Double Stroller, Sling, Minivan...??

As far as the minivan.... I bought a Dodge Grand Caravan after I had my second child. I really wish I would have gone with something more along the lines of a crossover. The truth is there will be times when you want a grown up night and you would probably rather not be in a minivan. As far as the quality of my minivan.... Runs great but I cant keep tires on it or the front end aligned my bff has a caravan as well and the same problems that I have. Just something to think about. Good Luck!

my two are 21 months apart and i love every minute! things just seemed a little less stressful the 2nd time around for me b/c i knew what i was doing!

i love my tandem sit n stand joovy stroller. It has a universal carseat attachment to fit all types. I have a graco carseat and it works fine. I bought it at lone star baby depot off of 820/183. They have tons of strollers right on the floor that you can try out. My toddler loves to be able to sit or kneel/stand. She also loves that she can get down easily.

we are planning on buying a minivan in a year. (I have been using my sedan with my two kids for a year now and you can fit two kids in a sedan btw). We are going to get either the honda oddesey or the toyota seinna. Both are top rated for safty and dependability. I think the toyota a little more so.

good luck.

I received an Ergo baby carrier (without the infant insert) when my daughter was almost 4 months old. My daughter turned 3 in November, and I still use it. It is one of the best gifts I have ever received. http://www.ergobabycarriers.com

Not sure if you have ever heard of Just Between Friends. But if you are looking for some slightly used items like the double stroller check out the website for a upcoming sale. I am involved in the one in Arlington and the link is http://arlington.jbfsale.com/. Or go into www.jbfsale.com to find any sale in the Metroplex.

I am not sure if you are definite about the minivan yet...but if you haven't decided....the toyota highlanders are really nice and they seat 7 to 8 people. I have 3 kiddos right now(2 of which are in car seats) and one on the way and we have plenty of room for kiddos.....just something to think about and it still get really great gas mileage. Hope whatever you decide on works out for you.... :)

1. If cost is an issue buy a used double stroller. Typically they aren't used for that long and stay in good condition. Check Once upon a child, craigs list or garage sales.

2. Unless you are planning on having 5 kids you don't need a minivan. I would go with a small to midsize suv. They have so many now that have great features. If you do get a minivan don't get a dodge or chrysler. I have had two of them (cuz they were cheaper) and both have had many problems.
Best of luck to you.

I can speak about the sling, sort of. I don't have experience with the Elaroo. I liked the Moby Wrap best for new babies. It felt secure and was more comfortable. The biggest trick was learning to wrap it. It took a few times to get the hang of it. I also have a ring sling that works great if you need something that can go on and off quickly. I've also heard good things about Mei Tai.

I LOOVVVE my moby wrap. Mobywrap.com, or you can go try one out at a yoga studio in Fort Worth. Here's the info:

Prenatal Yoga
Wednesdays 6:30 - 7:30 PM

Location Hobbstudios Yoga

Teacher Katy Hobbs
Fees $65 for 5 classes
$15 for drop-ins

For more Information Pre-registration is suggested, space is limited
1.###-###-#### or ____@____.com

I use a Graco double stoller - heavy, but nice for zoo trips or long shopping trips.

Used the sling a bit with the second b/c I had an 18 month old when my younger was born. I use a hip sling more now that she is 7 months old. That is really fantastic - I used it with my first as well quite a bit for hands-free. I, like you, just never really got into the sling b/c I could never figure it out.

We have a minivan - Dodge Caravan. I like it b/c it has all of the auto doors which are awesome when you are carting our two little kids. Very roomy, plus you can make the entire van into a flat bed if you needed to. It has a lot of different options.

Mine were 26 months apart. I ended up with the Graco DuoGlider XL. One thing I needed that many strollers did not have was a snack and drink tray that completely goes across him for my oldest. That was a necessity for me, and many didn't have anything or only had a cup holder and snack holder on the side. You should also be sure your double stroller allows for a comfortable seat, and not just the bench that many sit and stand's have. Your son will almost definitely need a secure seat at that age. I too tried a sling with my first, but never really felt comfortable with it. That was a Hotsling I had borrowed from a friend. However, with #2 is is more of a necessity. I got used to it very fast. My daughter turned 1 yesterday and we still use that sling several times per week. Ours is a Green Pea http://www.greenpeadesigns.com/ I LOVE it.

regarding the sling...

