First Look at the New DCR Babymaker Product Tester

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Our first product tester in residence has now arrived! Heck, she even arrived via Velib bike with a polka-dot wrap.

Despite joining us just two weeks ago she already been out testing various devices. From heart rate sensors to weight scales to baby cams. Thus far she’s pretty much not a fan of any device she’s been given to test.  But I’m sure she’ll come around eventually.  After all…who doesn’t like 24×7 HR wrapped in a tiny sock?

Unlike most products she tests, she was actually ahead of schedule – albeit giving up her most Frenchly possible planned due date of Bastille Day.  Instead she threaded the needle between Canada Day and Independence Day.  Appropriate, given her nationalities.

While she was born in Paris, she won’t get Baguette and Beret citizenship anytime soon.  Instead, she’ll soon gather both American and Canadian citizenship (yesterday was passport picture day…and it was hilarious…she’s gonna hate us someday).  And if we’re here long enough, she can eventually pickup her French credentials.  But if nothing else, she’ll always have a birth certificate that says Paris.

One thing’s for certain though – she’s gonna love testing out action cams.  Even from a mere 12 hours after birth (below), she was hamming it up for the camera.  Just wait for what happens once you give her photo and video review responsibilities.

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While we contemplated taking her home via Velib bicycle, the baskets lacked a proper seatbelt.  French law requires parents depart the hospital in a proper car seat, and apparently the baggage/bike lock on the Velib doesn’t fulfill that requirement.

So instead I drove the Autolib home.  This is also noteworthy since it’s the same mode of transport that we took getting to the hospital while The Girl was in labor.  The second time around was much less agonizing since we stopped for Starbucks on the way home.

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Her testing tasks thus far haven’t yet quite included the BOB Running Stroller, but we have been making use of her regular stroller and getting her parent’s wrist based activity trackers all confused by pushing the stroller everywhere.  To the park, lunches at cafes, dinner at a restaurant, picnics, H&M, Starbucks, and more.  Given it’s just The Girl and I taking care of her here (and without owning a car), she’s always going out and about with us in the Cow Seat – which is the semi-official name for her stroller seat.

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When she’s not rolling around town, she can usually be found watching the Tour de France during the afternoons – even from Day 1. Typically she’s a fan of mountain stages, but she put up with the flat stages for the first week while at the hospital.

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The rest of the time, she can be found hanging out in her crib. Kinda like the show MTV Cribs, though in a stylish baby-chic kinda way. The bunny currently occupies her WiFi weight scale.

The Girl did all the design work there, and it looks great.  And speaking of great, The Girl is doing very well since releasing her first product.

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Finally – for those wondering about little Lucy, she’s adapting quite well.  When the baby cries, Lucy goes around and gathers up her dog toys and tries to offer them to the baby, hoping that one of them will do the trick.  Basically Lucy is the baby’s miniature soigneur.

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With that, it’s time to get back to watching over the little nugget…or…eating my ice cream.  On second thought…I’ll do both.

Thanks for reading!

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325 Comments

  1. giorgitd

    Ray…Congrats to you and The Girl. Your new tester is the cutest ever! Well, maybe the pic with Lucy is the cutest ever. When we had our 1st, we had two big dogs (55 kg each). Both were the sweetest things with the baby (well, they were sweet to start with…). I don’t know how animals pick up on that vibe, but they do seem to… Anyway, enjoy this period – it’s phenomenal!

  2. Steven

    Well done! To the three of you.

  3. Scott E

    You’ll find the backpack carrier is an awesome way to get around town. Heck, it’s even works while on the treadmill when someone decides they’re not sleepy without out some motion.

    The goofy picture hamming seem to be more of a trait inherited from mom — it’s all good.

    Enjoy!

  4. Mike

    Great review of the cutest product you’ve featured! Congratulations to you all, hope the functionality to automatically enter sleep mode at night time is released soon?

  5. Hans

    Congrats,

    and enjoy being with here, most of the cliches are true, they do grow up very quickly.

    and btw I can asure you that your step count will plumet. activity trackers don’t count your steps while pushing the stroler. the only way is to push with one hand (but be aware that strolers do have a mind of there own and don’t always go where you want them, also known as bad surface of the road :))

    h

  6. Trish

    Wonderful story and so happy for you all!

  7. Alice

    Congratulations and the best of luck to your lovely family!

