Extended Rear Facing

Somewhere along the way I picked up on the fact that keeping your kids in a rear-facing car seat for longer than the legal minimum of 1 year AND 20 pounds was a good idea. We even purchased a car seat that was approved for rear-facing up to 35 pounds, and kept Eli rear-facing until he was 18 months old. We flipped him forward before we made our 5 day cross country drive to MA, mainly to make it more comfortable for the driver because we have a little car and have a hard time getting the driver's seat back far enough to be comfortable. We never got around to switching it back forward again, afterall he was 26 pounds and almost 2. That is until a couple weeks ago when I ran across a video on youtube (that I found on another blog, I don't usually surf youtube) that had me outside the next day switching him rear-facing again. Eli is 28 months old and 30 pounds.




Even the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends rear facing for as long as possible - up to your seat's maximum capacity. I hear so many people say they can't wait to get their kids forward facing, but after watching this video it might change your mind. As for Eli, it didn't even phase him. In fact, I think he can see better backwards because he has a view straight out the rear window versus just the back of the driver's head. He is also TALL for his age, and his little legs are crossed in order to fit - this doesn't bother him either. In the off chance a leg got broken in a crash, I'll take a broken leg over a broken neck anyday - young children have considerably large heads compared to their necks, and their spinal cords can be stretched to the point of breaking in a crash (essentially internal decapitation) from the force of their heads being thrown forward.

We will probably have to turn Eli forward in the next couple of months simply because he will be too tall for rear-facing limits (the head must be 1 inch below the top of the seat). But, seriously, we need a bigger car. Now Brad can't fit in the front seat without his knees touching the dash... which is a safety concern for him.... WHY did we buy a compact car again???

Anyway, watch the video and let me know what you think! It was good for me to have a visual of what happens in a crash.

Babywearing Review

If you know me well, then you know I'm a bit of a "babywearing" enthusiast. Babywearing is beneficial for babies and parents in so many ways. Here is a great article, but basically it helps babies' physical, emotional, and mental development, promotes bonding and attachement, reduces crying, can help with mother deperession, and frees up your hands! With Eli, I really got into it as a hobby and tried out all kinds of wraps, slings, and carriers. With Owen, I don't really have time to do it "for fun," so I have pared down to what really works and is most convenient. I have been asked by a handful of people lately what my recommendations are, so I thought I would just do a review here as an easy reference. Keep in mind, everyone has their own personal taste and these are what has worked best for me - it is not an exhaustive list of what is available. Also keep in mind, I am not a millionaire, and no I DON'T still own all of the carriers that I have tried or have pictures of, lol. I have bought and sold quite a few things through the "for sale or trade" forum on The Babywearer. Most are available online or in natural parenting stores. A few (like Moby and Hotslings) are becoming available in mainstream stores like Target and BRU. These carriers are designed to be more comfortable for you, and better for your baby's spine and hip development than other "mainstream" carriers like Snugli and Bjorn. Ok, here's the breakdown, in order of preference.

#1 Soft Structured and Asian Inspired Carriers
If I could own only one carrier, it would be my Ergo. It is a buckle carrier, but holds the baby in the proper seated position. It is EASY to put on, works on your front and back, is COMFORTABLE even with heavy kids because it puts the weight on your hips, and works for mom and dad. It is very practical to use and comes in decent colors, though is not as "cute" as some other carriers. I recommend purchasing (or making) the "sucking pads" because babies do tend to suck the straps - then you can wash the pads instead of the whole carrier. I also like the hip pouch you can attach. There are other brands similar to Ergo but I only have personal experience with Ergo and Beco. I am tempted by the new Beco Butterfly II (I tried an older version that was very comfortable) because it has been designed to make it easier to get the child on your back. It also has a built in insert so you can use it with newborns (you can't use the Ergo with newborns). Keep in mind I have no personal experience with the Butterfly, but it seems like a good choice for someone who wants only ONE carrier that will work from newborn to toddler. Becos also come in really cute prints, Ergos come in several solids, with a few limited prints. Both carriers can be purchased from multiple vendors.

Eli 20 months in Ergo.


















Owen 11 weeks in Ergo.



















Some people prefer a similar carrier that is tied on instead of buckling. It's called a mei tai style carrier and is a traditional Asian carrier. I had one called a Babyhawk for a while. They are very cute and fairly comfortable, but not as quick to put on because you have to tie the straps rather than just buckling them. More comfortable than a one-shouldered sling, but not as comfortable as the Ergo, which puts the weight on your hips. Buying one new is fun though, because you get to pick your fabric and strap color, so it's custom just for you!

Eli 2 months in Babyhawk.

#2 Pouch and Ring Slings
If I only owned two carriers, then in addition to the Ergo I would add a ring sling for the newborn days (and longer if you don't have babies as heavy as mine!). I find a one-shouldered carry is not that comfortable for me after 12-15 pounds (2 months for my babies!) until the child is older and ironically heavier, but can be worn in a "hip carry" with it. It gives you a little hand to hold them, but they have some of their own strength to cling on and it doesn't pull so hard on your shoulder. Sewing a ring sling is SUPER EASY with the instructions from Sleeping Baby . My favorite fabric is linen, linen blend, or a linen look alike. You order the rings from Sling Rings . The owner of Sleeping Baby also makes slings to sell for a very reasonable price (sometimes even cheaper than buying the fabric!). There are many ways to sew a sling "shoulder" and I have one that she has made and really find it comfortable - you can find them for sale here. Again, there are many other brands available if you Google.

Owen 1 week in Sleeping Baby sling made from an Indio Natural wrap.

Owen 1 week in homemade sling from a Girasol wrap.



















