It takes longer...

Doing anything takes longer with kids.

I had to go talk to a community employment government agency called WorkOne. I had to take Miranda and Veronica with me. I got lots of cute looks, some funny ones (Miranda was wearing a crown and Veronica was in my pink moby wrap), and lots of smiles. At least, until the 2-year-old started standing on chairs, pulling on the diving rope, taking paper out of the printer, dropping crayons through a hole in the desk onto the floor below.

It's a good thing little children are so cute. It make them that much harder (for others) to get mad at them.

Oh, and we won't talk about the times a child is misbehaving and the necessary requirement of literally dragging or abandoning your child to their temper tantrum. Yeah, the looks on that one are interesting, too.

Miranda grabbed my camera out of my purse while waiting to see somebody at WorkOne and had it out of its case and on before I could grasp or gasp NO! Then, with some assistance, I let her take some pictures. This was the best one (of the 10 she took).

In Style

Well, it was inevitable. Something so good would have to reach mainstream, eventually. And, hey, it's not a bad thing! There's a reason why I love using a Sling or a Moby Wrap. They are AWESOME!

In fact, just yesterday my neighbor came over and asked to borrow my wrap because her 15-month-old, who was sick with croup, would not be put down, and she wanted to go for a walk (she'd let her sister borrow her own wrap). Ta-da! We got the kid settled on mom's hip, and away mom and clingy-now-happy baby went for a walk in the GLORIOUS hint-of-spring weather we had yesterday. In fact, I believe I introduced this neighbor to the wrap, and she's ended up making them for friends/family (that's how she knew to ask to borrow one from me).

The New York Times had on their website today (March 10th) a front-page article about wearing your baby. Not all that much information. There was some concern about baby's suffocating in padded slings (and, yes, I could see that happening with a very tiny baby in a big padded sling. I usually didn't put newborns laying down in the sling- I didn't think they were all that comfortable, and they seemed to sleep better snuggled against my chest.)

Still, I'm not trading my sling or wrap for a stroller. It's great to free up that stroller so the two-year-old can ride while the baby is on your body, and you STILL have two free hands! Perfect. It's also great that dads are willing to wear the baby. Travis has asked me to strap a baby on him... in fact when we went roller skating for Zoë's school, he had Veronica in the wrap, Megan on skates*. I was with Miranda. Zoë was doing laps around us. Great fun!!!

So, if you're still interested in making a sling or wrap, wanting to know how to wrap a baby in one, check out the internet (there's LOTS of help there!) or even give me a call! I'd be happy to show you what I've got and help you get comfortable using them.

Oh, and you can check out my old post to see my review. Sadly, I haven't experienced the ERGObaby (although I have a friend who has one, and she really REALLY likes it- she also has the wrap and the sling. I might ask her to compare them...)

Wear your baby... it's the new trend!

Oh, and those of you who have used the wrap or sling, ERGObaby, or any combination of the aforementioned, what are YOUR thoughts???

*For some reason, blogger won't let me upload pictures right now. I'll try to post them later.

Snowy Days

I heard birds yesterday. It was almost startling, especially since it was a gloomy, snowy, and very cold morning. I wondered what they were doing here! And, if I closed my eyes and ignored every other sensory input, my ears helped me recall summer afternoons. Ahhhh.

Then I opened my eyes to the gloom, the dusty salt on my jacket rubbed from my dirty van that was sitting in slushy, icy snow. I looked at the ice-crusted snow in the yard, and the grey clouds overhead. Yup, it is February, and this is definitely the hardest month of the winter for me. The novelty of snow has long worn off, the gray is overwhelming and opressive, and I'm so much more than ready for SPRING!

So, I'm posting this to remind myself of what I love about winter. Sunshine sparkling on snow, rosy cheeks, sledding. laughter, and hot chocolate to end a fun but chilly afternoon

outside.

Megan runs to get the "bum sled".

Miranda climbs up the hill to make her way down the "slide".

Reverse Snow Angel. (Only sometimes is she a little Devil).

Megan showing off her snow angel.

Miranda sitting up after attempting her snow angel.

The snow was so deep that Miranda had a hard time walking out of it.

Ahhhh, the beauty of a blue sky while lying warmly clad in the freezing snow.

You can almost make out their snow angels!

Megan was giving me a grumpy look. I think she was tired of all the pictures.


Miranda's second attempt at a snow angel. It was a little too cold on her head.

Not wanting Zoë to miss out on all the fun, we had arranged to go sledding with a church friend, E. We loaded up ourselves donned in massive snow gear, grabbed our bum sleds and headed over to their house where we enjoyed the colossal hill. I had all four girls with me (Veronica in the Moby wrap), and I was ever so grateful that E.'s mom, was there with us!

Zoë had fun on the innertube flying down the hill.

Megan was very hesitant and fearful, but she did go down the big hill once on her own. She was most satisfied, however, with me dragging her down the "baby hill" on the other side.

Miranda, showing no fear and all excitement, was thrilled that E's mom was willing to ride with her down the hill.

E's bigger sister, C, was awesome to take Miranda down the hill with her.

Megan was having fun eating snow, and riding in the sled as I drug her up and down the short hill.

