Logistics: Strollers

So, transportation is definitely going to be one of our logistical issues.  Whether by car, foot, or kayak, moving three kids in an 18-month-span, plus a 5-year-old brother, seems like it will take some planning.  Definitely expect a post on the car coming up, but first off I thought I’d tackle the stroller question.  Hoping for some thoughts based on the experiences of others!

Needs:

We will hopefully in July have an almost-5-year-old, an 18-month-old and two newborns.  We will also hopefully already have a nanny in place who will ideally be keeping the three little ones during the day.  Needs that I’ve identified relative to strollers include the need to be able to take the two little ones to the doctor, ability for the nanny to get outside with the three little ones, trips to big brothers events/parties/playground/etc. and just attending to the day-to-day necessities of life.

Previous Approach:

With the two boys, we have never been stroller people.  Both boys have been tucked into pocket slings (love the hot sling as at least the old model without the buckle folds up tiny) when out and about from birth as well as a ring sling around the house some and then promoted into the Ergo as they got larger.  Trajan can still go in the Ergo on my back, which is awesome.

We bought a stroller, I think it's a Bugaboo Cameleon, before Trajan was born and other than for walking the dogs, have probably used it less than a dozen times between the two boys.  Those dozen times have been useful, zoo trips, festivals/fairs, etc., but definitely not a lot of use.

When I was pregnant last time, I realized that carrying two on one body, while possible, would probably not be ideal.  I have learned how to work a Mobey Wrap so could wear one on the front with that and the Ergo on the back, but yeah, not ideal.  I looked into the Bob Double Jogging stroller, the Indie Twin, and the StrollAir Myduo, but hadn't reached a point of really making a decision or taking action when Aurelia died making the decision unnecessary.

My Current Thinking:

I actually saw a set of twins in the Baby Jogger City Select double this Christmas at a model train show and this struck me as an actually reasonable stroller.  It is about the size of a normal stroller, goes through doors and aisles well as a result and seems to steer very well.  And with adaptor bars, it will take TWO Chicco Keyfit 30s at the SAME TIME which is a feature that is lacking in most strollers other than the dual snap 'n go.  And the snap 'n go seems to handle horribly. 

The BJCS also can take a boogie board thing, so as Chiron got closer to two, it might make a way to transport all three for short distances at the same time.  Not sure how reasonable this is, but the possibility intrigues me.

The space between the seats is pretty tight, but the kids I saw in it were three and seemed comfy.  I don't think it would be a great option to put Trajan in, but both seats do have a 45-pound capacity, so it would be an option (he's around 38 now).  He's not much of a stroller rider, so I don't anticipate him using it much, but knowing I could let him get into it if he wanted to is a plus.

I also see the possibility of still wearing one baby on our body like we traditionally have and putting the other baby and Chiron in the stroller (or both babies in stroller and Chiron in Ergo) as a way for one parent to handle all three with just this stroller.

Remaining Questions:

1. So, I think the BJCS is a great option to handle transporting them both to doctors appointments when still in infant carriers as well as one parent handling all three of the younger kids while out and about at an event, but I'm not sure it presents a great option for giving a nanny an option to get out of the house.  Any thoughts on what would a good option for this? 

We live on a dual-cul-de-sac street that has no reason to get traffic other than those who live on it, but the street that it opens onto is reasonable volume (two lane, but people going 45 is not atypical) that is one of the main running/biking streets in the area as well with large bike lanes on each side.  The majority of this street has side walks, but there is a short one-block area just past our street that does not.  We also have the option of a back gate which opens onto another cul-de-sac and all residential streets including about a 3/4-mile walk to the swim/tennis club we are members of which has a playground.

I am kind of thinking starting with getting the BJCS and then talking with the nanny we have in place about what would make her most comfortable would work?  We could look into getting a 3 or 4 seater then?  It looks like the three across ones are very wide and would necessitate being in the street for sure while the three in a row are so long that I worry they would be hard to steer, so I thought maybe a 2x2 quad stroller would actually make sense.  But put this off for now?

2. Is the boogie or glider board thing worth getting?

3. Am I reasonable in my thought that the tandem stroller would be easier to manage in most situations?

4. Anyone have any particular feedback on the BJCS or really any of the strollers and why we should look into buying one or the other?

5. I'm also aware that a cheap umbrella might make sense for quick trips once they are pretty stable in their sitting and heads.  Anyone have any thoughts on this idea or a particular one you recommend?

6. The BJCS has a lot of configurations, but I am thinking we would just get the adaptor bars for the car seats and not the bassinet kits. Our Bugaboo has the bassinet configuration and it seems like it overlaps at the same time as the car seat stage and unless we are planning on taking them on long walks during naps, the car seats would actually be more convenient because wouldn't have to transfer and handle all the buckles?

So, if we do go with the BJCS, does it seem reasonable to just get the second seat kit as well as two adaptor bars?

7. When I was looking last time, I learned about the fact that strollers have model years as the version of the Indie Twin that was coming out was going to take two car seats while the then existing one did not.  Is this something I should worry about in deciding how to time when to buy the stroller? And related, particularly if we are going to use it as a frame for two car seats, should I plan on buying it around the time we expect them to be born/come home?

Conclusion:

I may not have made it clear exactly how inexperienced with strollers I am, but I really know almost nothing.  But it seems that factors like ability to fold it up easily, or steer with one hand or adjust the kids' buckles could make the difference between a happy adventure and frustrated, agitated people all-around, so I'd really appreciate ANY thoughts or feedback you might have. 

Any of the main strollers (BJCS, indie twin, myduo, etc.) are going to end up closer to a grand than $500 once we get adaptor bars or whatever, so I definitely want to make this decision with as much feedback as I can.  If we need to buy a second stroller to address a different purpose (such as a triple/quad or an umbrella), I will be fine with that, but purchasing a replacement primary stroller will make me grumble.

So, serious bonus points to the person who will just tell me what to do ;-). Help!