The astonishing start-up costs and learning curve
A couple of weeks ago, on a Saturday, Werner and I drove out to TJ's big store on SW Marine Drive. We knew that babies need a bewildering volume of stuff (nevermind everything that - so much like a wedding - we would be told we'd need to have or else we'd be irredemably terrible parents), but the first time in the store was a bit overwhelming. Where to start??
Maria had already given me some suggestions on where to start. The layette, for one. (My Mom, the eager grandmother-to-be, is already hard at work on that one!) And a crib. "Ok, let's focus on the crib," we decided. I lost count of how many cribs there were at TJ's, but (again, this reminds me of our wedding - and especially my gown) it was the first or second crib that we saw there that might just be 'the one'. It is sturdy and appeals to our tastes, yet not $1000. We do not want a convertible crib (a near unthinkable decision, apparently), so our choices are limited. We like the colour. And it is in stock.
Not that we've actually ordered it, but at least we've made a decision. Maybe.
We looked at other stuff, too. A car seat is a given - but which one? How on earth are we to know now what we'll like then? Gliders seem to be all the rage in nurseries, and I guess understandable. After all, given how much time I'll be nursing kleines Bärchen, a comfy chair would not go to waste. But that was too much to consider! Play yards, too. (I guess playpen just sounded too... oh, I don't know... pentitential?) And all the little things that baby will need.
After lunch at Solly's, we tried Babies R Us. No cribs there that we liked. We may have decided on the Diaper Genie, though, over the Safety 1st diaper disposal. And we found that the prices at Babies R Us are no better than those at TJ's, a local store. The service was far better at TJ's, too. Maybe we'll keep our money in the local economy. Other stores we've visited in Vancouver include Crocodile and Baby's World.
And then there's baby clothes. My mother, the eager Nan-to-be, has already been shopping and has picked up some adorable outfits (including an adorable pair of Robeeze with bears on the toes!). My Nan has knitted a sweater, my aunt is knitting a blanket, and my aunt's friend has sent up another handknit sweater. And our friends Jo and Timothy have lent us a huge assortment of infant clothes, already enjoyed by their son. I have picked up a couple of little onesies (or maybe they're diaper shirts?), and in Montréal I found a cute outfit with a cat and fish. This is all a good start, but I guess we've still got much more to sort out - clothes, receiving blankets, sleeping bags, and so on....
We've long been sold on the Bugaboo Cameleon stroller, but Bugaboo is giving us too much choice, and we haven't decided on a colour scheme. And then there's the diaper bag.
I'd already acquired a copy of Baby Bargains and have been studying it these last few weeks. Who knew how complicated it could all get?? I never would have imagined that crib linens could warrant a whole chapter! But apparently thread count is even more important in baby linens than in adult beds. I can see now that we could easily spend more on the nursery alone than we have on all the rest of the furniture in our entire house. But we won't. Seriously, if we don't have a $1500 dresser in our room, should we have one for the nursery? Maybe that makes us selfish or bad. In my opinion, though, that's just realistic - afterall, we're not very likely to use crayons on our bedroom furniture. (Although we do have an exuberant cat who likes to jump up on our dressers, but doesn't always make it without using her claws to arrest a backwards fall...)
{sigh} So many choices, so many decisions. And this really is just the start.
Maria had already given me some suggestions on where to start. The layette, for one. (My Mom, the eager grandmother-to-be, is already hard at work on that one!) And a crib. "Ok, let's focus on the crib," we decided. I lost count of how many cribs there were at TJ's, but (again, this reminds me of our wedding - and especially my gown) it was the first or second crib that we saw there that might just be 'the one'. It is sturdy and appeals to our tastes, yet not $1000. We do not want a convertible crib (a near unthinkable decision, apparently), so our choices are limited. We like the colour. And it is in stock.
Not that we've actually ordered it, but at least we've made a decision. Maybe.
We looked at other stuff, too. A car seat is a given - but which one? How on earth are we to know now what we'll like then? Gliders seem to be all the rage in nurseries, and I guess understandable. After all, given how much time I'll be nursing kleines Bärchen, a comfy chair would not go to waste. But that was too much to consider! Play yards, too. (I guess playpen just sounded too... oh, I don't know... pentitential?) And all the little things that baby will need.
After lunch at Solly's, we tried Babies R Us. No cribs there that we liked. We may have decided on the Diaper Genie, though, over the Safety 1st diaper disposal. And we found that the prices at Babies R Us are no better than those at TJ's, a local store. The service was far better at TJ's, too. Maybe we'll keep our money in the local economy. Other stores we've visited in Vancouver include Crocodile and Baby's World.
And then there's baby clothes. My mother, the eager Nan-to-be, has already been shopping and has picked up some adorable outfits (including an adorable pair of Robeeze with bears on the toes!). My Nan has knitted a sweater, my aunt is knitting a blanket, and my aunt's friend has sent up another handknit sweater. And our friends Jo and Timothy have lent us a huge assortment of infant clothes, already enjoyed by their son. I have picked up a couple of little onesies (or maybe they're diaper shirts?), and in Montréal I found a cute outfit with a cat and fish. This is all a good start, but I guess we've still got much more to sort out - clothes, receiving blankets, sleeping bags, and so on....
We've long been sold on the Bugaboo Cameleon stroller, but Bugaboo is giving us too much choice, and we haven't decided on a colour scheme. And then there's the diaper bag.
I'd already acquired a copy of Baby Bargains and have been studying it these last few weeks. Who knew how complicated it could all get?? I never would have imagined that crib linens could warrant a whole chapter! But apparently thread count is even more important in baby linens than in adult beds. I can see now that we could easily spend more on the nursery alone than we have on all the rest of the furniture in our entire house. But we won't. Seriously, if we don't have a $1500 dresser in our room, should we have one for the nursery? Maybe that makes us selfish or bad. In my opinion, though, that's just realistic - afterall, we're not very likely to use crayons on our bedroom furniture. (Although we do have an exuberant cat who likes to jump up on our dressers, but doesn't always make it without using her claws to arrest a backwards fall...)
{sigh} So many choices, so many decisions. And this really is just the start.
posted by Melanie A at 4:27 p.m.
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