Eli 25 months in homemade linen sling.



















My first sling/carrier ever was a Hotsling that I got for Christmas right after Eli was born. While the pouch style sling is really cute, I did not find it practical for myself. I find that because I can adjust and tighten the ring sling, the baby feels more secure and I feel more comfortable. I think the pouches are cute for church or for very short periods of wearing. They are also easy to make.

Owen 1 week in homemade pouch.




















Eli 6 weeks in Hotsling.


















#3 Wraps
Now if I could add a third, "luxury" carrier it would be a wrap. Wraps are just fun, snuggly, and have the *wow* factor. There's nothing like tossing your baby onto your back and tieing him up in a cool wrap, however there is more of a learning curve so this wouldn't be your choice for quick and easy if you are inexperienced. If you have the time to learn and want to, then do it, it's fun! There are videos online that can teach you how to do some of the carries, in addtion to pictured instruction books. There are ENDLESS choices for wraps so I'll just try to make it simple.

Stretch wraps are comfy and snuggly for newborns and lighter babies. They can supposedly go up to 20 or 30 pound kids, but I don't prefer them past the first couple of months. Some good ones are the Moby Wrap and the Gypsy Mama Bali Baby Stretch. My first ever wrap was a Moby - it was easy to learn on and came with a picture book of instructions. My second ever wrap was the Bali Baby Breeze, also by Gypsy Mama but made of a strong gauze. It was great for the AZ heat, but not supportive enough for my HEAVY baby (20-25 lbs or so). It would be a great choice for a "starter" wrap though and is relatively inexpensive.

Owen 1 week in Moby.




















Eli 3 months in Gypsy Mama Breeze.



















Woven wraps are THE wraps to get if you want to get into wrapping. And again, there are so many different types to choose from. Three major ones that I have tried and liked are Didymos Natural Indios, Storchenweige or "Storch," and Girasol. Didy and Storch are "German woven wraps" and are machine woven in Germany. Girasols are hand woven in South America. They are different thicknesses and textures and people like them for different reasons. Girasol is great because it is a bit thinner (so cooler) but still supportive; also a little less expensive than some. I especially like my Storch for heavy babies and back carries. But if I could have only one wrap, I'd have my Didy Indio Natural since I don't wrap full time anymore. It's snuggly for a newborn, but works fine for wrapping bigger kids on a limited basis. And it's just pretty. I have the Green colorgrown. A couple places to find woven wraps are Attached to Baby and Slingzilla.

Eli 6 months in Girasol "Kiwi."



















Eli 13 months in Storch "Leo Natural."

Owen 3 weeks in Didymos Indio Natural Green.

There you have it! I hope this is helpful. It at least leaves little doubt about whether or not I'm obsessed. Feel free to email me or comment with specific questions, or visit the forums at The Babywearer for more advice, tips, and reviews.

PS. If you click on the pictures you will get a larger version, and can see the pattern/weave in some of the wraps that otherwise look like a solid color. Oh, and sorry the layout got messed up on this post!

Thought I'd Share!

I've seen commercials for this website and just now checked it out... it's awesome! You enter any store or item and it will search for coupon codes for you that you can use for online shopping, or printable coupons to take in the store. I just got %15 off sweaters for the boys (that were already on sale) that I ordered from Children's Place. Woohoo! So go visit Coupon Cabin!

Haircut and Belly Shot

I went ahead and chopped my hair again. It actually wasn't supposed to be this short, but it is so easy to fix (just wet, gel, and let airdry) that I don't regret it! And this is my ever expanding belly at 35 weeks (I'm almost 37 weeks now). That fantastically LONG fitted t-shirt is from www.downeastbasics.com and they are ON-SALE. So friends, if you are preggo or expect to be, stock up! These are great for going under things that tend to ride up when you have a big belly, and they cover the pants that tend to slide down, lol. They have non-maternity ones too. But these are so stretchy I'll be able to use them post-partum too. I'm using them now with all my non-maternity sweaters so I won't have to buy a whole fall maternity wardrobe for a month of use!

Baby Preparations

Well the newborn clothes are washed and folded in drawers, the carseat and bouncer covers cleaned, the co-sleeper set up, the going-home outfit laid out, and the cloth diaper collection accumulated. We are close to having things ready! Just thought I'd share a few pics of the preparations. This poor little guy doesn't have the glorious nursery all to himself like Eli did, but then again Eli never slept in his nursery! Our room was his room until we moved. So, pretty much our room is going to be this baby's room. We're not even setting up the crib for now - we'll see how long the co-sleeper lasts!


The Co-Sleeper (one side drops down and it attaches to the bed so you have easy access to the baby at night, but he's still in his own space):



The glider-rocker I scored off of Craig's List before we moved:


The dresser and wall art the boys will share in Eli's room (sorry about the flash - that's a picture of a giraffe mom and baby):


And who could resist these adorable newborn cloth diapers??? The ones on the left are called "fitted" style - they snap on. There is even a snap in the front that creates the dip for the belly button before the cord comes off. The top left is made of velour (sooooo velvety soft) and the bottom left is made of sherpa (fluffy soft). On the right is a tiny newborn "prefold" style diaper. Below it is how it looks when folded up and fastened on with the "snappi" instead of pins.



Some examples of covers for the diapers. The bottom left is made of PUL (a laminate - new version of the old plastic pants) and velcros on. I have several of these (because they will get pooped on of course). The other covers are made of very SOFT wool (seriously!) which is naturally antibacterial and waterproof... and oh so soft and cuddly!


Are you feeling the excitement??! Now I just need to get my MIND ready for the reality of birthing again, and of having TWO kids to wrangle with instead of one =).