Always one for overkill, Susan, I have one of these. Not just for shopping carts, however. I've found that it is GREAT for those hard, wooden high chairs in restaurants. They never looked comfortable to me and this keeps Owen happy in his for well over an hour--enough time for us to eat a decent meal out (which is rarer than it used to be, but still does happen). Mine isn't so much germs as comfort. O tends to slouch and I'm always worried he'll bang his head on the metal part of the cart or the handle.

Although I like the second link Cindy linked to. That's kind of cute.

Connie, your hubby may have all my back-ma.

Heh. I love the descriptions of this parent's games with his son:

Writer Matthew Baldwin frequently writes about his eight-month-old son—known through the internet as “The Squirrelly”—at defective yeti. Their current favorite and wholly invented games are “Crash & Rescue,” “Gravity Goes Haywire,” “No, YOU’RE A Big Silly” and “I’m Gonna Eat Your Fingers Mrrragh!”

P-C, I have "Brand New Colony" stuck in my head. I blame you. Just so you know.

Feeling an urge to protect the Spectral Bovine right now. You're so young, babe. But watch out! I get the urge to protect Tim Bayliss too, and sometimes I want to corrupt him. How *you* doin'.

Yay! I'm glad you're still listening to your CDs. In your head.

Yay! I'm glad you're still listening to your CDs. In your head.

I've been listening to Disc 2 in the car almost exclusively for about a week. I think you anticipated the Garden State soundtrack, man, because you have a lot of the same artists/types of music on there.

Heh. E-mail from Tim today (yay!). I'd mentioned the job at the PCA to him, and he replied "Way to go, Andrea Lloyd Webber."

Misguided and corny? Yes. But somehow, adorable.

(Would I have preferred Stephanie Sondheim? Of course. But, in all honesty, I'm happy he even knows who Webber is.) Also? Leave in March! Yay!

I think you anticipated the Garden State soundtrack, man, because you have a lot of the same artists/types of music on there.

Yeah, my brother and I were into Frou Frou way before they became cool. One of those "Damn, I'm glad so many people are discovering this awesome band, but DAMMIT WE KNEW THEM BEFORE THE MOVIE YOU POSEURS!!" things. Postal Service, also knew about via friends. I think those are the only two on that soundtrack. But glad you like Disc 2 so much! I know that has all the electronica/trip-hop stuff on it. And the female artists who go by their names, I think.

Late-to-the-party post, since I just sat through the most mind-numbingly dull PTA meeting ever...

Nonian, go with the orange juice for baby movement, but do drink it a little bit in advance as Plei suggested. And I have no better advice on the sex announcement than others have suggested, but I hope it goes well.

they used to sell padded bumpers that you could snap over the shopping cart handle

These are a wonderful thing. I'm not really germ paranoid either, but it just squicks me when Sara chews on the cart handle, which she does all. the. time. And the padded seats are great, too, for all the reasons Cash already mentioned.

“Crash & Rescue,” “Gravity Goes Haywire,” “No, YOU’RE A Big Silly” and “I’m Gonna Eat Your Fingers Mrrragh!”

Hee.