Monday, December 14, 2009

Babywearing in the Rain

Well, I love my birthday and I love Disneyland and I love free things. So you would think that a free ticket to Disneyland on my birthday would have been the best thing ever. And it would have been had it not rained... all.day.long!!! I knew it was going to rain and rain hard. But we had already purchased nonrefundable hotel reservations in Anaheim. So off to the Magic Kingdom we went. I was determined to wear my baby at Disneyland come hell or high water (turns out it was the latter that we faced).

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Warning! Dangerous baby slings on the market!!!

If you have attended one of my babywearing classes, you know that I warn about "bag style" baby slings. There are several makers of these bag type slings and they are all dangerous. Because of the design of the "sling" it is not possible for your baby to have proper head/neck support. This can cause positional asphyxiation and death. In fact, there have already been two deaths this year alone in bag slings. Also, the bag often closes shut over the baby and there is not proper air circulation. Improper air flow is a cause of SIDS.

If you have one of these style slings, please discontinue use. If you have registered for one, please remove it from your registry.

There are many excellent carriers out there that, if used properly, will provide a safe way for you and your baby to stay close. Unfortunately they are not in the mainstream market place. If you have any questions about carriers or how find or use one, please do not hesitate to contact me. I will help you find the right baby carrier for you. If you already have a sling and need help using it, I will be more than happy to help.

More information about babywearing can be found at www.thebabywearer.com.

In the interest of full disclosure:
I am a hobbyist sling maker. I make and sell ringslings as well as make the occasional mei tai. However, the only interest I have in sending this message out to you is in the interest of your baby's safety.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Chinese style fabric for a Chinese style carrier


As soon as I saw the fabric in the remnants basket I snatched it up. Imagine my surprise when I opened it up and found an awesome dragon right in the middle! When my friend announced to me that she was pregnant by asking me if I would "teach her to wear her baby", I knew I would be using the fabric for her mei tai. I was so nervous (my perfectionism gets in the way at times) that I waited until the week of her shower to start making it. Well, I'm very happy with the result and so was she!

Monday, October 12, 2009

Baby (Doll) Wearing

My niece Makayla wearing her doll in style!

After I made a mei tai for my sister to wear my nephew in, Makayla started to grab whatever she could find around the house to put her baby on her back! When I heard that, I knew that I had to make her a mei tai of her own. So now she can enjoy some good bonding time with her doll.

Friday, October 9, 2009

San Diego Zoo

We finally got to go on our "free" vacation (let's just say we're never again attending a time share presentation, even if the gift is a "free" vacation). Anyway, we got to go to San Diego and took Benny to the zoo! Of course we went sans stroller. We toyed with the idea of renting one, but decided to wait and see how it went. It went beautifully, of course! Benny rode on my back almost all day. It was great not to have to push a stroller up and down the crazy hills at the SD Zoo. Of course, independent little Benny wanted to walk some of the time, but when his little legs got tired, I just popped him on my back and everyone was happy!

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Babywearing Walk

Our Babywearing Mall Walk was so much fun! We had eight mamas with babies and a good time was had by all. There were ringslings and mei tais and ergos, OH MY! As we gathered, there were lots of smiles from other mall patrons and a few questions from others. It was great to share the babywearing love. One of the nicest surprises of the day came when we were in the food court and met two other babywearing mamas! There was a newborn in a Moby and an infant in a ringsling. Since babywearing is not the norm here, it was shocking to see other babywearers. What a wonderful day!

Friday, September 18, 2009

International Babywearing Week!

Next week is International Babywearing Week. To celebrate, Desert Babywearers and NewAndExpectantMamas.com are teaming up and heading to... THE MALL!!! (I know, such a sacrifice.) Some of the ladies have been babywearing since day one, some are still learning now to use the carrier and some have never worn their babies before! I am so excited about meeting new moms and getting babywearing noticed. At least I assume there will be a few people who notice a big group of moms who are stroller free and cuddling their babies!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Genius Mei Tai Design!

There is a new mei tai out there on the market called the GloryBaby Carrier. Now, if you're like me, you're thinking, "Another mei tai? What's the big deal?" Well, the big deal is the genius design of the hood rest. That's right, I said the hood rest. It's a sleeping hood that can be folded and anchored to make a head rest. I haven't tried one (I've only watched the video) but I am super excited about this design. Oh, wait, I forgot to tell you that they are reversible! I can hear you being pessimistic and thinking, "I hate reversible mei tais with hoods. They look so funky because the fabric never quite matches right." Well, be prepared to have your mind blown away because the hood does this great little flippy thing (such a technical term, I know) and Voila! you have a hood rest that matches the rest of the carrier. I'm telling you, it's pure genius.

Right now, Minda Bare, owner of GloryBaby Carriers is looking for testers. Go to her site and check it out. I bet even if you're not chosen as a tester you'll want to buy one... the prices are fantastic!

Monday, September 14, 2009

Nap Time!

I had places to go and things to buy... at stores that didn't open until Benny's nap time. In the past few days Benny's napping had been a bit erratic, so I gave it a shot and put him in the car. He promptly fell asleep. When we arrived at our destination, I strapped on my mei tai, made a wish, and gingerly put Benny on my back. He stayed asleep! In fact, he slept the entire time. I was able to keep my baby close, let him nap, and get my errands done. I love babywearing!

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Where Shoe?

