Baby Gear!

Well, we've officially started buying baby gear!  I'm still afraid to buy too much because I would absolutely hate to buy something we'll end up not needing.  We hit up a yard sale and consignment sale last week and got all of these things for less than $300.  We REALLY wanted a BOB Stroller because of the hundreds of positive reviews on Amazon but we couldn't really justify the price and the ones we've seen on Craigslist are gone within hours.  So here's what we bought:

1. Peg Perego Uno Stroller Pram--Carson's boss recommended this type of stroller to him and when we saw it at a consignment sale, we got it.  I'm not sure what exactly we needed to be looking for in a stroller but this one is able to lay all the way down for the baby to sleep, so that's kind of cool I guess.  We kind of bought it because of how much it costs new.  Surely the more expensive things are more expensive for a reason, right?

2. Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP 30-30 Infant Car Seat--Crazy Italian brand with crazy names.  We actually got this, the base, and the stroller for 1/3 of the price that we would have paid full price. 

3. Baby Trend Expedition Jogging Stroller--I found this at a yard sale for $20!  It's an older model and the front wheel is locked so in order to turn it, you have to pick up the front.  When I was talking to the family about how to use it and everything, their son walked by and said "It's like being on a motorcycle!"  So clearly children are big fans.  I don't think it'll be a huge issue that the wheel doesn't turn.  I'm just excited that I found one.

4. BabyBjorn Baby Carrier--This was only $15.  I imagine it will be awesome to have both hands available while still having the baby attached to you.

After we bought the stroller, we realized we had no idea how to collapse it.  We stood in the parking lot for a solid 10 minutes trying to figure out how to get it to collapse down to fit in the back of the car.  We definitely still have a lot to learn.  My friend Megan let me borrow one of her baby gear books but I haven't read it yet.  Hopefully it doesn't say anything bad about the things we've already bought!

Any moms reading--is there anything you had when your baby was first born that you used all the time that surprised you?  Or was there something you really thought you would use all the time and ended up never using?