A couple of weeks ago I got a call from the Viper Pilot’s uncle. He was in Mainz (near Frankfurt) on business so we drove over to have dinner with him one rainy Saturday evening. It was so good to see a familiar face — and IN Germany! We haven’t seen him since our wedding and it was great to catch up.
I just really love fall. I think I maybe love fall decor more than Christmas decor. Maaaaybe.
Germany is beautiful in the fall, that is, when it isn’t raining. We are surrounded but not-quite-mountains-but-larger-than-bluffs that are smothered in trees when they aren’t lined with a vineyard. The contrast between the changing leaves and the evergreens is breathtaking. There is usually a stray cloud lingering in the big valleys when the air is crisp which makes it so picturesque. I don’t think the leaves have reached their peak yet. I haven’t really had an opportunity to take pictures anyway. I’m hoping we can find an hour to go for a hike this weekend or next to enjoy the scenery. To really get myself into the fall spirit, I went to a local pumpkin farm and stocked up.
I’ve never seen so many pumpkins in one place, and neither has my house. They’re everywhere, but I love the little touch of fall in every room.
Fall is an awesome time of the year. Our birthdays, mine was on the fourth and the Viper Pilot has one tomorrow. I can think of someone else who will be having a birthday in the fall. 😉 He surprised me by coming home earlier than usual (early is anytime before 7 pm) with a cake and sparkling cider. We have pictures, but there is just nothing more cliché than a pregnant woman with a cake so I’ll spare you.
Despite being a four day week due to Columbus Day on Monday, it’s a busy one for the Viper Pilot. I swore up and down that I missed the 14 hour work days. I miss him a lot on weeks like this but fortunately he comes home every night, even if it is at 9 pm. After all the lonely nights last summer, I can be okay with that. Besides, I’ve found several activities to keep me busy like laundry, cleaning, organizing cabinets…and today I take on this project:
We’re having a baby in just a few weeks and clearly we’re ready. Despite the current state of the nursery, we have most of what we need. It’s just not assembled or put away. Scoff it you must, but I promise the baby doesn’t care. We have a place for the babe to sleep, multiple means of food for babe, a few clothes and diapers, and as of two days ago, a stroller and car seat.
Last Monday, we spent a good 3 hours stroller shopping. Oy. We pulled up to Baby One and just by how small the store looked, we were worried they wouldn’t have many strollers to chose from. Ha, we were worried…there were probably 100+ strollers in that store. I’m not exaggerating.
European strollers are very different from what we found of American ones when we did some online shopping. We ended up liking the European version better in terms of convenience, quality, and pushability. Their big wheels are designed for the cobblestone roads and they have a suspension system that essentially floats the baby over any bump. If you have ever seen the Britax strollers that according to Amazon are pretty hot right now, they are the closest thing to what we have over here. My mom put it best when I explained all this to her, “[Europeans] must be pretty serious about strolling babies there!” Yeah, they are.
Unlike in the states, the car seats are sold separately from strollers. You can buy them bundled but there is really only one brand of car seat (Maxi Cosi) and it is cheapest to go that route. Think of it like facial tissues. There are Kleenexes and Puffs, but you don’t ask someone for a Puff, you usually ask someone for a Kleenex (even when it is a $0.75 Puff Plus tissue infused with lotion and lavender scented). Most stroller brands have an adapter so you can attach the Maxi Cosi to the stroller frame. The car seat base has lights that indicate when the car seat is in the correct position and if everything is secure. The base is generic for every seat the kiddo will need. It can be used for rear or forward facing. They are cheaper when you buy them with the seat, so we ended up with two bases, an infant car seat, and the next stage seat for a really good price. This kid is set.
Europe has different standards, one big difference you may have noticed from the picture is the lack of a chest clip. I know many parents wouldn’t even dream of putting their baby in a car seat without a chest clip, but before you throw flames at us, you should know that the Viper Pilot doesn’t even wear a five point harness in his jet.
(Don’t worry, the car seat will be safe for the babe regardless of whether we live in the states, Italy, Korea, or Japan.)
Picking a stroller was no easy task (for me). At one point, I was plopped down in a bean bag chair on the verge of tears and told the Viper Pilot that I couldn’t do this and to go on without me. We {finally} settled on a high rated German made stroller, Gesslein that was in our price range. Much to my dismay, we were limited to the patterns and colors available on the floor – if we ordered one, we wouldn’t get it until Nov/Dec. Thanks to the help of my mom and sisters, I went with a black one with baby blue trim. I don’t love it, but I don’t hate it, either. It does go well with my diaper bag (I finally decided on one). <– am I a bad parent because of how concerned I was about the aesthetics of baby’s ride?
That’s probably more than you ever cared to know about European strollers and car seats. Sorry. I guess this is kind of my life right now. Well, I’m off to assemble an IKEA dresser. Wish me luck.
PROST!
Karen says
I have a Maxi Cosi Mico car seat and the Kate Spade Stevie diaper bag. I can't recommend both of them enough. Great choices! 🙂