Why I Wear

As we close International Babywearing Week, I thought it would be a great time to reflect on my first year of wrapping.  I've worn each of my three children, but didn't really "get it" til my second was about 8 months old.  Since then I've truly embraced the wearing lifestyle and LOVE it!  There are many facets to my babywearing addiction and I would love to share them with you!

I originally started wearing as a convenience.  I have some physical limitations that make carrying a child in my arms very tiring and my children aren't even that big!  Thanks to the local La Leche League and my friend, I found the wearing love with a ring sling and Ergo soft structured carrier.  They were both wonderful options at the time, but just not quite what I was looking for as my needs changed.  I'm so grateful they were available to start our obsession!

I remember my first experience with a woven, before I even had children.  A neighbor used one to back carry her youngest while we made  goat cheese.  I didn't think anything of it until several years later when I started wrapping my our children.  Oh how I wish I had remembered and asked her for help when I had my first!  She gifted me a homemade stretchy wrap at my shower and I was an epic failure with it as there were no instructions.  Following some Moby wrap tutorials resulted in me feeling like it wasn't safe at all (cradle hold...) and I was overwhelmed by all the fabric.  Ironically, it was only the length of a size 4...  Oh how things change! 

My first time wearing our oldest

When E was about 8 months old, I realised I needed something different.  She didn't fit well in the Ergo due to her tiny size as a failure to thrive child and it was so difficult to look around her wiggly self while cooking.  My friend Kristin often posted pictures of her woven wraps and I knew that was what I needed!  I placed an order through her coop for a Little Frog wrap and was having such a hard time waiting.  So I convinced DH to buy me a more immediate option!  We looked and looked for the PERFECT wrap.  We finally settled on KoKaDi Erna im Wunderland and not so patiently waited for it to arrive from Canada.  

It was LOVE!!!  Cuddly soft, easy to wrap with, I still hold my gold standard to how it made me feel.  I've tried different blends, different weaves, different amounts of texture and grip... But whenever I try a new carry, I bring good old Erna out.  We quickly mastered back carries and that opened a whole new world of adventure!

Our first back carry!

Wearing (particularly in a woven wrap) allows me to care for my children more easily.  I can wear a needy toddler or nurse the baby while I cook dinner!  Let the baby nap while I play with the older children and take them for walks.  It's easier for me to take them shopping without worrying my runner is going to take off in the parking lot.  It keeps them calm when they're overtired or anxious.  If they're sick, I can keep them close and comforted!

Wraps keep us happy during testing at the children's hospital (yay, no cystic fibrosis!)

There are so many different carries to learn, I feel like you're never done learning when it comes to wrapping.  I made it an effort to learn as many different carries as I could during my third pregnancy.  It was so fun to compare the differences and similarities of various carries and I found a lot of great new options!  It helped me understand the different wrapping qualities of various brands and blends. I want to try them all!!!

Part of my obsession with woven wraps is my love of textiles.  I love to feel them, rub them between my fingers, test the stretch in various directions, feel the changes after a first wash.  Cotton alone can feel so different depending on the weave, if it's mercerized or unmercerized, if it's dyed... So far I've tried unmercerized and mercerized cotton, combed cotton and Egyptian cotton, wild silk, hemp, linen, baby camel, Repreve, wool, and more.  The varying dynamics in how the fibers play together is fascinating!  My goal is to try as much as I can and I am looking forward to the many years of wearing I still have!

Our first and latest stash shots

Ethos Babywearing Tester Review

When a local mama starting a woven wrap business asked me to be a tester, I jumped at the chance!  I love trying new wraps and seeing what's new in the wrapping world.  This has been a fabulous experience and I'm so grateful for Ethos Babywearing to have offered me this honor!  I am VERY excited to see this company grow!

Ethos Babywearing was started by a babywearing mama that heard the community's wish for affordable, quality woven wraps.  Babywearing should be accessible to all price ranges!  One of the most common complaints is that woven wraps are too expensive or that the more economical options are not as soft or supportive as the higher end brands.  Ethos Babywearing also feels it's important to give back and will be donating 10% of their profits from every release to a charitable cause.  The woven wraps will be fully tested and CPSC approved for the new compliancy  laws coming into effect October 1, 2014.

My girls and I were over at a friend's house for a play date when the Ethos Dusky Argyle testers arrived, the lovely W dropped was so excited to share them with us and we couldn't wait either!  It was like a bunch of kids at Christmas, ripping open the cellophane packages in the street.  My first impressions were WOW!  This is soft!!!  And so thin (I like thin wraps).  It's so difficult to get a thin all cotton wrap to have the support I need for toddlerwearing, but Dusky Argyle is a dense 254 gsm and fits the bill easily.

