My first child, Alison, rarely rode in a stroller. When she did, it was a hand-me-down from my sister-in-law. I honestly couldn’t tell you what brand it was, but I remember that it was blue. I used it 2 or 3 times. Mostly, she rode in the snugli or baby bjorn until she could walk, which was at 15 months. Around that time I started using an umbrella stroller occasionally when we traveled because she was unwilling to be strapped to me anymore. With Blythe, things are completely different. I hemorrhaged two weeks after she was born and physically couldn’t carry her infant carrier by myself. Along came yet another hand-me-down from my friend Kim, a stroller frame designed to hold a Graco infant car seat. That thing is great! It’s lightweight, can fit in the smallest space and is so convenient for running errands or just about anything. Just snap and go! I fell deeply in love with this stroller and never, ever left the house without it for the first 4 months. Being the anal-retentive person I am, I started to worry what I would do once Blythe outgrew her infant carrier and I could no longer use this stroller I was so attached to. I started asking people about their strollers and researching them online. A whole new world opened up to me – I had no idea there were so many options! And then I found it online: the perfect stroller that I could use for Blythe now, as an infant, and that would grow with her. The Peg Perego Venezian. Oh, how I wanted it. I started noticing them when I was out and about, and was gawking at them more than once, causing alarm to those around me. But no way could I justify spending $450 on a stroller, no matter how much I thought I’d be using it. Even on Craigslist they are close to $300. I figured I would just pine away, until I found one I felt was affordable online. Then one day, in a consignment store near me (www.kids-barn.com) I came across it by accident: my Holy Grail. A Peg Perego Venezian, in perfect condition (although missing the snack tray – easily fixed, they are $35 on the Peg Perego site) and everything I ever dreamed it could be. The price tag? A very affordable $100. I was in Heaven. After being given a quick demonstration on how to work it, I wheeled my prize out to the car and started using it 30 minutes later. Even Alison, who never has been a stroller girl, loved it. Since it is so versatile, she could easily ride in it and I could convert it for Blythe to use a minute later. Blythe is so much more willing to take a nap in the stroller when we us the Peg Perego, because she can lay flat instead of being in a seat. I still use the snap-in stroller for errands (because it really is so easy) but most of the time I use my lovely Venezian just because it makes me smile.
Categories