Two disclosures: 1) all the photos below were taken with my iPhone so they aren’t that great. Apologies. I definitely plan on busting out the “real” camera soon! 2) I am an Amazon Associate and the link to a product below is an affiliate link. For more information, please see my disclosure policy.
It would be quite incomplete for me to record life right now without mentioning my newfound zeal for babywearing.
A few months ago, when Ada was about 5 or 6 months old, the quality of her naps during the day really dropped off. We went from a semi-regular schedule (ish?) to basically no daytime sleeping. Ada wanted to be held; wanted to be close to me. I then remembered a woman in my Moms’ group who regularly wears her daughter in a ring sling. This inspired me to dig out the Baby K’Tan we were given by another mom friend.
Holy moly. Ada would instantly calm and rest in that carrier. It was like magic. I took to the Internet to find other babywearing solutions and discovered my local chapter of Babywearing International (BWI). Their next meeting was nearby, so I went.
I cannot say enough about the people at that meeting. Everyone was so kind and welcoming. Meetings are free but for only $30 a year I could borrow a different carrier each month! I was hooked. I picked up a linen ring sling and started wearing Ada around the house. The sling almost always put Ada to sleep. Once she started teething, this trick was invaluable.
After gaining some confidence, I started wearing Ada around the neighborhood and to local events (story time at the library, a street festival where a stroller would be a pain, etc). At the next BWI meeting, I swapped my linen ring sling for a silk one. My interest in babywearing was piqued.
Down the babywearing rabbit hole!
Because I – apparently – don’t do things halfway, I’m currently in 9 different Facebook groups dedicated to babywearing (4 brand specific, 3 general, and 2 “feedback groups” used to provide feedback on other babywearing mamas who buy and sell their carriers online). I spend my evenings after Ada’s asleep reading about wraps (I love the reviews on Wrap Evermore), perusing albums of carriers for sale on the aforementioned Facebook groups, and watching videos of people babywearing (I cannot say enough about Wrap You In Love‘s tutorials). Without really meaning to, I’ve absorbed acronyms (WCMT! FWCC!) and patterns/color ways (Tekhni Helene Sunshine! Didymos Mystic Petrol Hemp!).
I look forward to those BWI meetings like a child anticipates Christmas. At the most-recent meeting, I grabbed a woven wrap to try for the month of September.
I’ve gained more and more confidence in wearing Ada for longer stretches. Most recently, Ada took her first city bus ride in the wrap. She loves being close (and I can’t get enough of it either).