I grabbed E and threw her up in our go to carry lately, Pirate Carry.  Dusky Argyle needs no breaking in! It came prewashed and ready to wear!  At first touch you notice the silky texture and softness that makes it a truly snuggly wrap.  The passes glide easily, but I wouldn't call it slick or slippery.  It has enough texture to hold your carry without being difficult to make passes or tie easily.  One of my concerns was the thinness causing pressure points or digging at the shoulders, but I found it very comfortable!  Not cushy like marshmallows, but it had just the right amount for my taste.  It even came with sleepy dust as E fell right asleep.  I was able to carry her sag free for the "nap test" while we chatted and the other children played.  My only complaint is the thinness cause some digging at the knots on my chest while in a candy cane chest belt.  These test wraps have some nubbiness that will be resolved before release, however it does not effect function and I actually think it enhances the design. 

When I get a new wrap, I like to really focus on it and use exclusively for a while.  Dusky Argyle made this easy!  You really wouldn't realise it's a budget wrap if you weren't told.  It doesn't compare at all to the Little Frog wraps I've tried.  I've loved it in every single or multi layer carry I've tried!  The combination of amazing diagonal stretch and thinness really make it moldable, perfect for squish wrapping. 

Ethos Babywearing Dusky Argyle is planned to release next month with the projected prices: 3.6m $90, 4.2m $100, 4.6m $110, and 5.2m $120

Photos courtesy of Shelby Marie Photography  

Mommy Daughter Dates

My girls are best friends, but I still feel it's important to have some one on one time with my oldest!  Her favourite activity is going to the park and she loves to play in the sand.  Every day she asks if we're going to the beach (she remembers that best from our vacation in July) and always wants to bring her bucket and shovels to make sandcastles.  I think she could stay there from the time she woke up til she passed out from sheer exhaustion! 

This Wednesday, little sister E fell asleep right before we got ready for our playdate at the park.  My husband was home sick that day and I left little E napping while we went off on our own little adventure!  The local mamas that go to our church started the weekly playgroup again and we decided to give it a shot.  Unfortunately, Pippi's only friend moved and there is no one her age, so she didn't have a the best time while the other kids where there...  So I told my husband we'd be later than expected and let P stay as long as my allergies would allow. 







We had a blast!  We went up and down the slides, "climbed" the tree next to the picnic table, made pretend birthday cakes, and took a bunch of pictures.  The time together was great for both of us and I hope we can keep having opportunities to enjoy each others company for many years to come!

Snugabug

My toddler is not a fan of being wrapped.  She knows that it's non-negotiable in some situations, like when we have to park a ways off at events or in bad weather, but she definitely doesn't like being wrapped at home!  She is far too busy for being restrained!  Sometimes I can bribe her into trying new carries with her paci or a special treat after, then she gets all excited and finally consents.  Just because she doesn't like to be wrapped on me, doesn't mean she's not a fan of wrapping!  Every day, she asks to go snugabug (her words for "snug as a bug") and picks a different wrap for her mood.

Wraps are great play toys and food for imagination!  Not only does it help break them in, but it helps justify the cost for me.  One of P's favourites is "Red Riding Hood" and she'll play it for hours.  "Make me a hood mama!" "Where's my riding hood mama???"  Then she runs around the house and pretends that baby sister is the big bad wolf, "No catch me Evahlee!  Eeeeeeek!"

This busy little toddler is also not a fan of naps...  She hasn't napped regularly since E was born (I would lay down and nurse her to sleep) and some days that can be hard!  There's been a few days where she'll be playing in her pack n play and fall asleep, but this was one of my favourite crash naps.  The handsome husband is pretty much the only one who wears Erna right now, so I like to keep it out for P to play with and make me feel better that it's getting used frequently.  One day she decided she needed the wrap and hauled it over to the couch.  I thought she'd climb up on the couch and play with it, but no!  She decided she was going to just play on the floor in front of the couch.  "Sleep now!"  Wiggle wiggle wiggle... "Wrap me mama!!!"  *I cover her up from head to toe* "Thank you!"  I wrapped the very cranky E up and started walking around to put her to sleep.  Once she had settled down, I noticed it was suspiciously quiet...  *Peek under coffee table* P was out like a light!  Wraps even come with sleepy dust without having to be worn!

Small Town Traditions

Every year we go to the next town over to celebrate "Founders Day." We live in a little valley with a bunch of small towns that each have their own mini holiday and it is one of my favourite traditions. This year, the weather wasn't very cooperative, but we still had a good time. 

The main event we go to is the parade. I swear every year it gets longer and longer! Of course you have the usual police cars and fire trucks, but this parade also has many horse or mule drawn wagons and a special twist. Half the community that participates dress up and represent the settlers and townspeople while the other half that bring up the rear of the parade reenact the "savages" that originally made the valley their home. There is much shooting of rifles and shotguns, war whooping, and your colourful locals that may or may not be wearing anything under their deer skin chaps... My toddler's favourite part is the vintage tractors! She really enjoyed them last year as well. Listening to her little voice narrate the parade was the cutest thing!