  8. Fab

    Congratulations to you both!

  9. Geoff Hancox

    Congratulations!
    Our son is 2 years old now. We used baby wearing / baby slings and still use a buckle carrier now when he gets tired when we are out and about.

  10. Wouter

    Congratulations! What a wonderfull story!

  11. john mccullagh

    Congratulations, That got to be one of your best reviews
    !

  12. Stipek

    Good job! Congrats!!

  13. Welcome to the biggest adventure of all! Glad everyone is happy and healthy!

  14. Urs

    Congratz to you 3

  15. doron

    מזל טוב, אושר ובריאות

    doron

    (translates to: Good luck , happiness and health)

  16. Pieter

    Congrats to the girl and you for the new product :-)

  17. John Kissane

    Congratulations to you both!

  18. Nick Hall

    Congrats to you and The Girl.

    My only advice would be to enjoy sleep while you can!

  19. Congratulations !!

  20. Hubert

    So cuuuute!
    congrats to both, specially to Mum who did the hard job :-)

    Ray, looks like it is not 100% natural to hold the baby.

    welcome to this crazy adventure

  21. Rob

    Congratulations Ray and The Girl! As a very recent new parent myself (actually also a daughter born almost at the same time by the looks of things), I’ll be watching the blog even more closely than before for all the parent-focused sports tech that’s sure to come! First up, running stroller in-depth review :)

  22. Luke Falk

    Congrats, Ray!!

  23. Frank Di Cosmo

    Congratulations to you both.
    She’s adorable.

  24. Ian Humble

    Great news mate. Congrats. Welcome to the ‘ condensed’ ‘time crunched athlete’ training schedule ;) Breast feeding is your friend too ;)

  25. Jeroen

    Congratulations to both of you and welcome to your nice little baby!

  26. 8

    Awesome !
    she’s so cute ! congrats guys !
    And she’s gonna have so much fun with Lucy

  27. Jose I

    Congratulations!!! I wish you three all the happiness in the world.

  28. brian

    Congratulations to you both

  29. Henrik

    Congratulations to you and the girl! And the baby girl? What’s the code name for the baby?? I hope it’s not going to be “tester #3”! :-)

  30. Kaveh

    Congrats all! The Lucy story is too cute.

  31. Roy

    Congratz! Enjoy yourselves, get some rest when possible, you will need it at some point ?

  32. Congratulations Ray! Welcome to a whole new part of life.

  33. Daniel

    I wish you three the very best! Congratulations to the Girl and you!

  34. S Alderton

    Congratulations….

    Be prepared….

    Did you think of changing her name to reflect her favourite sport?

  35. merlinbk

    Congrats!!

  36. Rob

    Congratulations Ray!

  37. Chris

    Congrats to you, The Girl, and to the new arrival!

  38. maxfrance

    Congrats to you both,

    The Girl first, because ladies first in any case, and then because she worked actually a lot harder than you to make such a masterpiece…

    All the best !
    max

  39. robert

    Congrats on the new product. I hope it’s everything you’ve dreamed of plus more!

  40. Mark Visser

    Congrats on the newborn

  41. Eduardo Guemez

    Congratulations, having e girls myself I can guarantee a great ride. And if you want boys in the house, worry not, you’ll have more than you want in no time!!

  42. Congratulations to the two (three!) of you!
    Life will never be the same again!

  43. Dylan

    Congrats!!!!

  44. Scott

    Congratulations Ray!

  45. Paul S.

    “yesterday was passport picture day…and it was hilarious…she’s gonna hate us someday”

    Ray, there’s no guarantee that when you’re ready to collect Social Security, it’s going to be there. But one thing is certain: once she has money, your daughter will pay to keep embarrasing photos and stories off, say, Instagram. Consider it an investment in your future. (I certainly have mine all lined up for when my teenaged daughter starts having an income. Right now, all she has is an outgo.)

  46. Martin

    Congratulations to fresh mam and dad ;)

  47. A huge thanks all – we’re amazed by all the comments (and the advice, especially the funnier advice)! :)

  48. Karl Watanabe

    Congrats to you both!!!

  49. Gabriel

    Congrats!!

  50. Jill

    Congratulations! What a blessing!

  51. z

    I suggested to my friends, that they could put an activity tracker on their newborn, and maybe publish the findings every once in a while to have some public data on the human growth. they refused, but you could do it. think of the statistics!

