Double Stroller Decisions...

Namastè!

As you know, I've got two under four. The youngest Namastè kiddos are both still small enough to need a stroller when we travel or run errands that involve a lot of walking. Which would be most of ours,  because I prefer shopping centers where I can park, then walk from one place to the next--in between shops I put our bags in the car. Less gas used and fewer emissions from the car, plus more exercise for me.

But choosing one was super hard.

I knew I wanted features similar to the luxe pram Tiger Lily enjoyed, with the ease of handling I enjoyed with Brother Namastè's jogging stroller, and I wanted it to look good too. I didn't want it too bulky, it needed a good weight limit, and I wanted it to be easy to fold. While it seemed like a crap shoot, I also didn't want it to eat up too much trunk space.

That's a tall order because double strollers aren't typically built as mindfully as singles. Companies don't want to put too much into them because then the price point would go up, and they are already fairly expensive.

Prior to our current choice, we went big.

The Bugaboo Donkey is a $2,000 stroller and it literally has all the bells and whistles. Also, it's huge. While that deliciously luxe, impossibly pricy pram was super nice to look at and almost as nice to use, it didn't ultimately fit my life. For one, it's bulky as heck.

Now. Picture this. I drive a Lincoln Navigator L. My truck is about eighteen inches longer than the original Navigator, which is a beast in its own right. We have all the options, including the disappearing 3rd row. The Donkey ate up almost half of my trunk space WITH the third row folded down. (We took the seats of for a smaller fold...still had to bring them along though obviously.) If I put it in with the seat still up, I wouldn't even have room for groceries. And that big old thing was a beast to fold too. I couldn't do it singlehandedly. Nor could I do it all that quickly. The Donkey didn't really mesh well with my day to day activities, as it barely fit through standard doors. Because I do a lot of mall and outlet shopping, as well as library runs and restaurant crawls, this made the Donkey more a liability than an asset.

By contrast, our new stroller of choice, the Baby Jogger City Select Mini double, only takes up a little more space than our single stroller! It folds easily. I can fold it or pop it out for use by myself.

The kids were very comfortable in the Donkey--but the wheels would catch any blip in the sidewalk and it wasn't exactly suitable for our home in Albany, where we live right at the edge of a swamp. The Donkey is NOT for all-terrain. (You'd think for $2,000 we could drive that sucker on the moon?!)

The Mini is an all-terrain dream.

While it is smaller than the Donkey, and most other double strollers (with the exception of umbrella doubles), my kids sit cozily inside. The 5-point harness is padded. The fabric isn't Egyptian Cotton, but it's very comfy for them. It's very breathable too--they aren't sweating after sitting for a bit.

Brother Bear is getting pretty tall, and Tiger Lily is...well, she's not getting shorter. *chuckle* There's a big size difference right now, but the Mini eats that up and delivers a really good stroller experience.

I like the steering better on the Donkey, but the Mimi wins overall for best handling because it's so light.

So...

While we do get what we pay for--the Donkey is better for vacations in the city, where it could shine!--we ended up getting a much better deal for the Mini.

Note: Our Mini cost $90. We got the tray, cup holder, and gliding board (for when Brother Bear doesn't want to sit) off the Baby Jogger site. So for around $300, we have all the options whereas the base cost for a brand new Mini is around $450. As I previously stated, the Donkey cost about  $2,800 by the time we added options and color preference.

You'll be seeing our Mini on IG, as it's summertime and we have trips planned!

Why Do I Pump?

...because I would rather ride this wave of oversupply than let my milk dry up and potentially damage my nursing journey.

Moms who pump are a fringe on the tapestry of breastfeeding. (I really prefer to call it nursing--breastfeeding is simply feeding at the breast BUT nursing is feeding and nurturing.)

I nurse AND pump.

I don't mind answering questions about either.

Seriously, I study breastfeeding and breastmilk constantly. I am always trying to find the most current info. I'm passionate about it and love sharing what I'm learning.

But!

I don't like being questioned about why I make a personal choice.

For me, pumping was just that--a personal choice I made. It's purely selfish in nature, too. I literally pump milk because I hate the full feeling I get when  baby hasn't nursed in a while. She's mainly a night feeder, so during the day I pump for my comfort. The stash itself is nice but irrelevant, just an outlier to something I do that is for me first.

I don't do it because I'm lazy. (It's a lot more work than simply latching.)

I don't do it because I enjoy it. (I legit do not.)

I don't do it for likes.

I don't do it for approval.

I don't do it to show off how much milk I can move. (Because that's not how much I make--no pump removes 100%.)

I don't do it because it's easy.

I don't do it because it's fun.

Every once in a while I'll share a stash photo here or on my social media. And every time, I'll get the obligatory comment about how it isn't fair to brag when *insert reason why my stash photos offend*

I ignore those.

Know why?

Because Tiger Lily and I are my why.

I do this for my comfort, but also for her nourishment.

The better question is, why does it bother you how I feed my kid, if it doesn't cost you time, money, or energy???

Little Peanut

Namastè!

Last night I finally got around to bringing out a box of the next size clothing for Tiger Lily. I was thrilled to get her two new outfits yesterday in her new size!

Tiger Lily is a tiny thing. She is just mama's baby peanut.

In Georgia, I think the norm is for babies to be chunky little sumo muffins. When people see my baby girl, they always assume she's a bit younger than she is. I used to get offended by that.

We tie a lot of pride to our babies whether we admit it or not. Their cuteness means we passed on those great genes. Their adorable outfits mean we give them the best our money can get. Their chubby rolls and great heights mean we feed them the best!

*needle scratch*

Tiger Lily doesn't have much height, and while she's getting some rolls now, she's still quite petite. She's a firecracker--what she lacks in size is more than compensated for in sheer will. She can do everything bigger babies do.

But back to these clothes.

Because she's been so petite, I like to dress her comfortably. She didn't wear anything but onesies and footers when she was a brand new flower. Even now she generally doesn't get dolled up except for appointment days.

Which is like, unfathomable in practically every mom circle with which I associate. ESPECIALLY since I am an influencer and both Tiger Lily and Brother Bear are tot models.

Tiger Lily is adorable. (I'm biased, but I'm also honest.) She has big deep grey eyes. Her skin is a really nice mocha tone. She doesn't have a ton of hair but the bit she has is very dark and super shiny. Her hair is beginning to curl, and has twirled itself into an adorable cowlick. She still has those kissable baby cheeks. Because she's so slight in stature, she truly looks like a baby doll.

Alas, I have not indulged the inclination to buy tons of tiny, trendy baby girl gear. Not in the newborn sizes, anyway.(Even though my Thumbelina baby could have worn them for months easily.)

But now I  enjoying dressing her up sometimes. She won't ever be stuffed into twelve pounds of ruffles with a ten pounds bow on her head, and she won't likely wear full pageant attire to Wal-Mart, but she can now wear little leggings and tunics. I've ordered a tiny salwar kameez for her. (She'll get a saree when she's older, and taller!)