I think I forgot to mention the sex of our baby. At our last ultrasound (Feb. 2) the doctor said that she was 80% sure that it was going to be a boy (there was a white-ish ball between the legs!). At the previous ultrasound because of the way the baby was angled, she couldn't tell the sex, but it seems like this last time she was pretty sure. . . at least 80% sure. She said that sometimes they think it's going to be a boy and it ends up being a girl. I guess nothing is for sure. My mom also told me that I was supposed to be a boy! In Japan, they do an ultrasound at each appointment, which is exciting, because we can see the baby developing at the different stages. The doctor pointed out the developing eyes, and we could see the brain, heart beating, and even the bones in it's hands! Each time, they take measurements of the arms, legs, head and tell us approximately how heavy the baby is. From our last appointment it was 455grams (not sure how heavy that is, but you can imagine it being about 8 ounces I think. I'm just imagining an 8 ounce Outback prime rib in my tummy!)
So, now we can focus on boy's names! However, we can never agree on one! We're leaning towards a Japanese name that sounds good in English too. Actually we may have finally agreed on one that K picked out. I just have to let it grow on me. OR see if I can think of something better.
Friday, February 22, 2008
If you're having a baby. . .
Our Shopping trip home was great! We received a lot of gifts from the baby shower (thanks to everyone) and were able to buy everything else that we needed. Our main goal was to get a stroller while we were at home. After shopping around in Japan and checking out the prices of strollers, we definitely wanted to get one in CA! In Japan, the average price of a stroller is around $500, and it's not even that good!
We searched many baby shops in the bay area: Baby's R Us (San Jose and Fremont locations), Target, Burlington Coat Factory (they actually have a big stroller selection!), Lullaby Lane (San Bruno) and various baby shops at the Great Mall, Stanford, and Valley Fair. I'd have to say that after shopping at so many places, things start to look the same. . . but some stores definitely stood out from the rest (both good and bad). Okay, so here's my opinion.
Baby's R Us - good all around shop for clothing, accessories, and all those baby toys that you'll be needing, but they do lack in service. You're not really supposed to open up the baby carriers (even though everyone else does, so the boxes are all torn!). They do have a good selection of your average strollers: single, double, umbrella folding, etc. all under $250. However, there isn't really anyone there to show you how to fold/operate the strollers, so you're on your own! We ended up getting a lot of our baby supplies here since it is a one stop shopping area and they have pretty much anything you would need.
Burlington Coat Factory - Yes, they actually have a baby section and a good selection of strollers, however, the selection is the same as Baby's R Us. I don't recommend shopping here (Great Mall location) because everything was really messy and unorganized! Things were on the floor and/or poorly organized on shelves. (I don't know about you, but if a store is messy, I don't even want to shop there!) AND there isn't anyone to help you with the strollers either! They do have a good selection of baby furniture though.
Target - Small baby section. They only have a few strollers, which are put up on shelves and hooked together, so you can't take them down to look at them at all! I don't recommend getting a stroller there! No stroller assistance either!
Lullaby Lane - http://www.lullabylane.com/ I really liked this store. It's a small place compared to Baby's R Us (and a bit far all the way in San Bruno), but they have a lot of good quality items. I'd describe it as a baby boutique, and I think they get the type of customers who are willing to spend a little more on their babies. They have a great selection of high-end, overseas brand strollers (ones that you won't find at Baby's R Us). Of course they are also more expensive! But if you're looking for a jogging stroller, or a stroller with suspension, big tires, etc. This is the place to go! This shop has stroller experts who show you how to fold\operate all the strollers. We described what type of stroller we wanted (umbrella folding, suspension, adjustable handle bar, able to hold a baby car seat, and food tray.) The salesperson was able to quickly show us which strollers fit our requirements. This is where we got our stroller! We were deciding between the Graco Cleo (this is the ONLY store that had it!), Maclaren (I forget the model), and the Peg Perego Pliko P3 (Italian brand). After practicing opening/closing the strollers and looking at over all design and practicality and not to mention weight, we decided upon the Pliko P3 in navy blue. They even assembled the stroller for us for free! Talk about service! They even have an outlet shop next door that sells furniture, bedding, and strollers which are last year's models for cheaper. We could have gotten last year's Pliko P3 for about $50 cheaper, but they didn't have the color we wanted, since stock is limited to what is on hand and sometimes you have to get the display model. I later found out that this shop is family owned, which would explain the great service! I would definitely recommend this shop to anyone that is expecting a baby or already has a little one at home!
