Diary

Два кусочека колбаски

2009-01-11T18:24:00.000-08:00

Bazaar in Brookline, Dec 2008

Newborn Baby Shopping List (for Dads)

2008-10-03T11:21:00.000-07:00

One thing I wished I had found before the baby arrived was a comprehensive and unequivocal shopping list of baby equipment. Abundance of material goods may be the greatest achievement of capitalism, but it sure doesn't feel like it when you have to scroll past pages and pages of conflicting reviews of everything from pacifiers to "travel systems". Ridiculous -- I don't need The Perfect Baby Bottle, I just need the one that holds the milk without too many spills, is a no-brainer to operate and clean, and doesn't poison anyone with its toxic plastics.

Here's such a list. For what it's worth, I compiled it based on my two months of experience. The stuff here may not be The Perfect Baby Stuff, but much of it was bought after a rather extensive pre-purchase research. So far, it does the job, and it didn't cost a small fortune. I hope the list takes away some of the pre-arrival stress and adds a bit of so-much-needed structure.

It is marked, tentatively, "for Dads" because moms that I know seem to be ok with this whole exercise of baby shopping. Shopping for cute clothes -- yes, I can see why. Deliberating over pacifiers? Honey, come on.

1. Stroller (~$130). We ordered a lot of stuff on this list from the net -- mostly from Amazon, because it has free shipping on a lot of baby goods -- but this one you gotta test drive in the store to make sure it's as light and convenient as you want it. We needed something that could be lugged up the stairs. We also didn't want any of the very expensive ones knowing that the first strollers don't last long before they are outgrown. We went with a Graco frame (~$50, some assembly required) and a Graco infant car seat (~$80) that fits on top of it. It's not the most fashionable stroller on the market, but it is solidly build, is compact and very light, and so far, no complaints from the rider.

Separately, we got a Graco raincover (and a mosquito mesh in the same package, ~$10).

2. Bassinet (~$200). We didn't like anything they had in Babies 'R' Us, and ultimately went with The First Years 5 in 1 Carry Me Near Sleep System (~$200, assembly required), a bassinet that you can carry around the house and that also doubles as a changing table.

In hindsight, we could've probably done without it and gone straight for a crib (which we just got delivered anyway). But yes, it is very convenient to carry the baby around the house if you want to keep an eye on him at all times, and the changing table proved very useful. It also has this thing embedded in the handle that makes a bunch of soothing sounds (it runs on a couple of batteries), although it probably works better to calm the tired parents than a screaming baby.

I'd say it's a toss-up: if you want a bassinet, you can't go wrong with this one, but you may just as well get skip it and get the crib. Also, if you are expecting a bigger baby, he or she will outgrow it pretty fast -- it only lasted about two months for us. Overall, no complaints.

Separately, you'll need bassinet sheets (~$20?).

3. Car seat (~80). We live in the city and don't drive, and so we were a bit bummed out about having to get a car seat, but you can't even take the baby out of the hospital without one -- you'll need it for the cab ride back home. We got a Graco that doubles as the upper part of our stroller (see the note above). It comes with a base that you don't actually need as the seat has a couple of hooks for the seat belts built into it.

4. Bathtub (~$20). We got The First Year's Infant To Toddler Tub with Sling. It's an ok bathtub whose functional design could be much better. I don't see how one person can hold the baby's head, shield his ears from water, and do the washing all at the same time. This one looks like a better alternative, but also see if there are any tubs that offer some sort of head support. Also, get some soft washclothes and a towel.

5. Bottles and stuff (~$50). I think the only principled position we took about baby equipment was on bottles -- they had to be made of glass. We tried Avent plastic bottles that came with the sterilizer, but for a couple of weeks they were giving off a strong plastic smell after being sterilized, so we switched to Evenflo Classic 4 oz. Glass Nurser - 6-Pack (~$10). We also got a Born Free glass bottle as a gift -- these are great bottles but more expensive than Evenflo. Here's a pack of five for $45.