I have lots of shoes that don't fit Benny anymore and lots of shoes starting at size 5. Benny is now a size 4. So off to WalMart we went to buy a pair of shoes. I put him in my trusty $3 mei tai and we headed to the back of the store to the shoe department.

Have you ever seen the California First Five commercials that show some crazy lady talking all silly and asking about pants going on your head or what shape a dollar bill is and it turns out they are just interacting with their child? I could have been in one of those commercials because if you had seen me head on, you would have seen a crazy lady saying, "Where are the shoes? Where are the baby shoes? Are those baby shoes? No, those are daddy shoes! Are those baby shoes? No, those are mommy shoes! Where are the Benny shoes?" And then from behind me popped two little arms in a questioning position and a little voice said, "Where Shoe???"

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Podegi!

I was sharing about babywearing with some former coworkers and come to find out, one of them has a podegi. A podegi is a traditional Korean style sling. It basically looks like a blanket with straps on the top. She was kind enough to let me try it out with Benny. It was heaven! I couldn't believe how Benny's 23 pound body became almost weightless. Can you guess what my next project is going to be?

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

A trip to Target w/o Babywearing

So in my most brilliant move ever, I put my wraps and mei tais (I don't have a big stash) in the washer to get ready for an upcoming trip and then realized I had nothing to wear Benny in for shopping at Target.
No problem, he's 16 months old. I'll just put him in the shopping cart.
Ughhh!!! It was not a pleasant experience. Benny wasn't too thrilled to be in the cart and I wasn't too thrilled as I put him in. He is usually very happy to ride on my back for a long time at the store, but it wasn't long before he started acting up and making yelling noises the likes of which he has never done before. I just had an overall icky feeling about the whole experience.

Then, the cutest thing happened when we got home. Benny found a ringsling that I hadn't used in so long that I had actually failed to think to use it for our shopping trip. He brought it to me and wanted to be worn. He's never done that before! So we cuddled up and nursed. I loved it.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Yes! He can walk!

I've noticed lately that when people ask about the baby on my back, they ask how old he is and then if he can walk. I wonder if they think I carry him because he can't walk. Really, I carry him because he can walk. I don't want to have to chase a 15 month old around in public... I chase him around enough at home!

Thursday, July 9, 2009

guaze, gauze, everywhere!!!

I am so happy with the new gauze slings I have been making. I may never work with another fabric again! The gauze is so light and airy. I love the way it has just the slightest bounce so that hugs mommy and baby but still has plenty of support for a toddler (I still occasionally wear my big 22 pound Benny on my hip in gauze sling). If you would like to see some of my slings, please visit http://www.slingbabies.webs.com/ and click on the "photo gallery".

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

My $3 Mei Tai


I finally did it!!! I made my first mei tai! It's not perfect, but I'm pretty happy with it.


Here's the breakdown of costs-

straps from an old denim couch cover: free!

canvas: $0.75

quilting squares: $2.00

thread: approx. $0.25

Friday, April 17, 2009

Photo Shoot! UPDATED WITH PHOTOS!!

Benny and I just came back from our very first babywearing photo shoot! It was amazing. Holly from Park Avenue Photography was so sweet and made us feel calm and natural. It was so much fun. Benny was fairly cooperative and we got some really great shots. I can't believe what a difference it makes to go with a real photographer in a studio. I can't wait to see the final product. Photos coming soon!
Thank you, Holly!!!
http://www.parkavephotography-blog.blogspot.com/



Wednesday, April 15, 2009

A Great Invention

My husband and I were taking a walk and I had one year old Benny wrapped on my back. As we walked down the street, we passed a boy and his mom playing in the front yard. Their conversation went something like this:

Boy: How Cute!!!! How Cute!!!! Mom, turn around. Look!

Mom: What? The dog?

Boy: NOOOO. Turn around! Look at the baby, how cute!!!

Mom: Oh, that is cute.

Boy: It's a great invention!

That little boy just made my day.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Summer Slings!

I recently started working with cotton gauze and I love it! The shoulder is so thin yet comfortable. It spreads across my back nicely and gives great support. It is super light and breathable, but still grippy enough that it doesn't slip in the rings. I've been asked to make some to be sold at Jadabug's... just in time for summer!

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Until We're Done

I keep getting asked how long I'm going to wear the baby in the sling. For me, it's the same answer to the question of how long we're going to breastfeed... until we're done. For now, I'm going to cuddle my little guy as much as I can for as long as he'll let me.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Crazy Mei Tai Construction Design

The funniest thing that happened at the Carried in Comfort babywearing meeting. I was showing them my Parents of Invention mei tai. Kat (the leader) asked me what I thought about the different angles of the straps as she pointed out that one strap was angled down. I had never noticed this before! Now, I have inspected my mei tai and checked the stitching many times, but I never noticed the bizarre angle of the strap. Aside from being a little embarrassed that I had never noticed this major detail, I was flabbergasted as to why it would be like that. "For a hip carry?" Was the only thing I could come up with. I emailed the Parents of Invention and asked them about it. They said it was done on purpose. But what purpose? They didn't say. I can only assume that it is to aid in the comfort of a hip carry... but only on your left hip. Sorry, lefties! This mei tai is not for you.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

My carrier of choice these days is a ringsling that I made myself. In fact, it isn't even sewn into the rings. It is threaded at each end and tension keeps it in place. I was watching a video on how to do a torso carry when I realized that the material from my ringsling could double as a simple piece of cloth for a torso carry. I unthreaded the sling and tried it... success! Now when I go out, I really have two carriers in one!