am going to write it after our trip to New Orleans in late July--after I have had time to use it and abuse it--to give it a fair review.

Momnesia and the BIG Idea

I suppose this is not necessarily a mom problem, but I always come up with these brilliant ideas as I am drifting off to sleep and I always think that I must write them down in the morning. Then I fall asleep and can never remember what it was in the morning. I had one of those moments last night. I remember, I was praying, then I moved onto what I will do the next day, and then it came to me. It was so good I almost lept out of bed to go write it down, but Andrew still had some guests over, so I did not want to go storming through the apartment in my pyjamas looking for a pen and paper. As usual, I repeated it over and over in my head and said to myself that I must remember this for tomorrow.

As I sat down at my computer this morning, I sat perplexed and miffed. I simply could not remember what it was. Was it about religion, parenting, fertility, nutrition, health and fitness. Surely, it was more important than my usual mental haunts. It's just not there and I am pretty sure it was going to change my life and perhaps yours too. I will have to put a pen and paper beside my bed--maybe it will come back to me tonight.

I am telling you, one of these days I am going to come up with an idea that is going to deeply impact the world. It's in me somewhere and one day it will escape. I am not going to write some lousy best-seller, that is popular amongst the masses for one insignificant breath in time. No, it will be bigger than that. It will be bigger than a tsunami of destruction. But like a tsunami it will rush over the earth forever changing it and then the cosmos. It will touch the heavens. It will be a forever pock mark in time. The moment that Renee realized that idea. It will be why God created me.

(Did I hear a guffaw? Are you unsheathing your mighty B.S. smoting sword to burst my delusional bubble? Stop. Don't! It's only a dream from when I drifted off to sleep last night. The night before I dreamt all my teeth were loose and falling out...I get that one a lot.)

Enough day-dreaming. I am sorry I could not share my last Big Idea with you.

Baby Things

I have been day-dreaming about our new little baby. I have really been wanting to see my pregnant belly and wear maternity clothes too. I must have dreamed pretty well, because last night while I slept my back and belly muscles ached pretty bad. When I woke up this morning, I swear there is clear and visible pregnant belly. My body must have done a lot of stretching and growing last night. They say that the second time around you show a little sooner.

I have been dreaming for a girl, just because we already have a boy. I have two girl names picked. Of course, I am delighted for another child regardless of the gender. A lot of people have felt strongly that this time we will have a girl. Sometimes these things happen, in which people have a feeling and it is right. Quite a few people also told us that they had a dream that I was pregnant, before we announced it. Perhaps there is something special about this child. Our new child has certainly evoked people to feel his/her presence.

I received jogging stroller yesterday and put it together last night. I have yet to test drive it and that will tell me really how good it's going to be. However, every pro and con I read in reviews about the stroller was immediately obvious as I put it together last night. Mainly, it appears to be difficult to make adjustments. That may just take some getting used to. But, it is compact. I will have to let you all know how the test drive goes.

Update - Sarah's Visit

The coveted stroller is currently being shipped to me courtesy of my sister, Sarah. She is in town for a visit and she wanted to take Alexander for a walk this morning. She asked me if I had a jogging stroller and I said, no. She said, I thought you had one. Then she asked if there is one I liked. And I said, as a matter of fact, check out my blog (as I hopped around like little kid in the excitement over a toy I liked). But, I told her that I wouldn't get it, because it was too expensive. She said that she wanted to get me a baby gift for the new baby. And voila! the stroller is being sent to me. Woot! THANK YOU SISTER SARAH. Time to do some off roading.

Alexander was adorable this morning. We bought peanut m&ms for him so that my sister could be cool Auntie Sarah who gives him candy. She woke up and gave him some m&ms while I was in the shower this morning. He came running into the bathroom and did a little happy dance and gave the biggest smile I have ever seen, then ran back out. He didn't know she was going to be here. It was pretty funny. I have never seen him so happy before. He was smiling and running around all morning. I am sure he and my sister are best buds by now.

Tomorrow, Sarah and I are going to run a 5K together. Here's hoping I can run it, since I have been skipping the daily jog lately. Hopefully we will have a fun filled day and I will not get too tired.

Coveted Stroller

I do not normally covet. I was a very humble child. I did not want anything material. Okay, sometimes I wished I were prettier, thinner, etc. Back to coveting--I really covet this stroller (Phil&Teds Sport Buggy). I am so serious about this stroller, I keep thinking I want to put it on my credit card and pay it off later. But, considering that we already have credit card debt that we are busily trying to pay off, that would be wrong. Ergh, I want it to encourage myself to get out and get exercise on the weekends and during my impending maternity leave. I love that it can be a double or a single jogging stroller, and it is super light and compact. It is horribly expensive. I want it and I want it now! Alas, if I ever get it, I am going to feel guilty, because I coveted it and because it's so expensive. Will I condemn my soul if get this stroller?

Thoughts From Near and Far

I have spent the last three weeks in a baby-making, induced haze. Sleep, eat, sleep, eat, cry, vomit. I am finding it very difficult to get the normal tasks done. Yesterday, I found myself exiting onto the interstate in the complete opposite direction I was supposed to be going. I was distracted by a radio commercial--a man was talking about insurance while his wife was in labor. Several minutes later I was still thinking about it--well, really I was thinking about us having our baby--and the next thing I knew I was on the ramp to the interstate. It was a very confusing morning for me.

Alexander is talking more and understanding more. But, he does not talk regularly. There are several things he says over and over and we still haven't figured out what he is saying, but whatever it is he really means it. We loaded a couple videos of adorableness onto YouTube for friends and family. Yesterday, he was moved to the toddler room at daycare. I think, because so many of those kids are talking and talk well, that he will start talking more, just so he can play with them. He is definitely becoming a big boy and just in time.

Also yesterday, I asked Alexander where his toothbrush was (btw, it's lost) and he first started pointing toward our bedroom and then he took me into our bedroom, into the bathroom and point up at the sink where we normally keep it. At least he knows where it ought to be. I think potty training will not be difficult with him. He likes to learn new things and he is very helpful. I just think when it comes time, he will like the new task.

I suppose I should not banter away at such trivial things, when such horrible events are going on in the world right. The whole world is rapidly changing before our very eyes. I should mention the massive natural disasters in both China and Myanmar. When the tornado hit Myanmar, Andrew asked me if I had heard about and I said yes and proceded to point out that the aftermath was probably worse because they all live in weak, paper-like structures. They were not prepared for a tornado. He turned to me and called me heartless. He did not like that I did not first show sympathy for them. However, in the past week, I have to say I have felt much sympathy for them. It is a crime against humanity that the people should not receive the aid that is sitting right at their border. It is just plain sad. Feelings of sadness, distress and mourning repeat for those in China.

For now, I will leave it at this, "O my sweet Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell and lead all souls to Heaven." If we cannot relieve the suffering, at least we can pray that it might lead us to Heaven. Amen.