FIAO 1.4 - Transporting The Twins

Well we've had our girls home for almost 5 weeks now and although our trips out of the house are infrequent I have ventured out more than I thought I would have by this point! Our first adventures were the trip home from the hospital and two days later our first doctor's appointment. We absolutely love our Graco Click Connect Snugride 30 car seats. They are lightweight, cute and so easy to put in the car. After a few lessons from me on how to properly use them even hubs is confident putting the babies in and snapping them right into the car. Like most babies our girls aren't thrilled when we put them in but after a few minutes they snuggle right in and seem to really like them. I like that I can pick them up and not feel like I'm going to topple over with the weight, unlike some other infant seats I have carried. It was important to me to be able to carry them both at once and while I haven't mastered that, and probably never will as the girls are just getting bigger, I can do it in a pinch. The best part though is that they are so easy to put in the stroller!

If you recall we ended up going against the advice of most veteran twin parents when buying our stroller. Most twin websites suggest buying a double snap and go for the infant stage and then investing in a regular stroller when the twins outgrow the infant seats. Due to our very limited budget we relied on family and friends to help us with the major purchases and we really didn't want to have to buy a stroller ourselves in less than a year so we opted for the all-in-one route. I really hate pushing tandem strollers, especially as the kids get bigger. I find them difficult to push effectively on walks over sidewalks and curbs, and they are definitely harder to turn. I get the convenience of knowing you will fit through every door and aisle but I really would rather have one that might not fit but that I can push easily and no one gets kicked in the head by her sister.

So we chose the Graco FastAction Fold Duo. It is super easy to fold, so compact it fits in the trunk of my Hyundai Elantra with room to spare, light enough for me to carry from house to car by myself and with a little practice it's easy to get it open and get the seats in. I have to admit that initially I was really worried. When we first put it together I could not for the life of me get it open or get the seats to click in. After googling like crazy and finding nothing very helpful I decided to go old school and just practice practice practice. After two straight hours of opening, closing, clicking and unclicking I finally got it down to a 2 minute dance. I have since enjoyed a few walks in the park, trips to the doctors and even went to the closing celebration of a local amusement park. Yes, it's big. Yes, it's a little cumbersome in small spaces and I have gotten it stuck in doors. But know what? When a passerby sees my twinnies in there it's all they can do to help me get unstuck and on my way. If for some reason I simply can't get it through a door I have learned to carry my Boba Wrap with me so I can wear one baby and carry the other in her seat. This has not been an issue yet as most places we visit are handicap accessible and the stroller fits through those doors and hallways just fine. I liken it to parking in a tiny spot. You just have to line everything up perfectly and take your time. In my opinion this is no big deal but I can understand how others might find it inconvenient. Bottom line is that five weeks in I am happy with our choices and I don't think that's going to change!

How do you transport your kids? Are you happy with your choices or do you wish you had picked another option?

Xo,
M