Volkswagen Beetle Pram - Bugaboo Frog

Okay, here we go, proof positive, the Bugaboo Frog (or "Chameleon" as the slightly newer version is called) fits perfectly in the boot of the VW Beetle -


- there is even space left over to stash a few bags of shopping...Phew (you won't believe how much of a concern this has been)! :)

And actually (the sharp-eyed among you will have noticed) you don't even have to pop the wheels off to get it in (which is a bit of a relief), it really is the cleverest pram/stroller/thingy I have ever set eyes on (as I noted before), folding completely flat (if needs be) -

- even the cot part collapses to a completley flat state with the removal of two bits of black plastic (one on each end), here it is all ready for the off (with rain cover) -

- and when the baby is big enough, you strip out the bed fabric (it's attached with velcro) and put in the seat fabric and it transforms into a push chair! You can spin the bed or seat around by 180 degrees to allow the baby to either face towards you, or the pleasant view ahead, and the handle flips over to either the front or back (with the push of a button) to allow the highly maneuverable wheels to be at the front (for town driving) or at the back (for off roading), the attachment on the chassis even works with the car seat we have got, so, in theory you could leave the top part at home and just bring the wheels, snapping the car seat in as the push-chair seat...it's all terribly clever... ;)

This isn't the finished article though, Flyingpops is busy shopping for all new, flashy coloured fabrics to customise the sleeping/sitting areas, and I think some new wheels are on the cards also (as the newer Cameleon ones are filled with foam to prevent punctures - and that would never do)...!  

It really is starting to feel like we might be almost ready (and we still aren't even half way through the pregnancy), but then with Flyingpops involved, what did you expect?  ;)

Choosing a Pram - Volkswagen Beetle

Well, it's all starting to come together, items are being checked off Flyingpops' baby checklist with frightening rapidity - the cot arrived over the weekend (came from a friend of Flyingpops' sister and looks like it's never been used), that's now stashed up in the spare room behind the freshly reassembled futon/sofa bed, two boot-sale bargain brand new, still boxed (£35 in the shop) stair gates (for a fiver each) are now sitting behind the sofa in the living room-

- pregnancy cushions have materialised, the assorted parts of a (as my mother dubbed it) "baby torturer" -

- or (sit in) activity centre are upstairs in the nursery-to-be - this sort of thing- absolutely heaps of clothes next to it and more are overflowing from the baby bath (that I already mentioned)...and soon to come is the pram/push chair...

Before all this started I had heard Flyingpops talking about the Bugaboo range and remained completely neutral on the matter - surely, a pram is a pram? - however, when (a few weeks back) we took a little trip out to the A3 Baby Barn to physically check some out (and more importantly see if we could find one that would actually fit in the boot of Poppy the Beetle), it quickly became apparent that not all prams and pushchairs are equal. Some of them barely fold up at all, being just as clumsy, heavy and bulky whatever button you push, or catch disengage...perfectly alright if you have a MPV to heave it's massive bulk into the cavernous depths of, but totally impossible with the space we have to work with (getting the weekly shop home can be a tetris-like exercise)...

It was impressive, not only was the Bugaboo extremely light, while feeling unshakably sturdy and almost impossibly maneuverable it also folds up into an incredibly tiny space (even the wheels pop easily off, if required, and the whole thing goes flat)...In fact the package was so well thought out (it actually feels like playing with a transformer toy!) I would have said "Go for it" straight away...apart from one tiny little sticking point - the £900 price tag - oh and the wait while they hand-make the thing especially for you (you even pick the colours)...it's the Rolls Royce of the pram world but how on Earth could we justify paying all that money for a pram? I mean, that's almost one month's rent, and before long we are only going to have one salary to count on (for a while, at least)...

We continued discontentedly looking at, and half-heartedly pushing around a succession of other prams, all of which felt like they weighed a ton and steered like a wonky shopping trolley (in comparison), none of which would allow you to position the seat backwards or forwards with a flick of a switch, all the while spotting yummy mummies (apparently everywhere) dining al-fresco swivelling their little ones around in their transforming seats and adjusting their coffee cup holders and then effortlessly gliding off over the uneven pavement with their gel-filled wheels and active suspension...The word "compromise" seems awfully difficult to form on the lips when the difference is so pronounced...

So Flyingpops started watching ebay and they did come up for sale, frequently already serviced (yes, like a car, except they go back to the manufacturer), if you were lucky you could get one for £400 or so...still rather expensive...we were almost to the point of biting the bullet and actually bidding on one (as we were saving so much money everywhere else), when Flyingpops went to visit a friend of hers (who had the pleasure of using one for her "first") just to get an honest opinion as to whether it really was worth the extra cash (although, if I am honest, I think we both were really only seeking someone (anyone!) else's permission to spend so much money)...

If this comes to pass MJ is going to enjoy being taken on quite the most upmarket of strolls in all of merry Earlswood... ;)

Update - We got a Bugaboo Frog, fits perfectly, see here...