Posted Saturday, April 17, 2010 1:54 PM
We purchased our Indie Twin on Cyber Monday in 2009 and got a great deal on it with free shipping from Babies R Us.
We've been using it for well over a month now and here are the things we like and dislike about it:
Pros:
- driving it is so easy, it turns on a dime
- it's a much smoother ride for the kids - it's less bumpy over the same areas we travel than in our single Graco stroller
- the instructions say you can't use a snack pack with a car seat adapter at the same time but I've managed to make it work; you have to put the snack pack in first and then the car seat into the adapter (Graco Safe Seat); the car seat has to be pushed in a little but fits like a glove
- haven't met a doorway we couldn't make it through yet
- great drive/ride over grass and mulch
- includes rain cover and instructions
- includes car seat adapter with secure belt to hold the car seat in safely; it hooks into the existing harness so you only have to attach it and detach it without having to adjust or remove anything else
Cons:
- lowering the footrest can result in pinched fingers - poor design IMO
- parent cup holder only hooks into one side or the other which makes it too wide for some doorways
- for whatever reason they chose not to supply you with complete instructions; I had to request instructions on how to adjust the harness height
- no parent console unit included; had to purchase one of my own for $20
- it comes with comfort pads around the harness at the neck on each side and also between the legs; the pad between the legs comes off easy so when my toddler gets out on her own she always takes it with her; I finally had to put it into a pocket so it wouldn't get lost and have just left it there; eventually I'll use a safety pin to hold it in place
- getting the car seat adapter and snack pack out for folding isn't easy
If you have your own praise or complaints about this stroller, feel free to comment!
Posted Saturday, April 17, 2010 1:50 PM
A friend of ours recommended we put mylicon drops into the bottle rather than feeding it to our daughter. It's helped her out a lot.
We use to have to sit up with her for up to 45 min after a feeding because of her gassy tummy. Now, her gassy tummy is almost completely gone. She hasn't cried at night or during the day due to a gassy tummy now that we've started doing that.
Alternatively, when I'm nursing her I give her mylicon before her feeding and then nurse. It's cut WAY down on the gas.
We have a happier baby and we're getting a little more sleep at night and stressing out less during the day.
Posted Friday, April 09, 2010 8:43 AM
If your toddler is like mine, they don't like to stay in the play area at the mall for long. Mine plays for a while and then wants to go exploring in the mall and doesn't wait for me. When it was just the 2 of us I'd have to scramble to get the stroller and run to catch up to her. Now with a newborn it's not so easy but this is how I have learned to handle it and prepared for the experience.
I plan everything and get the bag and all the gear ready the night before for a morning at the mall before it opens. I prefer going early because there are fewer people for her to run into.
Even inside the play area my toddler still needs supervision with me right there because she sometimes runs into other kids, pushes other kids out of her way if they're going too slow on the slide and she can get pushed by other kids too. I like to be right there. But you can't do that with a newborn in a car seat and keep an eye on her too.
I invested in a Baby Bjorn and wear her into the play area so I can still watch my toddler closely. The only problem is getting her into it and making my toddler wait. Since my toddler has been known to take 2 steps into the play area and then turn right around and run off into the mall, she waits in the stroller while I get the newborn into the carrier before I let her out. She doesn't like it but I've learned to tune her out during that time.
When she's done playing or when I've decided I can't chase her anymore, I put her back into the stroller before getting the baby out of her carrier. Thankfully during this time she sleeps and isn't a problem at all to handle. I give the toddler some snacks and then I get to walk the mall for some exercise of my own.
To stay organized on the stroller I use a large baby tote bag in addition to a double stroller organizer attached to the handle. Everything I need is within quick and easy reach. It takes much longer to get ready once we get out of the car to go in, but it's worth it when your toddler or newborn is screaming for a snack or pacifier.
Taking longer for a mall outing is a pain but you do what you have to do for 2 under 2!
Posted Thursday, April 08, 2010 2:28 PM
I posted on the 2u2 board about a good diaper bag for 2 kids a while back and found some cool bags that don't look like a diaper bag from some helpful moms. But the one thing I kept coming back to was that they were all bigger than my current bag but were still not quite big enough.
Well I found 2 bags that have enough room for all the stuff I need to carry for all 3 of us:
This splurge bag - Juicy Couture Bag
This bag is $300 but it's so cute! I know it has the word baby on it but it doesn't look like your traditional baby bag and that's what I love about it. In addition to the fact that it has lots of pockets and is over 21 inches long!!! I've seen it in person at Neiman's and it's perfect for the mom of 2 or more kids. The only problem of course is the recession has put a hold on our splurge spending so maybe Santa will bring it for x-mas.
This save bag - Eddie Bauer Tote Bag
This bag is just as large and has just as many pockets as the Juicy bag but it comes in way under budget at only $40! It's not as cute but it certainly gets the job done and can easily be used as a weekend bag when I replace it one of these days.
I hope this post was helpful to someone or perhaps someone would like to share their cool diaper bag finds that don't look like a diaper bag.