After the parade, the settlers and Indians reenact the battle on the elementary school sports field. We haven't gone since having the girls though. Usually we wander on over to the booths put up by local vendors. There's your typical booths with purses, hair bows, and tutus for the little girls made by moms, as well as a local favourite, food storage! Only in Utah... We didn't look at them this year since it started sprinkling as soon as the parade ended and it's a good thing! As soon as we were in the truck buckling the girls in, the torrential downpour started. It will be very much needed for the crops and local wildfires! 

All in all, we had a great day hanging out with family and relaxing at home. We played quite a few games with the blocks, chased each other pretending to be a tickle monster, and couldn't have had a better day!

  

Silent Sunday

Review: Lila Hemp Indio

Let me just start by saying purple is my favourite colour.  Somehow, my stash ended up very pink for a while and I had to fix it!  In the babywearing groups I'm in, there is a LOT of talk about Didymos Indios and their awesome wrapping qualities.  I'm also a huge fan of hemp!  Soft, supportive...  It's a great blend for toddlerwearing as well as comfy enough for little squishes.  I had a hard time picking between Lila and Flamenco hemp Indio, but due to the pinkish nature of my stash, I took a chance on Lila.  There's not a lot of information and reviews of Lila out on the web, so hopefully this will be helpful to someone out there!

When I bought Lila, I had already gotten three other wraps of various blends and thought I knew what a "crunchy" new wrap felt like.  Everyone talks about how cardboard like Natibaby linen blends are and I had found my Notes pre-order to be very easy to break in.  Warm wash and dry on low had done a lot for it, I hadn't even felt the need to steam iron it!  Even freshly out of the bag from Wrap Your Baby, it hadn't felt too crunchy.  It wasn't quite as easy to wrap with as my 100% KoKaDi had been, but it was still very workable and comfortable.  KoKaDi wraps are exceptionally soft even before washing, so I didn't want to compare my Merlin (hemp/cotton blend) to Lila right away.

My sweet husband had bought Lila for my birthday and it arrived about a week before then.  I had originally told him I wanted him to put it away and make me wait, but I just couldn't!  We had ordered it from Heart Hugs and I am super impressed with their customer service!  It shipped the next day and arrived two days later.  She had put a handwritten note attached to the decorative string tied to the box, which she had wrapped in crepe paper.  I was very impressed!  When I opened the box and had my first feel of Lila, I finally understood why people say an unbroken in wrap is like drapery.  It would make very good drapes or upholstery!!!  I am a very tactile person and was immediately put off my the Indio texture.  It was the most BEAUTIFUL colour in real life, but I was starting to feel like I had made a mistake in picking her.  Luckily I knew I should take a few weeks to fully make a decision and popped her in the wash to start breaking her in.

The first woven wrap I had ever used was KoKaDi Erna, a buttery smooth 100% cotton.  It was very easy to wrap with, not grippy at all.  Even my Nati linen could be considered smooth to wrap with, but has enough grip to hold where I wrap it.  So when I first wrapped with Lila, the grippiness was quite different for me!  Like the texture, I wasn't sure I liked it at first.  As time goes by and I work more and more with her, I find that the grippiness is a huge bonus!  When I finish my carry, I don't have to worry about constantly re-tightening and adjusting.  This baby sticks!  The grippiness makes it a perfect rucking wrap with my seat popper.  However, if we're doing our favourite hip carry (Poppins hip carry), I find it to be a bit hard to adjust and tie behind my back.

Since I am going to be a full time toddlerwearer in the next week, I am very particular about the comfort and support qualities of the wraps I buy.  I love cush, enough support for single layer carries to discourage sagging...  Shorties (wraps in a 1-3 size length) are also my go to right now, so I purchased a size 3.  I am currently wrapping a 27 lb 33 month old and a 16 lb 11 month old.  I loved the weight of my Merlin, but knew Lila would be a bit thinner when I bought it.  That didn't make me any less anxious when I felt how thin she was after I had washed her.  I have quite picky shoulders and many times ruck straps cause me some discomfort.  Erna was starting to get diggy and I was looking to avoid that!  Lila definitely surprised me!  Her first test was rucking my toddler to the county fair and I was pleasantly surprised.  Even in the heat, she was cool and breathable due to her thinness and airy weave.  But the best part was she was SUPER comfortable on my shoulders!  Not diggy at all, yet thin enough to not be a massive amount of fabric bunched up on my narrow shoulders.  Lila is the first wrap I reach for when my P needs some uppies and always goes to town with us just in case I need to contain her in the store.

All in all, I would highly recommend Didymos's Lila Hemp Indio for someone looking for a simple, stunning, and supportive wrap.  Shorty or full length, this breathable and airy wrap is sure to impress anyone wearing their toddler or infant for any length of time.  I am truely feeling the Indio love and hope to expand my collection thanks to this amazing wrap!