Over the weekend, we had some very nice weather. Even though the dirt road that we live on is muddy and full of deep ruts, I really wanted to take the boys out for a walk. Dylan really wanted me to take the double stroller out so that he could ride with his baby brother for part of our walk. I thought that it might be fun to see whether our beat up double jogging stroller (which we got from the thrift store last year) was up to the challenge.
We enjoyed a wonderful walk, and since the stroller is already rather, um, used – looking, I did not stress about getting a little mud on the tires. Okay, so maybe there was a lot of mud on the tires by the time we got home, but we had a great time. Dylan spent about half of the time outside of the stroller, squishing through the mud and stomping in puddles. Blake napped for part of the ride, even though it was bumpy.
Going out with the stroller this past weekend made me think back to last year at about this time. Last March, as soon after Blake’s birth as I was allowed to, I started going out walking with the boys. My parents had given me an Ergo front carrier and the infant insert to go with it, so I used that for Blake. Dylan, who was almost two and a half at the time, liked to ride in our single jogging stroller part of the time. He also liked to get out and walk part of the time. We are lucky to have found the right mix of baby and toddler gear to meet our needs, and we enjoyed many walks last year because of that.
If you are in the process of putting together a baby registry, you may want to think very carefully about your selections in the baby carrier and stroller department. The selection of carriers and strollers is huge, and it can be mind boggling to decide which ones will be a good fit for your lifestyle. When choosing strollers and carriers, think about what kinds of things you will want to be doing with your baby as well as how you would like to transport your baby during your adventures. Also, keep in mind that different types of strollers and carriers can be used at different ages and stages of development.
For example, since I live on a dirt road, a jogging stroller with air filled bicycle – style tires was essential for going out for long walks. For safety reasons, I could not start using it until Dylan was six months old. Since I wore Dylan in a sling everywhere I went, the sling was a great way to take him out for walks until he was old enough to go in the stroller. The same thing happened with Blake, I wore him everywhere in the Ergo, including on walks, until he was old enough to sit in our double jogging stroller safely. With the right gear for your lifestyle, you and your baby can go pretty much anywhere your hearts desire.