A Mom's Life-Old School Style

On Sunday, I experienced motherhood hunter-gatherer style.  Well, maybe not quite that far back, but at least pioneer style.  No, I didn't go gather berries in the woods or find edible plants out in the field, but I did have to get my garden planted and I did it with my baby on my back.  

I have definitely decided that humanity would not have survived without women (not only because we have babies), but I think that families would have starved if women weren't responsible for child rearing and tending gardens (no offense men).  It is super hard work to get a garden going, let alone work a garden with a baby on your back.  God bless those women who did it with little papooses.  I'll stay thankful for modern conveniences like metal tools and Ergo baby carriers.  I wouldn't have survived Sunday without them.  

On a side note, if you're trying to lose baby weight, this is a great way to do it.  I did tons of squats and I expect the evidence to be in my glutes pretty soon!

  P.S.  Not a photo of my garden (sadly!), just a good ole free photo from stock.xchng...baby is currently sleeping and I'm too exhausted to go outside and take a photo. 

BabyHawk Baby Carrier Review

Baby Hawk Review

Basic Information:
This is a Mei Tai baby carrier. BabyHawk allows you to select your own fabric options on their website and they will custom build it for you. There are tons of fabric options and 17 options for strap color. They now have a new product that snaps and is more like a structured baby carrier.  The one I am reviewing is the Regular BabyHawk.

How it works:
The best way to describe how to use it is to look at the instruction photos. I assure you, the photo arrays look much more complicated to put on than it really is! It takes me less than thirty seconds to put on and get baby all situated! Basically, you tie the bottom strap around your waist.  You hold baby up against your chest, pull the body of the carrier up behind baby's back.  Then, throw the shoulder straps over your shoulders.  The straps cross each other on your back and tie in the front across your baby’s lower back. I only needed assistance the very first time I used it.

Price:
$80 for the basic model.
You can add some extra features for an additional cost of usually $5 or $10. Extra features include: a toy ring, minky backing, longer straps, added body size, and pockets.


My Experience:
I love, love, love this thing. (Thanks to Craig and Michelle for buying it for me!) I started using it when my daughter was about 5 weeks old.  Using it helps me get things done around the house because I can use my arms! I use it when I go places so I don’t have to carry a car seat. It’s easier to bring out than a wrap carrier because it’s not one long piece of fabric that can drag on the ground while putting it on. I’ve only used the Newborn Front Carry position so far, but my daughter is getting big enough that I’ll soon need to stick her feet out the side. I haven't been brave enough for the back carry yet, but I look forward to trying it in the future!

Features I Love:

• No adjustment necessary. You can easily share this between two people (or more). Since it is tied, there are no snaps or buckles to move.
• Secure. Baby is safe and secure inside.
• Cute. Yup, I’m going there…I think it’s super cute.

The Downside:

• Intimidation. I think that the intimidation factor keeps people away.
• Price. It is certainly not cheap, but in my opinion, it is definitely worth the cost.
• Practice Required. It takes a few times getting baby in and out to really be able to do it quickly. It also takes a little bit of practice to use on the go. I had to perfect my technique to get baby in and out without dropping straps on the parking lot and quickly enough that we didn’t get too cold in the process.

I Vote:

• Convenient
• Easy to Use
• Cute Fabrics
• Good Quality
• Love it, Love it, Love it!

Overall Rating (out of 10): 9.5

Pictures

Pictures from top to bottom: First time using it (about 5 weeks old); Using it at family Christmas (about 8 weeks old); 18 weeks old

Babywearing...seriously, the best thing EVER

I really cannot adequately describe my obsession with and affection for babywearing.  It is like giving your arms the gift of freedom...wait, it actually does give them freedom.  It is like being able to snuggle all the time...wait, you actually do snuggle the whole time.  It is like having the most fashionable accessory...well, if you count the baby, yes...if you're talking about the fabric, maybe.

This week in babywearing was AWESOME.  I got to ditch lugging the carseat!  It was so warm that I didn't carry Adelaide in her carseat anywhere!  I was able to do that way back in November when she was really a wee one, but it has been so cold that I didn't want to transfer her in and out of the carseat/babycarrier outside.  So, for months, I've been lugging the carseat into the store and (often) she would just stay in it for her ride in the cart. 

This week, different story, I never took the car seat out.  I simply unbuckled her, stuck her in a baby carrier, and we went on our happy way.  It is heaven!!  I am glad to have a safe, reliable car seat, but I HATE carrying that thing!  Not carrying it around is such a huge relief!  I always feel like I am  about 2 seconds from dropping it because I seem to be a little off-kilter and I walk really fast to get where I am going so I can set it down.  I'm sure some of you know what I'm talking about...

If you have ever thought about using a babycarrier...do it. 

Here's a list of places that we went this week with the carrier I used!
1.  The pediatrician's office-The BabyHawk
2.  Downtown KC-The BabyHawk (a three block walk)
3.  Pizza Shoppe-Ring Sling (first time facing out!!) 
4.  Walk around our neighborhood-The BabyHawk
5.  Dog Park-Ring Sling
6.  Target-Ring Sling

Honestly, I think that the baby carriers that I have are at the top of my "Most Useful Baby Items" list.  I love being able to use my hands.  I love having her close and knowing she is secure.  I know she enjoys the view too!   

We love babywearing!

I can't say enough good things about babywearing...if you don't do it, you definitely should give it a try. I do it almost every day. It's convenient and the kiddo loves it. We get to snuggle and I can still use my hands:) They have proven invaluable while going to the store, b/c my daughter doesn't like hanging out in the car seat while I shop. It's hard for me to bring our stroller along to stores, because then I have no room in the car to put groceries, etc. So, I just put on a wrap and stick her in it when I get there.

I have several different baby carriers, but I haven't tried all of them yet. Some of them require head control which my little snug doesn't quite have yet. I look forward to trying more in the future. The ones pictured here are (top to bottom, left to right): Hotsling, Moby Wrap (on my husband), Baby Slings and Things, and BabyHawk. It takes a little bit of practice to learn how to put them on and put the baby in properly, but it only took me about two or three times for each one to do it correctly quickly.

Thus far, I am more experienced with the Moby Wrap and BabyHawk. I love both of them and have found that they each work well for different situations. I've found that the BabyHawk is easier for me to get in and out of quickly. If I need to be moving and bending a lot, the Moby keeps her a little closer and I can secure her head better.

I just received the Baby Slings and Things from a friend who loves hers. I have to say, I love that it is made with stretchy fabric and has a little bit of give so that my little one fits in there snugly and conforms to my body. I am not a huge fan on the Hotsling and now that I have the new sling, I probably won't use it anymore. I don't feel that it fits me well , it's a stiff fabric, and it is pretty tough for me to get her in it.