Baby Carriers

Before Sprout was born, I made a linen ring sling for him & just after he arrived, I serged the edges of a long piece of fabric to make a wrap carrier too. I like both for different purposes. The ring sling travels with us most places in the stroller basket. I like to have it with us to pop him into if I need to burp him or soothe him & I want a hand free. I've walked a few places with it as well, though if we're going far he travels in the stroller, as I think my back would get sore after too long. At home, the wrap lives on the edge of the couch, ready for tying around my body & snugging him up to me. It's handy if he needs to be held & I need to do something else too, like sewing, laundry, etc.

I'd hoped that Papa could get used to both carriers & use them too, since both are infinitely adjustable to our different body types. Unfortunately, like many other dads out there, he doesn't really like the unstructured carriers. When we tried on an Ergo & the newer sporty version at Bean Sprouts a little while ago, Papa was much more comfortable with those, compared to a ring sling or a wrap. I liked the Ergo too, & it definitely has some advantages over the unstructured carriers. I think it would be easier to adjust than a ring sling, there's less of a learning curve to get used to it. Also, you can undo the shoulder straps while leaving the waist belt on to get the baby out quickly. I like the support hood so Sprout's little head won't flop if he falls asleep.

However, I've decided that the Ergo is not for us because I want Sprout to have the option of facing outward. I've heard from a few parents that their kids hated not being able to see everything & only liked carriers that would hold them facing out to the world. The Beco Gemini offers many positions for baby, including front-facing, so I think this carrier is the one for us. However, as it's so new, finding one in store to try on has been difficult so far. I may be able to try one tomorrow, though it's a colour I wouldn't buy (Oli won't wear mauve cherry blossom print) so I'll have to wait to actually get one...

Another reason to consider the Ergo & Beco is that they're rated for much bigger kids than the more common Baby Bjorn. That one only carries kids up to 26 pounds, which means we might only use it a year or so, depending on how pudgy Sprout gets. The Beco will hold little nippers of up to 35 pounds, which could be useful for 3-4 years. Of course, I realize that Sprouty may not want to be carried around much once he's more mobile, but it would be nice to have the option.

Do you have any experience using baby carriers? Got any tips or suggestions?

A question to you, my readers

Okay, part of the reason I haven't written much lately, is because I haven't got much to say except, "Oh my god he's sooooo cute!" or, "I love him so much!". Me cooing over my baby, while heartwarming, does not a good blog make.

What does make a good blog? What do you want to read about? I'm not promising to give you all what you want--I'll most likely just keep spouting off whatever comes into my head--but it's more that I'm curious. & I want to elicit a response from whoever's trolling my blog here. (Not that I'm calling you trolls) So, yes, erm, would you please comment?

Happy birthday Kiki & Nats!

A year ago today, I was in Berlin, staying at the East Seven Hostel in Prinzlauerberg, when I got the email via Facebook that twins Kira Louise & Natalie Ruth were born. They were about a month early & had to be born by C-section, as both were breech, but after only a short NICU stay, all three were home within a week. I was really happy for my sister although it was a little tinged with sadness. I was still recovering emotionally from the loss of our son Arrow, whose due date was a week after the twins'.

Before my nieces were born I worried that I'd always be reminded of my lost baby when I saw them, but thankfully this isn't the case. Perhaps because their birthday is a month before little Arrow's would have been? Maybe just because my grief just doesn't work that way. It could be because I got pregnant again not long after they were born & had that to worry about. (Though it was a relatively stress-free pregnancy, I didn't start to relax until into my fifth month, past the point where I miscarried Arrow.)

I'm looking forward to bringing my little boy to his cousins' birthday party this weekend. I can't wait to see Natalie's crawling & stair-climbing skills!

Surprised

As I sit here writing this, I'm looking over at my little boy, still amazed. Amazed that I'm a mother, amazed that this little person is really finally here, living with me. It's been over seven weeks since little L was born, but every morning when I pick him up out of his little bed & bring him into mine to nurse him, I marvel at him. He's so tiny yet so expressive, so helpless but getting stronger every day.

Of course I've completely fallen in love with him, as every mother is supposed to become utterly devoted to their little ones. Every smile, every laugh, every coo brings a smile to my face. I'm not surprised at how much I love him, but I am surprised at how this love is manifested. I find pleasure in everything I do to take care of him: washing bottles & pump parts; laundering load after load of his small clothes & diapers; wiping his little bum & bathing him in the bathroom sink; dabbing drool or spit-up off his chin & my clothes. Even waking up at 3 or 4am to his cries makes me happy because I get to hold him & cuddle him again. That's something I didn't expect.

We'll see how I feel after months of this life, but at the moment I am taking pride in & getting satisfaction from pretty much every aspect of my role as mama.