UPPA Baby vs. City Mini

(image from UPPA Baby site)

I couldn't help it. I was seduced by a stroller.

I was in one of those baby stores that piles their inventory from floor to ceiling and was totally overwhelmed. The City Mini seemed like the sensible choice: it was really light, the baby could sleep totally flat and with one hand, it folded in half. DONE!

Now almost 9.5 months later, I cannot stand it. The basket is teeny and very hard to access, the wheels always squeak (no matter how much WD-40 we use) and I haven't done that sexy one-handed fold since we bought it.

I had imagined myself jumping into a cab at a moment's notice or heading down to the subway with my City Mini in one hand, tiny child in the other....yeah, right.

So, a few weeks ago I went to that same giant baby store and checked out the strollers. A good friend of mine has the UPPA, so I headed there first.

After talking to a NEW sales associate, I was in love (again).

I could add a second seat, I could move the chair to face me OR to face out, the basket was HUGE and easily accessible from front or back, it came with a bassinet and it wasn't that heavy ( I have an elevator in my building anyway).

But with a $679.00 price tag, there was no way I could switch.

I tried to put it out of my mind until last week when one of the Yahoo groups I belong to had a listing for an UPPA.

For about an eighth the price, they were selling their stroller and threw in a Boogie Board, rain cover and travel bag.

Long story long, I left with an UPPA!!!!

The only catch was the small broken part in the basket. I called their customer support and the super chipper Susan, helped me and sent me my part FOR FREE overnight.

I couldn't be happier with my new stroller. Buying that City Mini was only one of many baby purchases I made that didn't work out (will post some more). I thought I knew what I should buy and was convinced I didn't need any of that "cheesy" baby stuff.

Did you ever buy anything for your baby that was a total disaster?

Baby cheesecake

My son loves cheese, LOVES it.

So for dessert the other night, I made him a little something sweet. Baby cheesecake!!!!!

I was watching Dr. Oz and he had mentioned that cottage cheese had a TON of sodium in it so I tried some ricotta from Trader Joe's.

(made this great cheesecake and forgot to take a picture, sorry!)

Baby Cheesecake

2 tablespoons ricotta cheese (I used full fat)

1 Graham cracker, crumbled

1 tablespoon rehydrated, no sulfur blueberries

Stir and smush the cheese and graham crackers. Chop the blueberries (side note: I will use fresh blueberries when they're in season, but now the only options are from Chile or Mexico and have a ton of pesticides. Dried, sulfur-free from Sahadi's is the best option. I just rehydrated them) and stir into cheese and cracker crumble.

Delish...

Did you try it? What did you think?

Oatmeal add ons.

I've always loved how satisfying a good bowl of oatmeal can be.

Before we became parents it was mostly eaten on chilly mornings with a steaming cup of turkish coffee and Bloomberg radio in the background.

So, when it came time to make "baby" oatmeal, I was beyond excited. There's no real secret when it comes to making this dish, and it also means there are no real limits either.

Here's a list of the spices and fruits that are in our son's oatmeal on any given day:

spices

cardamom

cinnamon

nutmeg

allspice

turmeric

fruits

chopped apple

banana

pureed mango

pureed papaya

roasted, chopped mango

roasted, chopped pears

roasted, chopped apples

roasted, chopped peaches

roasted, chopped apricots

chopped sulfur-free raisins

sulfur-free dried blueberries

My recommendation? Try anything, at least once. I think it should be fun to introduce your child to new flavors...have fun with it! Let me know what works, or if you have any oatmeal tips/tricks.

Already working on tomorrow's post....

Adventures in baby feeding.

Creating meals for a 9 month old is no easy feat. They don't spare your feelings when you've given them something they don't like and it can be frustrating finding ways to get them to ingest the vitamins and proteins their growing bodies need. Bottom line--I've had to step up my game.

Committed to making his meals myself, I've decided to post what works (DISCLAIMER: for us, for now).

Great Greens

2 cups frozen spinach, kale, collards, Swiss chard (you can use one of these or all 4)

1 cup shelled Edamame

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Toss the leafy greens in about an inch of boiling water, just until their color changes to a vibrant green. Add the Edamame and stir for a minute or two. Drain most of the water and pour into a blender/food processor. Mixture should be chunky. Add cheese and blend.

That's it, enjoy!

Already working on tomorrow's recipe...stay tuned.