November : The first family trip_San Francisco2

Our second day start just as beautiful as the first one with a bit of tiredness plus laziness from yesterday long walk and the weather here is a lot colder than LA, as Mark Twain said;

"The coldest winter I ever saw was the summer I spent in San Francisco."

I have no idea what SF summer would be like, but now in Winter is SUPER cold and windy.

In the morning, we stop by at China Town gate, have lunch at dim sum restaurant called, Pearl city; which is very good IMO. Then we take a bus to Fisherman wharf which I and PP don't feel much appreciate because it's very crowd and quite dirty not as nice as pier 39 ...actually we both feel like we are in Pattaya beach 555. At least, we get a chance to try a famous sour dough, Boudin; It's taste just like sour dough 555, which didn't suit our taste.


(we know later that we lost the cell phone at the dimsum restaurant, a little bit frustrated for us, but we manage to get over it...we are here to enjoy the life...and life is like that.)

I decide to go to the chocolate factory to sweeten the day :) at Ghiradelli Square, they served all kind of chocolate include a nice dark Chocolate ice-cream...make it bitter and colder... So we can feel even more of the sweet and warm.

At this point, I start to feel exhausted but still have the program to finish. Next is the Crookedest street, which we walk from the chocolate factory up the hill for several block...I can't believe that I do this while I'm 8 month pregnant.

November : The first family trip_San Francisco1

Surprisingly, one night PP rush in and tell me that he got a very good idea which is a trip to San Francisco during the thanksgiving holiday Nov 22-25 :0
I feel like getting a big hit behind my head. WOW..O...W...W....what on earth make him has this idea.
Anyway, I'm so happy just to think about it, a first family trip :)

PP drive from our place and stop by at Montery bay aquarium before head to San Francisco. We stay with our friend, Lin who study in SF, for 3 nights. We decide to left the car and commute around with bus and tram, so fun and convenience. Unlike LA, SF is small and cozy, 3 days is more than enough to explore most of the city.

Our first day starts at a famous, Pier39 which is crowd with tourist but yet still attractive. We decide to take a fleet for close up look of SF beauty, A Golden Gate Bridge, and her twin, A Bay Bridge. And also a glance of Alcatraz on our route back which we decide not to step inside...
I'm more exciting to see lot lot of sea lion (more than Alcatraz), They are so cute.

After that we walk up the hill to Coit tower, I forgot that I'm 8 month pregnant...it really tired.
But once we are on the top, it is so beautiful, breezy and sunny. on our way down is (a lot) easier 555. We continue heading to the city, take a tram which I was told that come from different country in Europe and re-assemble here, they look cool!

The next stop, we decide on the MOMA, museum of modern art which locate in the center of downtown SF. When we arrive there, we was lured by the Yerba Buena park oppose the museum, so so beautiful :) But what I like most about this park is, it is a big park in the center of the city and lot of people who come to use this space, lot of kids and parents enjoy their family time in this park.

This is such a nice place to rest after a long walk and complete our first day trip in San Francisco.

November : Car seat - Spare or Splurge

The next in shopping list is infant car seat which is a requirement in order to take our baby home, we need to have the car seat installed and have it approved by a supervisor from hospital before we can drive our baby home. Since we already bought the bugaboo stroller, the car seat is limited to only 3 brand that can use the adapter to snap in to our bugaboo; Graco, Peg perego and maxi-cosi.

Graco : safeseat step 1
Peg perego : primo viaggo
Maxi-cosi : mico

I take trip to several of the baby store and finally found a good helper from Chandra, the right start store manager(http://www.rightstart.com/), she is very nice and give a lot of helpful hints for the first time mom like me.
As I and PP fall in love with design and performance of Maxi-cosi, I fell to consider about weight limit and height limit of each car seat. According to the www.app.org and info from Chandra, the Maxi-cosi is a compact one and our baby tend to have long torso-consider my height and PP, so Ai might have use of this car seat at most 5-6 month only :(

If the baby crown is at 1" from the top of the shell of the car seat, it is the time to upgrade the car seat to a bigger one. And each of the car seat will expired after 6 years from the manufactured date.

Finally, I go home with the Graco-safeseat step 1 in black and silver with red trim, which will give me extra weight and height limit for Ai up to 30lbs and 32". and also fit nicely into our black bugaboo :)

November : Ai_luv u

Here come the day that we will see each other for the second time. Me and PP was so exciting.
I try to make myself hungry, not eat anything and I have my snack pack, chocolate along with ipod to play his favorite song. I hope when I'm having the sonogram, I can wake him up and let him move around like he always did every night. But it turn out that he sleep all the way, even I snack or play ipod through the womb speaker and I also roll over... needless to say...he is having such a sweet dream z.z..z...z.....z........
SLEEP LIKE DADDY

November : Splurge on stroller

A baby stroller is one of the must have items for new mom - even in Thailand, I heard that it become a necessity item as well. My mom have no idea why I need to buy a stroller which make me wonder "do I really need it?".

In fact, living with a baby without helping hand, I do really need it. Without any information, my first thought is a travel system which is a combination of an infant car seat and stroller which I find out later about its bulky and short life span. we start to stop and stare at people using their stroller around our area and we hard to tell any different in function of a popular brand like Graco, Peg perego, Chicco, Combi, etc; all seems to do have identical concept. Then, I come across the european website for baby stuff, Oh! gosh there is a new era of baby stroller.

Over 4 month of (re) searching for a baby stroller, driving like crazy to try out the stroller from each retailer. Here are some little thought:
Most of American people use the stroller with kids from birth up to 4+ year, and the average number of stroller each family buy is 4 because of weight limit and the type of stroller.

Mutsy : 4 rider = nice design&color but very big and heavy even when it folded.
Uppa baby : vista = wheel span is too wide, the bassinet can not face out, construct not neat.
Valco baby : RAD = very new, nice color but bulky, don't like much about design, fold small.
Quinny : Buzz = Love the color, fold small, have to buy bassinet $$$.
Stokke : xplory = Very stylish-nice concept, too small storage, look plasticky and $$$$$.
Bugaboo : Frog = Original of high-end stroller, 2 pieces fold, very light and smooth drive $$$$.
Bugaboo : Bee = Cute, modest yet stylish, unfortunately the accessory for newborn are not launch yet.
Peg perego : Skate = Love love love these stroller, everything is perfectly done! but it will launch in the end of 2008 with $$$$$$ :(


Finally, I splurge with the bugaboo frog which is very light weight, can use for kids up to 3-4 years, stroll like a dream with $$$. PP test drive it and he also like the design and function as well. I hope I will get used to the 2 pieces fold in no time. In addition,the bugaboo had been in the market for quite sometime, so I don't need to worry about the recall or customer service.