Neither of my DDs (2 1/2 and 1 month) have liked a sling - the cradle hold especially seemed to smush them too much... My 1 month old is okay with being held upright in the sling, but I'm not confident enough to let go with both hands, so it's not super-helpful to me. Instead of the sling, I've recently decided to try a soft structured carrier so I could use both shoulders to distribute the weight and could hold her hands-free - this allows me to get chores done and play with my older daughter. We're still working on liking the soft-structured carrier, but I think this is something that might work for you (or a mei tai or a wrap or something that goes over both shoulders so you can hold your baby hands-free). Go to thebabywearer.com for reviews and forums regarding all aspects of babywearing. I used the reviews to make my decision based on my needs and my size (I'm small and needed something that wouldn't fall off).

I used a Graco double stroller and my infant carseat that was Graco fit just fine. I can't remember what I paid because that was almost 6 years ago. But I found it on sale at Target. My first 2 are 27 months about - very much used my double stroller.

Sling - I am using a Baby K'tan with my 3rd baby - www.babyktan.com - you can carry a baby 8 different ways in it - there is no wrapping or buckles - it is so easy to use and comfortable. Parents designed it by combining features from other carriers and slings. My baby can be fussy and I put him in it and he calms right down. I would say this is a must have item!

I drive a Dodge Grand Caravan and love it - very easy to get the kids in and out and I have had no problems.

Hey -
I can't help with the stroller or sling, but I bought a used Honda Odyssey this past year and I love it. I bought it from a person and when I sold my car, I was able to pay the Odyssey off - there are some great deals out there, so be sure to look for them. If you use Autotrader.com, you can search for very specific features that you want (under the advanced search). I searched mainly for cars under 100k miles. My Odyssey is wonderful and the part that I love the best is the sliding door so that my son can get in and out of the car by himself without me having to worry about him hitting the car next to ours in the parking lot. With the Odyssey, you just pull on the door handle and the door opens. The cup holders for the back seats are in bad locations, but my son is still in a booster seat and uses the cup holders built in to the booster. We do have the DVD player in the Odyssey, which I love. My son is 5 and can manage the headphones and remote by himself. The sliding door of the Odyssey gives you much better access to a rear facing car seat than my previous car did and so I LOVE that.

My parents bought a Dodge minivan this past year and it is nice as well. The features in it that I like are - they have shades that hide down into the door. You can lift them up and hook them on a hook on the ceiling to block out sunlight. I LOVE that feature. Also, the stow and go seats are nice.

My kids are 5 and 1. As someone said, you can get a different vehicle for just 2 kids. You don't have to have a minivan. BUT, I LOVE the extra back row for my son's friends mainly, but also for my parents. It is nice to have all of the available seating. The gas mileage is better on the minivans than on some of the larger SUVs that do have the third row seating. Definitely look beyond the dealers for a good deal though - I used Craigslist as well to search for cars.

-L.

I have a 2000 Chevy Astro - I wish it had sliding doors on both sides, but other than that it's fantastic.

My sit and stand from one step ahead held the baby carseat (Graco), but there is no seat for the older one - it is a jump seat.

I used an Over the Shoulder Baby Holder - but if you go to Babywearing.com (I think), they have several different kinds that wear several different ways. The trick with a real sling is to have the sling between the baby's body and you (or as the baby gets older, have the butt sit in the cup formed from the shoulder to the knee). it's a hammock that way, and the tension (over the shoulder, hip, body) keep it secure and comfortable. I've never dropped a baby out of one... even carrying two at a time, front, hip or back carry.

The sling I can't help you with, but I'll give you my input on the other two ....
1- the double stroller. They make a single and double sit 'n stand .... the single one would be better if your 1st born was older, but since she's not, I would recommend the "double" sit 'n stand. It can be a regular double stroller (front and back), and then when your 1st born is ready, the back seat can come out, and she can sit/stand on the back -- I have a 2 1/2 year old and am expecting my second in August .... I LOVE this stroller!
2- I have a Toyota Sienna and LOVE IT!! Toyota are very safe and very reliable!!!!

I can't help you with the stroller, but I used a sling with my 2nd from hugmonkey.com - loved it. There are directions on the website and you can use it as they get bigger. I didn't get it until she was a few months old but it would have been great for nursing when she was younger too.

As for the van, we did TONS of research at the end of 2007 and based on everything we found including insurance reports and consumer reports the 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan was the best model and year. We got one around Christmas 07 an I love love love it!

Good Luck!