Tuesday, January 15, 2008

The saga of the pram

A couple of years ago you may remember that Hubbs went out and bought me this pram:
We had actually just had a miscarriage and I was depressed and feeling more like a failure than I had ever felt before. Hubbs bought the pram from a local store as a way of telling me that we will not ever give up hope of having a baby. He wanted me to have some motivation to continue this struggle and he knew a small gesture would never do it. I was amazed at him going out and getting this pram, but it was a Mother's choice pram and I thought it looked pretty good.

It sat in the back room, in it's box for ages. When we got pregnant with Jayden, Hubbs put the pram together to help me with my anxiety. It was like a symbol that we would fill it one day.

Then at the 12 week scan we discovered that Jayden had died. The pram got put in a back room out of sight.

So it was with much joy that the pram was finally filled with our incredible son Alex. Just seeing him in that pram seemed so surreal.

Unfortunately the pram itself proved to be a right pain in the posterior.

Now we have a large car - a Magna sedan. It has an incredibly large boot. I could live quite happily in that boot. Yet this pram is a right pain in the posterior getting in and out of the boot. To put it in the boot, we have to take off both the back wheels! Even then it is a battle to get the stupid thing in the boot. It is heavy and doesn't fold up very well. It has scratched the paint on the back bumper so badly.

Then just before Christmas the front wheel jammed on me - so badly that the centre piece sheared off. I had to wheel the stupid pram through the shopping centre, with the front wheel up in the air like I was doing a wheely - feeling like the biggest idiot on the planet and having all the squillions of people out doing christmas shopping staring at me like I was putting my child at risk or something.

I had to order a new wheel and I finally got that in the post about 2 weeks later $28 poorer for my troubles.

Then this week I discovered that somehow when I took one of the back wheels off, the plastic piece that fits onto the inside side of the wheel and controls the brake on that side had fallen off somewhere - and although the wheel still works I don't have any brake on that side of the pram. I looked everywhere, even retracing my steps and searching shopping centre car parks but that little piece is nowhere to be found.

I hate that pram. Despite all the meaning behind the pram and what if represents, I really hate that pram.

I stopped going out unless i desperately had to. We stopped going for walks. I cried whenever I thought of that pram and I just didn't know what to do about it.

We can't afford another new pram and If I did get another cheap pram would it just break as easily as this one?

So then we saw one come into the op shop next to our shop and it looked really good. The shop was shut for holidays, so we looked at that pram every day through the window. counting the days until they opened again and we could get the pram.

Monday was that day - we got to the shop 10 minutes after they opened. They had sold the pram - 5 minutes earlier - for $20. They said it was a fantastic pram. yeah .................... Thanks

So Hubbs and I scoured ebay and the trading post and today I bid and won this pram:


It's a betini and I just know it has to be a better pram. I didn't pay a lot for it, certainly less than I could ever buy a new pram from anywhere from (well under $100). If it is really bad or something, I will just resell it. But I am sure it is better than my other pram.

I will feel much better once I pick it up. It will be such a relief and weight off my shoulders to know my son is safe, and we can once again go for walks. Please let this pram be okay.

So - do you think I made the right choice getting this pram?

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10 Comments:

At 8:44 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Don't worry - before too long you can go with a nice light stroller - my life improved out of sight when that day came!

seepi

 
At 9:50 pm, Blogger LL said...

Yeah, I agree with seepi, when you get a stroller, you won't look back. However, we still use our pram (Lil'mooey is 19mths)for long walks, it's a more comfy ride.

 
At 4:57 pm, Blogger Sitting In Silence said...

Sis....I have been though 4 prams along my way...

My girlfriend had a Bertini. She swore by it and then went onto a stroller when her baby was older.

I still use my Bugaboo....it has been the best pram we have ever owned and so light weight.

x

 
At 9:04 pm, Blogger Unknown said...

Bugs, I had 2 kids in about 5 prams and several strollers. I am now an experianced pram buyer. The biggest tip I can give a expectant mum would be, try folding and un-folding the pram with one hand and lifting to waist height for about 2mins. If you can do that easliy then you've got a winner.
I had the same experiance as you with a 4 wheel pram, but my frame snapped in half folding on mr1yr old whilst getting off a train. Thank god there were people around to help. Good luck with this new pram.

 
At 9:50 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I had a Bertini Bidwell and absolutely loved it for going for walks. It is heavy getting it in and out of the car and eventually I bought a light one just for that but for walking it is the best. It is also great at the shops because you can fit tons in the metal bottom tray. (2 green bags fit in perfectly!) It is also a wonderfully comfortable ride for bubs on really bumpy paths. Good luck!

 
At 1:23 am, Anonymous Anonymous said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

 
At 7:42 am, Blogger Bugsy said...

Thanks Kim - will see how I go and hopefully the Bidwell is the last pram we have to use lol. I couldn't just delete your email addy from your comment so I hope you don't mind that I deleted the whole comment. It is very sweet of you to offer the 3 wheeler. Thank you.

For everyone else, Kim's comment was :

"Bugsy,
If you find that the Bidwell is too heavy please let me know, i have a 3 wheeler that is in fantastic condition that i would be more than happy to give you for Alex, i will post my email address here but could you please delete it from the comments once you have copied it,
Kim, Warragul, Vic"
(obviously without her email addy lol).

 
At 5:14 pm, Blogger Drew said...

You got me. I am a pram freak. I have one baby and four prams. Yes you heard right. It is like I am making up for lost time.

The bertini (spell right?) one looks good - it has a pretty large shopping basket underneath which I like. Shame about the other one hubbs got for you - they dont make things properly these days.

 
At 2:55 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

thats a damn nice looking pram!! prams are always a pain in the butt..so big and clunky..

Wait til you get the bliss of unbrella strollers!! just make sure you get one with a basket, nothing is worse then shopping with a kid and having to hook millions of bags in the handle...then having said kid get out of strolling and the damn thing tipping up from weight of the bags.

 
At 5:03 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Bugsy, hope the family is keeping well. We are doing fine. So have you got the new pram yet? How is it going for you? take care, Jobie oxo

 

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