The best thing about the Graco travel system is the SnugRider Infant Car Seat Frame!

Like so many others, we registered for the Graco travel system.  Friends warned me that the stroller was so heavy I wouldn't use it, but I thought, "Not me- I'll appreciate the workout I'll get lifting it out of the trunk!"  (Now that the baby is here, I've never even attempted to put that stroller in my trunk- it's too heavy! haha)  The stroller (we call it the Cadillac.) is great for walks around the neighborhood, and we keep it in our entryway most of the time out of convenience/laziness.  The car seat aspect is awesome- he sleeps very well in it, and the straps are easy to adjust.
Before I became pregnant, I never even knew the Car Seat Frame existed, but as we were registering (and I became acutely aware of what baby products women were using in public), I noticed that everyone had this!  What sealed the deal for me was seeing a woman pushing it through the grocery store with ease and keeping her groceries in the basket underneath.   Then I saw another woman doing the same thing two aisles over!  I felt a bit frivolous because once he grows out of the infant carrier, the frame will be useless, but I knew I needed it.
Now I am lost without it!  It is super lightweight and turns on a dime (which makes it much easier to move around a store than a cart).  The basket underneath holds my huge diaper bag plus much more.  The lady at the Target checkout yesterday couldn't believe how many items I pulled out of there!
The one negative is that it takes two hands to pop it open.  There is a red plastic piece on the side that  snaps together when it closes to hold it all together.  It can be tricky to push apart, and there have been a few times when I couldn't get it open, which is slightly frustrating in a store parking lot when the baby is getting hot in the car.  (I've learned that if you hold the stroller with the red latch on the left, it snaps open much easier.)  However, it easily collapses with one hand which makes for a quick escape during a shopping meltdown.
I would advise no one to register for the Graco travel system without the Infant Car Seat Frame!

You can get it here!

The First Years Happy Flyer Tummy Time...he likes it!

I was a bit nervous once I put this together that he would be scared and off balance up there, but he responded to this with excited cooing (and a little spit up)!  His arms aren't quite long enough to twirl himself around, though he did move himself a little accidentally when reaching for the mirror.  As, you can see, just a few days on this flyer, and he is holding his head much higher. Once his arms grow a bit and he can place his palms on the floor, I can see this toy as really helping him get ready for crawling.  He does get a little fussy after 5 minutes or so, but that is no different than on any other tummy mat, and he really is working hard while he's up there (he makes those "man at the gym" grunting noises).  He is very secure on the platform, which is curved to contour to his little body.  There is also a nice variety of things to look at and hear around the mat.  My dog got very excited when she heard the squeaking and crinkly fabric!  (Why do dog toys and baby toys all make the same sounds?)  The last positive note is that when he does spit up from excitement, the mat below the platform is just big enough to catch it and easy to clean.  :)


You can get one here!

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JC Penny has great Christening outfits!

my handsome JD

My sister, James' Godmother, looked everywhere for a suit for his Baptism.  There were gorgeous gowns everywhere, but not a big selection of suits.  Even Strasburg only had very plain outfits for boys.
She struck gold at JC Penny.  The suit is just two pieces, but it looked as if he were wearing a shirt, tie, vest, and shorts.  It has a little cross design on the vest and tie, and it fit him comfortably and was easy to put on.  Price was great, and she even got 10% off because it had a tiny smudge on the back!
As you can see, he loved it!
You can see JC Penny's great Christening gear selection on their website.


**UPDATE
Baby O is getting Christened in a couple weeks, and JD's outfit is too small!  Back to JC Penny we went, and I have to say, if anything can rival the cuteness of JD in his suit, baby O will!

O is ready for his Baptism in his suit from JC Penny!

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