Steel City Con - April 2014

Steel City Con is a toy, memorabilia, and pop culture convention that is hosted in the Monroeville Convention Center.  It happens three times each year.  Last year we only made it to the Spring convention, so we hadn't been in a year.  It would seem that this small and unassuming convention suddenly exploded while we were away from it!  At this season's event, they hosted several celebrity guests including Brent Spiner (Star Trek: Next Generation's Data), Jonathan Frakes (Star Trek: next Generation's Commander Riker), comic book artist Neal Adams, and Lee Majors (The Six Million Dollar Man).  They have also hosted WWE talent and Star Wars actors in the past, as well as other celebrities. 

When we arrived around 1pm, the line for entry was wrapping around the parking lot!  We have never seen a line for a Pittsburgh convention that long.  We only had to stand in the line for a short amount of time because they had staff members watching for people with disabilities or small children.  We were escorted in and basically got to line-jump (sorry everyone who had to wait!  We really weren't expecting such a crazy line and will purchase tickets online next time!!).  This was really appreciated because, as much as it was a nice day out, Wiggle could easily have gotten sunburn (well, me, too, but I wasn't as worried about me!).

Wiggle, asleep on the way home with his present from Con.

As long as the lines were, the Con was not super crowded and we didn't have any issues with having the stroller take up a lot of space or not being able to get through anywhere with it.  People were considerate and were paying attention to their surroundings.  Wiggle even got to see Brent Spiner when we got his autograph as a birthday present for my boss.  He was really nice and enjoyed having small conversations with the fans.  Overall, his line didn't seem to be ridiculous throughout the day.  Lee Majors was the celebrity with the crazy line for this Con.  My husband needed to get a signature from Travis Love who played Shumpert (AKA the Bowman) on The Walking Dead for his show poster.  He basically was able to just walk right up to him.

I do wish that they had put up more tables and chairs for people to take a break at!  We were lucky and scored a seat at one of the four or five tables they had and only had to share it with two approximately-ten-year-old kids when Wiggle was ready for his bottle.  If there had been more adequate seating, I may have felt more comfortable with breastfeeding.  We attend Pittsburgh Comic Con in the same space every year and they always have more tables set up.  As for those 10-year-olds, they were pretty amusing, but had no parents in sight.  While I wouldn't say that this is a big convention, I still wouldn't recommend letting your kids just walk around it by themselves because they could easily get turned around or miscommunicate to you where they are in the building.  To me, it is the same as allowing your child to wander around the same area's mall unattended.

Wiggle loved watching all of the people at this convention and everyone was really nice to him.  Overall, I would say that this is a convention that is great for all ages!  There were tons of cosplayers, more than I have seen at our local Comic Con, and it made me very happy to see so many people having fun!

Photo Courtesy of Auntie Bren!  Left to Right: Auntie Bren, Mommy, Another Cool Lolita Girl

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Monster Mania - March 2014

 
Monster Mania was Wiggle's first convention!  It was also his first big car ride and first time at a hotel.  We were there on Saturday, March 9, and Wiggle was three-months-old.  Monster Mania is a horror convention that happens three times a year.  Overall, while this is a fun convention, it is not child-friendly.  If Wiggle had been older and we were not nursing, I would have had my parents watch him for the weekend.

Hubby and me with Irone Singleton (T-Dog from The Walking Dead) at 2013 MonsterMania.

 We had been to this con once before in March of 2013 because they had a lot of Walking Dead actors.   This year we went back for the same reason.  This is a very crowded convention, so I opted to take Wiggle in our Ergo and not the stroller.  I spent a couple of weeks getting him used to it, but when it came down to it, he was not very happy in the carrier and spent most of the time in our arms instead.  I also was kind of nervous having him in the Ergo because people at this convention are not really paying attention to their surroundings.  I had him encircled with my arms to make sure no one was going to whack him.  Monster Mania is a very busy environment and I can easily see how mobile children could get separated from their parents and become lost.  In addition, there are lots of scary costumes and cosplays and other items... it is a horror convention after all.

Our convention began with a walk.  The parking lot of the Crowne Plaza Hotel, where the convention is held, is not adequate for the amount of people who attend.  We parked probably a half-mile away and walked to the hotel, so wear comfortable shoes!  The lines for the celebrities at this convention are very long.  We were directed outside to wait for Chad Coleman who plays Tyrese on The Walking Dead.  Thankfully, it was the first nice day we had and was around 70 degrees.  Wiggle enjoyed spending time outdoors after the horrible winter we had and got to touch a tree for the first time.  We were kind of disappointed that we couldn't take a picture of Wiggle with Mr. Coleman because we got his signature... it would have been an extra $20.  Last year, the Walking Dead actors took pictures with us (except for Danai Gurira [Michonne] and Michael Rooker [Merle] because they were selling photo ops with them).  I had really wanted a picture with him for Wiggle's baby book, but no dice.