Okay, so the bottom line is: For the small stuff, you're better off getting it at Baby's R Us. For the bigger items: stroller, car seat, baby carrier, etc. you're better off shopping at Lullaby Lane. But of course, after visiting both stores, I would take note of what items you want and check the prices on Amazon. The baby carriers and strollers are generally cheaper online and sometimes include free shipping. Just make sure you go to a shop and test everything out before you decide to buy online!
We searched many baby shops in the bay area: Baby's R Us (San Jose and Fremont locations), Target, Burlington Coat Factory (they actually have a big stroller selection!), Lullaby Lane (San Bruno) and various baby shops at the Great Mall, Stanford, and Valley Fair. I'd have to say that after shopping at so many places, things start to look the same. . . but some stores definitely stood out from the rest (both good and bad). Okay, so here's my opinion.
Baby's R Us - good all around shop for clothing, accessories, and all those baby toys that you'll be needing, but they do lack in service. You're not really supposed to open up the baby carriers (even though everyone else does, so the boxes are all torn!). They do have a good selection of your average strollers: single, double, umbrella folding, etc. all under $250. However, there isn't really anyone there to show you how to fold/operate the strollers, so you're on your own! We ended up getting a lot of our baby supplies here since it is a one stop shopping area and they have pretty much anything you would need.
Burlington Coat Factory - Yes, they actually have a baby section and a good selection of strollers, however, the selection is the same as Baby's R Us. I don't recommend shopping here (Great Mall location) because everything was really messy and unorganized! Things were on the floor and/or poorly organized on shelves. (I don't know about you, but if a store is messy, I don't even want to shop there!) AND there isn't anyone to help you with the strollers either! They do have a good selection of baby furniture though.
Target - Small baby section. They only have a few strollers, which are put up on shelves and hooked together, so you can't take them down to look at them at all! I don't recommend getting a stroller there! No stroller assistance either!
Lullaby Lane - http://www.lullabylane.com/ I really liked this store. It's a small place compared to Baby's R Us (and a bit far all the way in San Bruno), but they have a lot of good quality items. I'd describe it as a baby boutique, and I think they get the type of customers who are willing to spend a little more on their babies. They have a great selection of high-end, overseas brand strollers (ones that you won't find at Baby's R Us). Of course they are also more expensive! But if you're looking for a jogging stroller, or a stroller with suspension, big tires, etc. This is the place to go! This shop has stroller experts who show you how to fold\operate all the strollers. We described what type of stroller we wanted (umbrella folding, suspension, adjustable handle bar, able to hold a baby car seat, and food tray.) The salesperson was able to quickly show us which strollers fit our requirements. This is where we got our stroller! We were deciding between the Graco Cleo (this is the ONLY store that had it!), Maclaren (I forget the model), and the Peg Perego Pliko P3 (Italian brand). After practicing opening/closing the strollers and looking at over all design and practicality and not to mention weight, we decided upon the Pliko P3 in navy blue. They even assembled the stroller for us for free! Talk about service! They even have an outlet shop next door that sells furniture, bedding, and strollers which are last year's models for cheaper. We could have gotten last year's Pliko P3 for about $50 cheaper, but they didn't have the color we wanted, since stock is limited to what is on hand and sometimes you have to get the display model. I later found out that this shop is family owned, which would explain the great service! I would definitely recommend this shop to anyone that is expecting a baby or already has a little one at home!
Okay, so the bottom line is: For the small stuff, you're better off getting it at Baby's R Us. For the bigger items: stroller, car seat, baby carrier, etc. you're better off shopping at Lullaby Lane. But of course, after visiting both stores, I would take note of what items you want and check the prices on Amazon. The baby carriers and strollers are generally cheaper online and sometimes include free shipping. Just make sure you go to a shop and test everything out before you decide to buy online!
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