Doesn't she look perfectly content? She loved the sledding!
Veronica (in the Moby wrap) was happy to be outside, but was NOT happy to be so cold. It was sunny when we pulled up to go sledding, but unfortunately the clouds moved so quickly and a wind picked up. We all had runny noses, much like Veronica's. She was "singing" the whole time (and it wasn't always a happy tune), and I think even she had fun.

Baby Carriers

Megan was 9 months old when I decided that I needed to have something to carry her in. I'd used the Snugly infant carrier until she was 4-months old, but I felt like every time I bent over she was going to fall out of it! She was happy in it (facing me or out), but I wasn't happy with her in it as she got bigger.

I had a friend who used a sling. It looked a little funny to me at first- you know, kinda "mother-earthy" and all that. I wasn't too sure about using one myself. I can't remember what finally convinced me to go ahead and try it, but I bought the rings, found some sewing directions, purchased some fun thread and plain muslin fabric and put one together.

Nana- giving my shoulder a break-
carried Megan this way letting her look out at the world.

It was super easy and was an immediate hit with me. It was versatile: I could carry her, let her sleep, nurse her, put her facing in/out, on my hip or even on my back. She was happy in it, and it was a life-saver for when she got older to get her to sleep at church (until I stopped nursing, anyway).

Then, I moved to South Bend, and I saw this new kind of infant carrier- a Moby Wrap (or similar style, that's just the brand name). Again, I was hesitant to try something new. I was certain the sling was enough, and there was not reason to get anything else. My neighbor bought one and let me try it with Miranda. WOW. She was snuggled in, it was soooo comfortable to carry her. I talked to friends and figured out how to make my own, and found some resources on how to wrap the baby up using different styles.

Can you believe I was nursing Miranda?
She fell asleep and we walked another couple of hours
before she woke up. She was 8 months old on this trip.

So, which is best? Here are my thoughts:

Infant "pack" (Bjorn, Snuggly, etc)

PROS

1. weight distributed across back/shoulders
   
2. gender neutral (I've seen many a dad wear this as much as a mom)
   

CONS

1. although baby can technically face both ways, I've never felt like the infant looks all that comfortable, especially as the baby grows.
   
2. as baby gets bigger, the weight seems to not be as comfortable
   
3. as baby gets bigger, seems like she will fall out if you bend over
4. All those loops/straps/cinches
5. Not very easy to nurse (although I've heard a few say it is possible)
   
6. Cost! I haven't seen anything cheaper than $40, and most are around $80+
   

Sling

PROS

1. super fast to put on (if you leave the sling threaded through the rings)
   
2. easy to switch baby's position (sitting forward, toward you, hip, laying down, on your back) without moving the sling much
   
3. Easy to nurse baby while completely modest.
4. COST! To make your own (you'll need a sewing machine) it's $5 for the rings, and the cost of 2.5 yards of material, and thread. A friend of mine sewed two for $22 (purchasing linen during a 40%-off sale)
   

CONS

1. If carrying for a long time, shoulder can begin to hurt
   
2. Need to learn (simple) trick of how to thread material through rings, how to adjust to get right tightness on infant, and how to get baby in/out
   
3. Not quite as gender neutral (I haven't seen any dad's use this- Travis tried a few times, but I don't think he liked it much)
4. If you buy this already made, you're looking at $40-$80
   

I nursed Megan to sleep while we were looking at Bridal Veil Falls.
Megan is eleven months old here.

Moby Wrap

PROS

1. Perfect for carrying baby around a long time- weight is well distributed around hips and shoulders, while still held in snugly (I can bend over and not worry about baby falling out)
   
2. Can carry baby face in/out, on your hip, on your back (see #4 below)
   
3. Can nurse while in wrap (see #4 below)
4. More gender neutral (I've seen quite a few dads use these- not as many as the infant packs, though)
5. COST: By far the cheapest to "make": you get 5 or 6 yards of interlock knit fabric (60" wide) and cut it into 20" strips. I waited until the fabric went on sale, and spent $30 and made three wraps.
   

CONS

1. Takes a bit to learn how to put it on
   
2. Can get the baby in the wrong way and she isn't secure
   
3. It's LONG, and I've had it drag on the ground (i.e. much easier to get dirty)
4. If you want to change baby's position, it isn't quick; you almost have to undo the entire wrap and start over. Some holds require assistance from somebody else, or odd positions to get the baby in the right way (e.g. to nurse or carry baby on your back)
5. Buying online, already made, they run $40+
   

Travis carried Miranda for a few hours this way-
even on the boat trip to the base of Niagara Falls.

Overall, I wouldn't spend any money on an infant pack. They don't seem to be very versatile, and they don't seem to work so well for when the baby gets older (I haven't tried a Baby Bjorn, tho'). So, sling vs. wrap? I actually recommend both! The sling is perfect if you need to quickly get the baby picked up and keep moving. It's fast to put on or take off, and baby can be in any position (or switch) quickly. Also, nursing is super easy with this- the tail makes a great cover-up. But, I love my wrap for long-term carrying. It distributes the weight more evenly. One can still carry the infant in many different holds (facing in/out, on hip, on back, or even nursing), but it takes a lot of practice to get good at getting them in the right position, and you can't switch between them without re-wrapping.

So, borrow a sewing machine, buy some fabric, and make both a sling and a wrap! (I'd be happy to help you!!!)