The Philips Avent Express II Microwave Steam Sterilizer (~$30) is great, though. Fill it up with a glass of water, pack it with bottles and pacifiers, and stick it into the microwave for three minutes and you are done.

You'll also need a cleaning brush for the bottles if you don't have one, but I don't know how much these cost.

6. Pacifier (~$3). A mind-boggling variety out there for something so simple, but pacifier is one thing you'll have to experiment with since the preference varies from baby to baby. Our hospital got us hooked on Newborn Soothie Pacifiers 2-pk, which is a simple one-piece silicone deal that gets the job done. I like how it comes in one soft piece so that baby can't hurt itself on the plastic ring when it falls out of baby's mouth while he's asleep.

7. Clothes (depends, but probably around ~$100 for the first three months). Not much advice that I can give here, except maybe for these two things.

After you've loaded up on cuteness, get some function. It's not easy to pull a onesie over an uncooperative's baby head, so get something you can easily manage when you are called to duty half-asleep in the middle of the night. Our hospital got us hooked on very manageable side-snap shirts, but those took time to find in retail since the hospital gets them from a wholesale supplier. These come close: 2-Pack Long Sleeve Side Snap Shirts (~$8).

Also very useful: baby sleeping bags (or sleep sacks, or whatever). These we discovered later in the process after the baby refused to stay swaddled or covered with a blanket. I'm not sure what exactly we have, but it's something like this.

Oh, and go easy on newborn-sized clothes -- babies grow frighteningly fast. Get size one and up.

A quick checklist: hats, socks, mittens (crucial to keep baby's nails off his face; you can use socks instead), pants, shirts, onesies (or side-snap shirts), swaddling blankets, bibs, a few washclothes and spit-clothes, sleeping bags.

8. Diapers (~$50). We realy like Pampers Swaddlers Sensitive Diapers (~$50 for a box of 136) that are equipped with a very helpful moisture indicator strip that changes color when nature has called. Amazon offers free shipping on these, but plan ahead since it takes about week for the diapers to arrive. At 10-12 changes a day, the box lasts just over a week. Sign up on Diapers site and they'll send you sporadic coupons.

Baby wipes (~35) We tried a Pampers variety but quickly switched to Huggies-Natural Care Baby Wipes (~$35 for 720). Huggies wipe sheets don't stick together as badly as Pampers so that you don't pull out five when you only need one.

9. Baby carrier (~$40). These things can cost anywhere from $30 to over $100, but the best advice I can give is get it from a store near you so that you can easily return it. We've are on our third one and it still doesn't fit right neither for us nor for the baby. Your mileage may vary, but if you get it off Amazon and it doesn't work, returning it will be a hassle.

10. Nuts and bolts (~$40): From a local drugstore: a baby thermometer, a nail-clipper, shampoo, baby powder (get a small pack first; baby might not like it), petroleum jelly (for the bum), rubbing alcohol, disinfecting wipes (for you and your guests), Q-tips, baby-friendly washing detergent. Toys don't really matter much in the first three months.

11. Book (~$12). If uncertainty terrifies you, What to Expect the First Year is pretty good. The Baby Owner's Manual is cute but nowhere as comprehensive. Makes a great daddy gift, though.

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TOTAL: ~$700

Блок Турб

2008-04-25T21:55:00.001-07:00

Знакомая из Турции привезла как сувенир. Не жуются, и вкладыши фиговые, а ведь когда-то 100 рублей в коммисионке на проспекте Молодежи и недосегаемая мечта любого нормального советского пацана.

Дворы

2008-04-25T20:09:00.000-07:00

Я только сейчас сообразил, почему в Штатовских городах не так уютно, как в наших или, скажем, в болгарских. Тут не бывает дворов, тут все двери выходят прямо на улицу. Есть backyards, но это дворики в частных домах. Есть проходы между многоэтажками. Есть задние улицы. А вот задних дворов нет. Мне долго было непонятно, почему Торонто всего за один день показалось домашнее Бостона, в котором я уже четыре года. В Торонто можно пройти дворами, они там есть. А тут нет.

