Packing List

My friend, Jen S., suggested that I post my packing list that I use to prepare for our family trips. This is catered to a woman and to small children so please keep that in mind. There are some items that are not needed as much or at all now that Andrew is older. Also, I always do a little tweaking before each trip depending on where we are going, for how long, etc. For example, we need those swim suits and beach towels if there's a pool. And no need for all the extra big stuff if it's a quick trip or relatives have what we need. I've thought before that I should do a list for the beach, a list for camping, a list for the grandparents, etc., but it really seems more work than necessary. This basic list usually works pretty well. (Sorry about the length... I couldn't figure out how to post in columns.)

Emma
outfits
socks
underwear
pull-ups
sippy cup
pjs
blankets
jacket/hat
travel kit
shoes
toothbrush/toothpaste
tangle spray

Andrew
onesies
outfits
socks
robeez
diapers
wipes
Tylenol
nebulizor/meds
pjs
washcloths
towel
blankets
hats
bottles
burp cloths

Kris
underwear
bras/breastpads
pantiliners/tampons
vitamins
outfits
pjs
socks
toothbrush/paste
pick
contacs/solution
glasses
sunglasses
makeup
face/body lotion
shoes
coat
spot cream
hair products
deoderant
face wash
hairdryer
pump

Other
snacks for trip
water
plastic bags
magazines/books
camera
videocamera
host(ess) gift
scrapbooks
DVDs/CDs

Misc Kid
backpack
Moby Wrap/sling
stroller
books
toys
snacks
bibs
monitors
wash cloths
towels
thermometer
soap/shampoo
booster chair
pack-n-play/sheets
fan
CD player

Happy Feet

Last Friday Pete, my sister (Tonya), and I took Emma to see her first movie. I had seen trailers for Happy Feet and thought it looked adorable. If you know me well, or knew me growing up, you know I love penguins. I haven't collected them in years but this movie and "The March of the Penguins" have reinforced my love for them. They are just such cute animals! And they really do have a fascinating existence.

Anyway, I had read that the movie was rated PG for some language, humor, and "mild peril." I figured it was worth a shot with Emma. Usually three year-olds don't pick up much with the humor. I was right about that. Nothing concerning in the least. And I can't even remember what the language was, but it was like "stupid" or something like that. No biggie. The mild peril, on the other hand, was a bit much for Emma. It always occured when an animal was trying to get/eat the penguins. The movie was very loud and the sound and visual effects made it scarier than it needed to be. Emma learned to hide her eyes and did ask to go back to Grandpa and Grandma's a couple of times. I'm pretty sure it didn't traumatize her or scar her for life though. I suppose it's a good thing she is sensitive to that. But do think twice about taking a child if he/she is young and/or sensitive to this type of thing.

Other than the peril, I highly recommend the movie. It was very entertaining. The music and the dancing was so fun and well done. I'll definitely be adding the soundtrack to my wish list. Some really talented actors, such as Nicole Kidman, Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, among others, were the voices. The movie had several good messages - about proper disposal of waste and its effect on animals, the benefit of keeping animals in their natural habitat vs. caging in a zoo or aquarium, how fishing/taking their food source can affect penguins (and other animals), learning to find the good in others despite their differences. It even had a multiethnic spin in its choice of characters and music.

I'd love to hear from anyone else who might have seen this movie. If not, I'd encourage you to get to the theaters or put on your priority list when it comes to DVD. I have a feeling this will be another must-own movie in our household!

And We're Off!

One thing about living away from our families is that we travel a lot. Most holidays are spent on the road, except for the few that we're able to convince our families to come to us. Okay, it's not that difficult. They are all very good about coming out here... especially this last year when I was pregnant and then had a young baby. But this year it's our turn again. We'll leave for PA tomorrow and then spend Christmas in TN.

I kind of feel like a pro now when it comes to preparing for a trip. Although it still is a bit stressful and takes some energy to get everything together. I was talking to another mom at Emma's preschool this morning about how much work it is to get ready. I kind of felt silly - she is the mom of 7 children. But regardless, it is work.