  52. Neil

    Excellent news. Congratulations!

  53. Congratz to you all!

  54. Anthony

    Congratulations! Does she have a Strava account yet?

  55. Arist

    Warm congratulations!

    All the best and a lot of health to whole extended family! ;)

  56. Jim Falk

    Felicitations!. Looking forward to more baby/child product reviews. I’m the grandparent responsible for keeping our 3 grandchildren on 2 wheels.

  57. Iain

    Congrats to you and the Girl – now girls!

  58. Congratulations! Enjoy every minute of her!

    And fingers crossed this means more baby-related reviews! We’re thinking about getting our family started – I’d love to see your thoughts on running strollers and bike trailers :)

  59. Ben

    Congratulations to you and the Girl, Ray!

  60. Joe

    Congratulations to The Girl and to you!!

    I hope the baby chair you use in the care on the pic is only a temporary solution. We have 2 kids as well and as long as the cannot sit without help, you should use something like a “MaxiCosi” or Brittax Baby-Safe to relieve pressure on the spine.

  61. antoine

    Hi Ray!

    Are you actually gonna perform some test reviews of baby related stuff?? My wife is expecting for November, and I would definitely be interested in reading some baby activity tracker review :)

  62. Richard Stuckey

    Congratulations! Just welcomed my first son into the world 2 weeks ago, sleep is overrated..!

  63. Stepan

    Great to hear all of you three are fine :)

    My only advice that was passed to me by elder friend was to let my wife and baby sleep in the room I do not sleep at. And we all lived happy lives since then.

  64. Lukian

    Best wishes. Enjoy the adventure.

  65. Björn

    Congrats Ray and also congrats to the girl,
    Nothing will ever be the same but I guess you guys know that already :-)
    It will only get better and better in the next months and then all the sudden the little baby will be 2+ years old.
    All the best and as already stated….enjoy it to the fullest.

  66. Anuj Karkare

    Congratulations Ray and The Girl!

    Such nice pictures and a lovely room! Lucy will the best caretaker I’m sure :D

  67. Bill murray

    Congrats, may you all have long and happy lives. is current location family friendly in terms of her being able to play with friends as she grows up, might seem like a long way off but time will fly and city centre living here in Ireland is definitely not family friendly and most flee to the suburbs where kids have chance to kick ball and ride their bikes etc, I’ve no idea how it works in Paris.

  68. Eric

    Congratulations!!!

  69. Mark

    A wish for decades of happiness for all of you.

  70. Kamila

    Congratulation you and The Girl!

  71. phil

    Congratulations

  72. CSL

    Nice job guys! Congratulations!!

  73. Jean-Luc

    Well Done guys! she is beautiful! my best wishes.

  74. GregTR

    Congratulatulations! Enjoy every minute with her!

  75. Jeff Timleck

    Congratulations !! I am very happy for the 4 of you…..

  76. Barry D.

    Congrats Ray!

    Glad to hear you are all doing well and getting into a routine.

    Nursery looks great. Excited to hear how you like the running stroller too. Expecting my first late August/early September and planning on getting the Bob revolution flex which I am excited to try when the little one is old enough.

    Anyway, all the best!

  77. Ryan

    Congrats Ray! Although I loved our BOB as well as the other cool baby gear, the worst had to be the diaper pail. Those things never work as intended or block the smell. Good luck with all the changing….new workout idea, run one mile for every diaper used in a day!

  78. Axell

    Congratulations!!!

  79. Su-Chong Lim

    Belated Congratulations Ray. Maybe you’re halfway to becoming Canadian. Or French. I became a grandfather for the first time 4 months ago. If anything the sense of wonder is more profound. Enjoy, and be blessed.

  80. Pieter

    Congrats Ray, super cute!! Looking forward to her first reviews :) Really like the bottom picture with Lucy

  81. Bengrenon

    Congratulations to you guys! Its good to see the behind the scene life of our famous triathlon and endurance sport product reviewer! keep up the amazing work. For me, No purchase without first checking your site.
    A fan from Hong Kong Tritons Triathlon club (with frequent visits to Paris)
    Benjamin

  82. James A

    Congrats Ray,

    Looking forward to the baby gear reviews, especially the running stroller! It has opened up a whole new market for you.