Wiggle and Hubby in line for Chad Coleman (Tyrese on The Walking Dead)

We did nurse at Monster Mania.  This convention is held in the Crowne Plaza hotel and they have a nice big lobby with lots of seating.  We found a secluded spot and Wiggle had lunch and took a nap while Hubby went through the lines to get signatures from Emily Kinney (Beth on The Walking Dead) and Ernie Hudson (Winston Zedmore of Ghostbusters).  Unfortunately, I had also left my lunch and my phone with Hubby in our backpack, so I just sat around and people-watched while Wiggle slept because I had told Hubby we'd be in the lobby and didn't want to wander around and lose him.

When we did get to go into the dealer rooms, they were hot and crowded.  Not very many people were paying attention to anything and we were constantly bumped.  In the larger room, it was so hot and crowded that I had to take Wiggle out into the hall and out of the Ergo because he was overheating.  There is no way that I could have gotten a stroller through that dealer room.  It was way too packed and close-cornered.

Hopefully, this review has helped you in your decision on whether to attend this convention or not!  I really don't recommend taking children under the age of 16.  It is simply not a good environment for them.

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Bottle Reviews

Wiggle is breastfed, but we do do some supplementing.  I got sick when Wiggle was three weeks old and it started then.  I had to go into the hospital on Christmas and it was quite a runaround to get formula because everything was closed!  We did manage to get some from the hospital eventually, but I do recommend that you keep at least a small can on hand just in case.

We have a couple different types of bottles-- Dr. Brown's, Born Free, and Nuby.  I know that some babies can have nipple confusion from using different bottles and nursing, but Wiggle has never really had any problem with anything we've used yet.

Bottles: Dr. Brown's, Born Free, and Nuby

1. Dr. Brown's - These are our favorites!  We use the "standard" style and have them in 4 oz and 8 oz sizes.  According to their website, these bottles "reduce feeding problems like colic, spit-up, burping, and gas."  They have a couple of extra pieces, as you can see from the picture.  I really hate washing dishes, but having some extra bits is totally worth it!  These bottles come with little wire brushes to help you clean them all the way and get into all of the nooks and crannies.  The extra internal parts are a venting system that prevents the creation of a vacuum which makes it more like breastfeeding.  Dr. Brown's website also states that this system "reduces air bubble oxidation of the milk to help preserve vitamins and lipids, key nutrients to baby's health."  These bottles are free of BPA, PVC, lead, and phthalates.  Wiggle has never had any trouble holding onto these nipples and the thin shape is easy for me to hold while feeding him.

Dr. Brown's Standard Plastic Bottle, 8oz

2. Born Free - Of all of our bottles, these are our least favorite.  Wiggle has trouble holding onto the nipples; the base of them is very wide and then they get long and skinny.  I can see how they were trying to emulate a breast, but my mostly-breastfed-baby just can't do these.  The Born Free bottles also include a vent, but not as complicated as the Dr. Brown's ones.  Born Free's website states that the nipple is designed to cut down on nipple confusion and reduce air ingested while feeding, and that it mimics a mother's natural flow.  These are BPA and PVC free.  They say that these bottles aid in reducing "colic symptoms like gas pain, spit-up, crying, and fussiness."  The shape doesn't feel very good in my hand; they're kind of bulky.  Basically, these are our emergency "Ack, everything is dirty!" bottles.

 

Born Free Bottle

3. Nuby - We have Nuby's Non-Drip Standard Neck Bottles.  They state that the nipples are non-drip and leak proof, and keep your baby from ingesting air, featuring a "Vari-Flo" valve to allow your baby to control the flow.  We have found that the nipples have extremely large holes, so large, in fact, that when I wash them the end of my nipple brush can poke out of them!  Wiggle gets way too much formula, way too fast out of these.  The bottle is BPA-free and ergonomic; it sits well in my hand.  Nuby says that these are shatter-proof, even though they do not feel very thick.  I really wish that the nipple was better for Wiggle.

Nuby Non-Drip Standard Neck Bottles

I hope that my reviews help you to choose the bottles that you will use for your own baby!  I really do highly recommend the Dr. Brown's and think that most mothers would be very happy with them.  If you have any other questions, feel free to post them in the comments!

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Hello!

Hi, Interwebs! I’m Mom’s The Nerd, aka Julia! My son is currently four-months-old. We are from Central PA. He was born in the beginning of December 2013. We like to listen to music and movies (he’s not allowed to watch them yet, but I do!), read books, and go to conventions! Wiggle’s first convention was MonsterMania in Cherry Hill, NJ. It was also his first big car ride, first time staying in a hotel, and his first trip to the toy store, and first time meeting a celebrity (Tyrese from The Walking Dead... we didn't get a picture with him though, because we were already paying for his signature and it cost extra for a photo)!  

With this blog, my goal is to share my adventures in parenting Wiggle, discuss parenting, and to review products and techniques that we try with him (and possible future children).  We look forward to lots of interaction with our readers and hope you enjoy this peek into our life!

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