First thing Oli said to me this morning: 'You snored all night'. So, a public apology to start. Sorry Oli. And again I say it: pregnancy is not glamorous or glowy or fun or romantic in any way. Moving on. The point of this post really was to give you guys a bit of a rundown of what we've spent so far on Chip (who is yet to be born).
I suppose I knew that babies cost a lot but I also kept hearing people say 'small babies don't need much - just you, your boobs and some nappies!'. In a LOGICAL SENSE they are right but that doesn't mean you don't feel obliged to partake in the purchasing of posh nappy bins that hygienically seal your little one's stinky waste products etc etc.
The first thing I bought for Chip, actually, was a bag. And it wasn't really even for her, but for me. Now, those who know me know that bags are my 'thing' (last longer than clothes, always fit comfortably unlike shoes, often potentially good investments, excuses excuses...). So when it came to baby shopping, I thought I'd start in my comfort zone, and treat myself to a nice nappy bag. I was a bit disappointed with the choice on offer, however. Someone with some design credentials - PLEASE design something a bit cooler. Anyway, in the end I went for the Pac a Pod.
It has compartments! Many many compartments! It has removable pods! It's a pleasing unisex grey (the bright pink 'yummy mummy' bags get my goat because they imply the dad will never have to be seen with them - grrr for gender inequality). It was £80. According to my mum, expensive. According to me (in the wake of Louis Vuittons and Pradas), cheap as chips.
As time trundled on, we started researching the bigger items: buggy, cot, car seat. Here are the ones we chose:
The Bugaboo Bee 3, with carrycot. And cup holder. And car seat attachments. And lots of other bits that you have to buy to make the thing actually work. Don't be fooled by the prices online - they're just for the base. Once you've added all your bits to it, it, er, adds up. Thankfully my parents paid for this, but it was still in the region of £800. And I know, we didn't have to get a super pricey buggy, but genuinely we went for this one because it's so small and lightweight and we have NOWHERE to put it! The cheaper models are generally much bigger with much bigger wheels. And, as I said, my parents very generously offered to get it for us.
For her cot, we bought Chip the Chicco Next to Me. I've never been a fan of Moses baskets but we did want something that could fit in our small bedroom. I also liked the idea that I could feed her in the night without having to get out of bed (although some people have said that babies often poo after they feed so you have to get up anyway - who knows, I have yet to find out how their digestion systems work). Anyway, it was £150 including mattress, which was actually pretty reasonable in comparison with other bedside cots on offer. It also folds up and can be used as a travel cot, which I thought was quite nifty.
Did you know that car seats are a legal requirement? I mean, makes sense of course, and I wasn't exactly intending on driving around with Chip balanced on my lap, but still. Quite surprising. We went for the Maxi Cosi Pebble Plus and I actually really like it - it's sort of the cutest thing we've bought so far! I like the fact ours is grey not black too. It was £200, but do not be deceived - it doesn't work alone. You also have to buy this massive contraption that you fix to your car to clip it in and out of (technical term: FamilyFix Base). Which was another £150.
So there we are, already well over a grand and that's just for the big things. Once you've added clothes, nappies, baby baths, the aforementioned nappy bins, blankets etc etc to the list, it's official: babies are expensive! I'll do another post on all the cute bits and bobs we've got for her soon.