Double Stroller Denial

I've spent more time over the past several months researching double strollers than I care to admit.  For the longest time I've dreaded the thought of ever needing a double stroller.  Since my girls are spaced pretty far apart, I've never actually needed a double stroller until now.  I wasn't a fan of double strollers when my best friend needed one for her kids and I'm still not thrilled with the idea of them.  I've tried several out in the stores and have ruled many others out based on their excessive weight or their inability to accomodate the infant car seats that we have.  I think finding just the right double stroller is about as impossible as finding car that can fit two booster seats and a car seat in the back. (That was our mission near-impossible when I was pregnant with Katie.)

Up until about a month ago I was operating under the delusion that I could get away with using a double stroller for only about six months until Katie turned three.  A couple of shopping experiences with Katie ditching the stroller and running all over the store like a wild toddler walking in the store made me seriously question whether or not I'd survive outings with a three year old walking and an infant in a single stroller.  Then I chatted online with one of Bryan's distant cousins.  She, like me, had children who were spaced far enough apart that they never needed a double stroller. But all of that changed when baby number five came along two years after their fourth.  Frequently she shares stories of her youngest daughter on FaceBook that remind me of Katie.  So I asked her how she was handling the stroller situation with her two youngest.  She gave me the reality check that I needed.  The double stroller is going to be a fixture in my on the go life for more than six months.  Her suggestion was to find a stroller that would give Katie the option to sit or stand.  This would serve the purpose of being lighter than most doubles and would be narrow enough that I could still navigate the clothing racks in stores like Kohls, where I do a lot of shopping for the kids.  The thought of parking my kids out in the main aisle in their side by side double stroller was enough to make me think that I was probably going to be stuck doing all of my shopping on-line until Katie was old enough to not need a stroller.

I dragged Bryan to a baby store today after realizing that the Baby Trend Sit and Stand stroller that I picked up at Target yesterday wasn't going to work for me.  It was bulky, it was fincky to fold, and it looked like Katie didn't have the balance necessary to just sit on the little bench or stand on the back of the stroller without the possibility of falling off.  I wasn't sure if I'd find anything I liked but I wanted to see what my options were.  As luck would have it, they had a Joovy Caboose Ultralight Too on display.  The stroller comes with an adaptor to hold pretty much any infant carrier seat, a second seat that looks like it will work for Katie, and a nicely sized canopy.  Best of all, it folds up beautifully and isn't incredibly heavy.   I'm pretty sure I found my stroller.  The quality of the stroller is much nicer than the Baby Trend stroller and I feel like it has greater versatility.  I'm going to head back to the store with Katie later this week to test drive it with her in it and also to see how well the car seat I plan on using fits.

Who knows, maybe this whole double stroller thing won't be as bad as I think.  Honestly, of all the things to worry about with getting ready for a new baby, the stroller issue has to be the biggest one.