I caved...

When we were preparing for Claire's birth I was determined to keep baby gear at a minimum citing our small house and very limited storage space. I figured my parents got by with less than a 1/4 of the inventions that are currently out there for babies so why can't we. The first item I railed against? An infant car seat. When we were shopping around for pack n plays someone passed one along to us and I figured I would pass it along to someone in my family to use while watching Claire. The carseat has never made it into the hands of other family members, while not the primary carseat for Claire it has proven VERY helpful. The next item I was against? A swing. We really don't have the room but nevertheless, a swing adorns our living room and has proven so helpful. Again, this was another free hand me down. The third item I was against was a bumbo. Although the bumbo isn't big it still doesn't compact down to store well and Claire has the bouncer and swing, why do we need a bumbo? Well, last week I discovered why. She has started trying to sit up using her little stomach muscles. Whether it is laying on her changed, sitting in my lap or hanging out in the bouncer, Claire started to pull herself up. That means no more bouncer (a primary sitting place for Claire). SO...after searching Craigslist for a reasonable one, I caved and gave the ok to get a bumbo. In its first week in our home, it has proved to be a very useful item.