    I have a Thule Cougar 2 that I couldn’t recommend highly enough and it also converts to a bike trailer. Maybe we will see a shoot out review…

  83. Rishi B

    Congrats to you and The Girl! Keep up the good work and get ready for the best ride of your life!!

  84. Martha Cantu

    Felicidades, Ray! Congrats to you, The Girl and the beautiful baby! I wish you all the happiness in the world! Great pic at the Luxembourg Gardens! However, I must say Lucy’s pic takes the gateau!

  85. Julia

    Congrats Ray and The Girl!

  86. Jason

    Congrats!!!

  87. Gabriel Schlumberger

    Most hearty and wonderful congratulations. You’re only a couple of years away from being able to tote her around in one of these: link to tagabikes.com

  88. Don

    Woo Hoo!!!! Congratulations to your little fam

  89. Heather Riley

    I don’t know why, yes I do, but I just started to get a little teary eyed looking at your beautiful baby girl. Congratulations to you both!!!

  90. Fatih K

    Congrats big time !

  91. Ou Boet

    Congratulations Ray. Glad to read that everybody is well and thriving. You’ve both just entered the most amazing journey ever!!! Enjoy.

    Cheers

    OB

  92. Joao Braga

    Congratulations !! All the best to your growing family. Now it’s time to start working on the next one. Your little girl will want a bother/sister to play with!

  93. rodmaia - Brazil

    Great! I wish the family can have great moments with her and the world get amazing things she will do.

  94. Paul Waye

    Congrats guys!

  95. Ian

    Great review as always… Now looking forward for all the good stuff she is going to test.
    Many Congratulations and a good night sleep…

  96. Rob

    Congratulations – that is fantastic news. Best wishes to you all.

  97. JAG

    Enjoy, that is all that matters

  98. Shawn

    Congrats!

  99. SteveT

    I am so happy for you three!!

    Patenting and Grand parenting are the most important jobs in the world.

    You’ll make great parents and she is a sweetheart!

    All the best, forever!

    Steve

  100. Thomas Leong

    Well done and congrats to you! The new cycle of life begins! It’s a life changer but a great one. I’m sure these new adventures will be exciting and challenging as any tri!! All the best and God bless you all!

  101. David

    Way to go. Now try and get that bike ride outside while the Girl is working :) Welcome to my life now.

    David

  102. Tom

    Ray, congrats to you and The Girl.

  103. Roberto

    Congratulations to the new parents!

  104. Hicham QASMI

    Congrats! Beautiful baby!

  105. Peter Stelman

    Congratulations, Ray! What a beautiful, wonderful baby. You guys will make great parents, and she’ll have the greatest experiences with you.

  106. Scott Paul Roberts

    Beautiful baby! Thank you for sharing your home life just a little. Pictures made my wife and I smile, and as always clever writing. As a dad myself I teared up seeing the newborn for the first time.
    How about you, Ray, did you squirt a tear of joy?

  107. Stuart Holtby

    Congratulations to all three of you from north nowhere Canada!

    Each child is a fragile part of you yourself that increasingly grows beyond your protection and influence. Guiding them along that road is scary, and often frustrating, and endlessly demanding (trust an old parent on that one). That said, children bring a whole new perspective to life and are the best reason to try to make the world a saner, kinder place.

    All the best!!!!

    P.S. If The Girl ever listens to Podcasts, check out The Longest Shortest Time! Great listening for the middle of the night.

  108. alan

    This could open up a whole line of work….testing baby gadgets

  109. Oscar

    Congrats to you and The Girl!

  110. jF

    Congrats – When you do the front-mount bike seat test, use a weighted dummy. I had a few scary seconds before craigslisting that guy. Watch medium speed turns on the trailer test .

  111. Kartik

    Congratulations, Ray! Wonderful news – very happy for you…!

  112. That last picture of Lucy bringing Babymaker her toys is the most precious thing ever! Congratulations to your family.

  113. Rob Lew

    Congrats Ray! Wondering if you have plans to review the Nanit baby monitor (https://www.nanit.com). We’re expecting in December, and this looks like the best baby monitor by far (assuming they deliver on time, as most crowd-sourced products don’t…). Also contemplating whether to go with the Nanit Insights unlimited or the regular plan. Thanks!

  114. Steffen

    Congrats! Really sweet babygirl!