The death of the consumer reporter...

This post is for all my friends that have known me over the years as a sort of consumer reporter if you will...

If you were having a baby after me, there is not much you needed to do as I researched EVERYTHING! Strollers, monitors, doctors, hospitals, breastpumps, bottles- I only got the best for me and my wee one. My friends would call me all the time and ask what I knew about something and I would share my knowledge. I really was especially particular about car seats. I did the most research on them and once I selected one, I took it to the fire station to have it securely fastened into my car by a firefighter.

I enjoyed learning about every thing and enjoyed sharing what I learned. One time, I kid you not, I got an email from someone I did not even know. It said this... "I was told to ask you what car seat to buy. Let me know what you think..." So I emailed back several questions and once this gal answered, I sent my response- of course letting her know that some car seats can be good but not good for your vehicle so it is always important to have a fitting by the local fire department to ensure that the seat is appropriate for the vehicle...

So now that my newer friends have background let me tell you what happened when Selina, child number three came home...

Me- We have to go to Babies R Us and get a new carseat. Selina is light for her age so I need chair with a five point harness that is more like a booster seat.

TR- Okay

So off we go to Babies R Us..

TR- What one are we looking at? (Expecting me to whip out my notes on car seats like I used to do)

Me- The one with the best cup holder.

TR- WHAT???

Me- The one with the best cup holder. I am sure they are all great these days. The problem is that with car seats with a five point, they often have "strap on" cup holders. We don't want any of that crap. Selina needs a built in cup holder. It's hot, she's thirsty. Were picking the one with the most comfy seat and definitely the one with the best cup holder.

TR- We are selecting the car seat based on the cup holder??

Me- Damn right we are...

I seriously rock... Look at that cup holder- I have 13 cup holders in my 7 passenger van (14 now with Selina's) and hers is the best- by far!



Look at that smile- she loves her cup holder!



Off to the baby monitors....

Me- We need a baby monitor too.

TR- Which ones are we looking at?

Me- I have no idea.

TR- WHAT? You have no idea about any of these? What are we supposed to do?

Me- I don't know, do what most Americans do and just pick one. Look for a brand we like or one that looks like it can be thrown across the room and still keep working. Are any of them waterproof?

TR- (annoyed) I can't believe we are just going to pick one.

Me- Yep. Let's get one that is a little smaller. I want to be able to pull it back out when the kids are teens and hide it in their rooms to listen in on their conversations.

TR- You aren't going to do that?

Me- We'll see, I am definitely keeping my options open. On that note, grab one with a thicker cord so it won't get sucked up in the vacuum and break like the last one did.

TR- You're unbelievable.

So there you have it. The third child did me in. Love the car seat! The monitor- not so much. Too much interference. In the chaos of my life at the time, I lost the receipt right away so I am stuck with it. Oh well.

I am a resourceful woman though and have come up with a plan. I am going to seek out a younger version of me to become friends with so I can call her from Babies R Us or whatever store I am at next time and get her advice.

So calling newer, fresher moms out there... if you are the consumer reporter that I used to be... send me your number!! :-)