New from Clek soon!!!

Clek will be coming out with an infant insert to be used with the Foonf and the Fllo. I'm not to sure about the details but it seems like the infant insert will allow you to start using the Foonf and the Fllo once your baby is born. That's super exciting for a couple of reasons:
1. You won't have to buy 2 car seats. You can probably get away with buying 1 really good safe car seat for your child and stick with it for 5 to 6 years!
2. Keeping your child rear-facing longer can be easier with less change for your kid. For a child like mine that doesn't like change, it would have been perfect.
3. This will allow me to use my stroller bassinet more. I wouldn't have to bring the car seat out and dock it on the stroller but allow a bassinet which is more comfy for a newborn. Switching between 2 cars can become obsolete if you already own car seats from your previous children (taking into consideration that they are not expired).

I'm excited since we have 1 Orbit infant seat, 1 Orbit toddler seat, and 1 Clek Foonf. We only have 2 bases for the Orbits so now, I'm hoping I can keep 1 Orbit base in each car and a Foonf in one of the cars. That way, no matter what combination we have, the newborn will always fit in one of the cars without worrying about the infant seat. 2 in 1!!!

We picked a Cord Blood Bank - StemCyte

Through our process of elimination and Ob/gyn recommendation, we went with StemCyte. We liked their collection/processing method, decently local bank (in California), and lack of pushiness!

Although I really won't know much about the collection and processing method until I actually have the baby but my doctor recommended them based on her experience. I tried to do as much research as I could but it just wasn't very clear to differentiate between sales tactics and actual facts. What did help was that StemCyte was a public and private bank. That meant we would have access to the public should anything were to happen. Again, cord blood and tissue banking is an insurance plan so we just do your best to prepare for the worse case scenario.

I wanted something local in California so that it wouldn't be traveling so far after I had the baby. I figure the quicker it gets there, the quicker it'll get processed.

After calling all the banks, ViaCord was the absolute worse about telemarketing me afterwards through phone and email. So much so that I began to lost trust in the business. Where was their focus? Why are they so desperate? And threatening me with increased pricing wasn't going to work.

With StemCyte, it was relatively easy process. When I called in, I felt that I got educated in their product than being pushed to by. In fact, they never tried to get me to start the program but just answered by questions and said goodbye. The process to get started was easy and done within a day. I got my box and now its sitting by the garage door waiting for this little one to come. I've notified my doctor of our choice and have given her the heads up that she will need to do the collection.

So far the best person I've known to ask questions about this whole cord blood and tissue banking is probably your doctor. My doctor was very pro banking so she was informative. She's much more educated than we are and she has actual experience with all the different banks. My doctor doesn't get paid for it so I know her opinion and recommendations were neutral. So I highly recommend asking all your questions to your doctor.

I'll do an update after I have the baby and the good stuff has been processed!

Orbit G3 Frame review

So we've had the G2 frame for almost 3 years now and perhaps the only 2 things that really bother me were the brakes and the single cup holder. The G3 took my breath away. Yes, I've become that woman that obsesses over baby products.

Here are what I'm loving about the new G3 frame:

1. The brakes and flip flop/barefoot friendly. Its probably the friendliest brake system I've encountered. So, Orbit took the questionable G2 brake system to #1. Thank you Orbit Baby!!!
2. The double cup holders. You have no idea how much that means to our family. Now, how do I add a 3rd?
3. One hand fold. The G2 was already a pretty simple system but now, they simplified it even more.
4. Maneuverability. That's a long word. I hope I spelled it right. I was happy with the G2 but the G3 is smoother, easier to turn, and more absorbent on the bumps.
5. G2 family friendly. From a family that has the entire G2 line, when the G3 came out, my heart sank. I know, its not that serious but really, after investing so much money you would hope that your investment last a while and be the newest. I think the people at Orbit thought about that instead of being greedy and made the new G3 compatible with the G2 products. With baby girl number 2 due in 5 weeks, I'm really in nesting mode. Getting the G3 frame was like having my first born all over again. We didn't get too much use out of our infant carseat since my daughter wanted to sit upright at 7 months so we got the Orbit toddler car seat for her. So, I really wouldn't have been too happy about having to buy a new infant car seat since who knows how long this lil one will want to stay in it. I'm hoping for a year this time.

So, thank you Orbit Baby for making a newer and better version of the G2 without making my Orbit Baby collection outdated. And most of all, thank you for standing behind your products with great customer service and warranty. For most of my readers in the Bay Area, they are LOCAL!! And yes, you can just go to them if you need something. So for those of use that live here in Northern California, Orbit Baby is your best choice!