On a laid-back Saturday afternoon, while enjoying some downtime at home, my wife suddenly suggested we go to the Baby Fair (Bepé). It wasn't our first time; since her pregnancy, we'd been there twice before. Previously, the fair was held at COEX, but this time, it was at Suwon Messe.
Initially, I wasn't too keen on going. Though she's heavily pregnant and naturally tired, she felt a bit stifled staying at home. So, for her sake, we decided to head out.
Upon arriving at the "KOBÉ Baby Fair", I presented the screenshot of our tickets, which was then exchanged for sticker-style entrance tickets. As we entered, there were various brochures, discount vouchers, and samples near the entrance. Everyone seemed generous with samples, even if you didn’t pick up any of the vouchers (I swear we didn't avoid them out of laziness 😅).
After our son was born, this was our third visit to such a fair. The initial thrill was missing, and unlike our second visit, the place wasn’t as crowded. Maybe it was because we arrived at 3 PM, or perhaps the location made a difference. Had it been as packed as our previous visit to COEX, my pregnant wife would have found it quite taxing.
The vendors were numerous, as expected. We even ran into someone who had attended to us during our last visit at COEX 😅. Our main objective wasn't so much to buy something as it was to alleviate my wife's restlessness and indulge in our shared interests. We breezed past items and stalls that didn't pique our interest. Among the first items that caught our eye were baby hats. I ignorantly questioned, "Do babies really need hats?" My wife promptly schooled me on how they help prevent heat loss and protect their delicate heads.
To our future baby: Daddy promises to get you a lovely hat later on. Just window-shopping for now! 😅
Next, we spotted some plush toys. There was one that resembled a toy we had at home; turns out they were from the same high-end British brand. Every doll has a unique face, making them rather pricey. We hope our little one takes a liking to "Jellycat"! 😍
Another item of interest was KojiStory’s bumper bed. Ideal for decorating a baby's room and separating them for sleep. However, with our upcoming move to a new apartment next year, we decided to hold off on that purchase.
One peculiar gadget that grabbed our attention was a UV sterilizer. Initially skeptical ("We grew up without such gadgets!"), I was soon convinced of its utility and even tempted to buy it. We resisted, hoping my wife doesn’t get the same idea from a blog. 😅
After all the browsing, our hunger led us to the food section. There, we spotted a banner from a previous fair in Daegu, which seemed recycled. The food area had seating spaces and a designated nursing room.
My wife and I filled our bellies, looked at the 'TinyMobile' which is considered a hot item for babies, and even made a reservation for a prenatal massage. We also came across the "Disinfecting Kid" brand which we had seen at the previous baby expo but hadn't bought then. Since the birth is just around the corner, we thought it best to ensure everything at home is properly sanitized, so we purchased a set. The salesperson was different from the last time, but the way they let us smell the product and explained it was the same. They mentioned free shipping with a cash payment, so I requested it to be delivered. Maybe because it was getting late or they realized our baby's due date was approaching, they gave us a lot of samples! (Thank you so much..😆)
So, we spent our day quite productively and on our way home, since we parked next to the Suwon Messe at the Lotte Department Store, we bought some bread for dinner there. (A bit random, but... haha) I'm attaching a picture of the bread we bought from OPS on the 2nd floor of the Lotte Department Store. A while back when we visited Busan, we happened upon a cream bread in Haeundae that my wife really loved, so we decided to stop by again today.
Anyway, whenever we heard product explanations at the expo today, the presenters often asked if the birth was imminent seeing how prominent my wife's belly appeared to be. The countdown is now at D-18. Hoping for the health of my wife and our little one~
Recorded on March 18, 2023.