Билеты из Штатов домой

2008-04-24T13:53:00.000-07:00

В смысле, ко мне домой:

Moldova House
Answer Travel

Два мешка риса в одни руки

2008-04-24T13:43:00.000-07:00

Поеду в Кишинев, рисом запасусь, солью, сухарями и спичками.

"Sam's Club, a chain owned by retail giant Wal-Mart, announced Wednesday it was placing a limit of four 20-pound (nine-kilogram) bags per person for imported jasmine, basmati and long grain white rices as a "precautionary step.""

А, и вот, под руку попало.

Небритое лицо КазИнвестБанка

2008-04-06T22:15:00.001-07:00

Банк. Фотка. (in English)

Soviet Arcades

2007-12-04T20:14:00.000-08:00

Pictures of Soviet arcade machines.

Numa Numa - Japan Edition

2007-05-25T14:57:00.001-07:00

Boyfriend

2007-05-23T00:24:00.001-07:00

Фотки Булика

2006-12-11T17:28:00.000-08:00

Я не помню, было это или нет, но вот вам старые фотки Булы.

Диафильмы как ПауерПойнт

2006-11-21T20:05:00.000-08:00

Кто-то переснял кучу диафильмов и залил как слайды PowerPoint-а. Осталось проектор с работы взять и потолок побелить.

Alice in Wonderland Illustrations by Chris Appelhans

2006-11-13T21:16:00.000-08:00

more here

AUBG Live Webcam

2006-10-04T22:27:00.000-07:00

Three webcams, actually. Enjoy while it lasts.

AUBG Floor Maps

2006-10-04T22:20:00.000-07:00

Found the entire set of maps of AUBG's main building. Anyone wants to build a Counter-Strike mod?

Boston Bubbles

2006-08-25T15:52:00.000-07:00

Someone poured washing detergent into the Copley fountain today so the whole place turned into a giant bubble bath.

Maxim's Top Ten Video Game Toilets

2006-08-16T16:42:00.000-07:00

People know that abroad McDonald's has great toilets and plan their sightseeing trips accordingly. But computer games? Maxim guides us through video games' ten best restrooms.

A Collection of Soviet Music

2006-08-16T12:38:00.000-07:00

Marches, odes and other cool aural legacy of the Evil Empire at sovmusic.ru

Master (of puppets)

2006-08-16T10:28:00.000-07:00

Defensive

2006-08-14T16:54:00.000-07:00

Here's what a defended MSc thesis looks like, in three acid-free copies. 70+ pages in single space, Times New Roman 12pt, 200+ references and 6 months of life.

Home Improvement, Part IV

2006-08-14T16:51:00.000-07:00

The apartment is almost done. More pictures to come when the mess is cleaned up, but that's what one of the rooms looks like.

Stalker On Pre-Order

2006-08-14T16:48:00.000-07:00

Can't believe the wait is almost over: STALKER is on pre-order on Amazon. It's a $50-game that will cost hundreds of bucks in hardware upgrade for my PC to be able to run it.

Office Space

2006-08-05T02:19:00.000-07:00

Home Improvement, Part III

2006-07-27T13:57:00.000-07:00

Done painting ceilings, walls, and part of the trim. Tomorrow we will have contractors sanding the floor. Here's the progress on the bathroom so far.

Before:

After:

Home Improvement, Part II

2006-07-18T12:05:00.000-07:00

Jotted down a floor plan in Visio (click pic to zoom in) before heading over to Home Depot to buy paint. Since all rooms will be done in different colors, figuring out the amount of paint took forever. Not drawn to exact scale, but pretty accurate. Also gives you an idea of what walls will be what color. We bought Behr paint, attracted by their great interactive tool for color coordination. It turns out it lays down nicely, covering almost everything in one coat even without priming. Images of our progress tomorrow -- we have quite a few walls done already, but taking an academic break today.

De-cockroaching went strangely. I got six cans of fogger, which filled the apartment entirely, and let the stuff ventilate overnight. No cockroaches on the floor next morning, though. The only insect we found was a dead fly. Hope it's because there were none to start with.