I've learned a couple of things along the way and will continue to learn for years to come. Some tips I have are the following:

• I try to always get my laundry done a day in advance. This meant that I did load after load yesterday. But what a good feeling to get up this morning and know that anything I needed to pack was clean and ready to go.
• I keep an ongoing "packing list" on my computer. It's a list of the essentials for me, both kids, and the general stuff. I let Pete take care of himself. This is not his method and really, it doesn't need to be since he's only responsible for his clothes, toiletries, and optional reading material. I, on the other hand, need to make sure the rest of us have the right clothes, snacks, cameras are ready to go, gifts are wrapped (this time it's my dad's bday celebration), etc. The list helps me remember what I need. I can add to it or just cross off things that might not be necessary for a particular trip. It's totally worth it for me. Just print it off and I've got my guide.
• I always stick a bottle of water or two in the freezer the night before. This can serve as an icepack for a cooler or a drink a little later on the trip. (I'm partial to cold water.)
• If we'll be traveling into the evening, I keep a set of pjs in a travel bag up front so the change is easy and we don't have to go routing through suitcases.
• Whenever possible, we fill up and get cash out before the trip. Pete's out getting cash tonight (oh and my weekly pumpkin pie blizzard but that's not really important to the matter at hand) and I filled the tank yesterday. It cuts time and gets us on the road faster.
• Before we go to bed tonight, everything we need, with the exception of things being used overnight or necessary to get ready in the morning, will be packed and sitting in the living room. That way in the morning, I can quickly get last minute items (these are circled on my list) into the right places and out to the van easily.

Maybe this is all common sense, but these are just some of the things I do to make this trips possible and not too overwhelming. I'd love to hear other suggestions out there as well.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I'm thankful for each of you in my life.

Happy Birthday, Big Guy!

In our house we've got a "big guy" and a "little guy." Can you tell which one this is? (Perhaps the '70 colors and furniture give it away a bit.) These pictures were taken 30 years ago... today Pete turns 31. I say thanks to my in-laws for raising such a wonderful man who is hard-working, loyal, kindhearted, easy-going, and a very loving father. The kids and I drove to his office today to take him out for lunch. Emma keeps telling everyone that he is 21 today. I guess that's not such a bad thing. :) This evening just Pete and I will celebrate by going out for wings when the kids are in bed.

So happy birthday, sweetie! We love you!

p.s. The "little guy" turns one in a couple of weeks. I'll be sure to post pictures of that... you may notice a resemblance...

Maple-Roasted Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

Again, a post about food. I'm a little obsessed with food. I really like to eat and I really like to cook. So it makes sense that I really like to talk (or blog) about food. Anyway, I wanted to share this recipe with you all weeks ago when I tried it so this is long overdue. It comes from Good Housekeeping and called for chicken thighs (we used breasts instead.) It was so easy and so tasty. The whole family (my parents and sister were also visiting) gobbled it up.

Maple-Roasted Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

4 large skinless chicken thighs
2 small sweet potatoes (about 1 lb. total), peeled and cut into 1 in. chunks
1 small onion, cut into 1 in. pieces
16 oz. bag baby carrots or 8 oz. parsnips, cut into 1 in. chunks (I used the carrots)
1/4 cup maple syrup (I used the real stuff)

1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. In jelly roll pan or large shallow roasting pan, combine chicken, sweet potato chunks, onion, carrots, maple syrup, 1 t. salt, and 1/2 t. pepper, and toss to coat.
3. Roast chicken mixture 40-45 minutes or until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced with tip of knife and liquid in pan thickens slightly, stirring vegetables once and turning chicken over halfway through roasting.

Meals for the Week

I had a menu planned for the week, but now I'm looking at, thinking I may switch some things around. Let's start with this evening for example, I really don't feel like cooking afterall so we may just order some pizza. We'll see.

Here are meals I am prepared to cook this week:

• Chicken Corn Soup, Oatmeal Bread
• Sweet-spicy glazed salmon, baked sweet potatoes, asparagus
• Pork Chop Casserole, Acorn Squash

Happy cookin' and eatin' this week!

The Sounds of Christmas

I love listening to Christmas music. I have been known to start playing it a bit on the early side. I know there was a year I began in September. Pete claims I started once in August but I'm not ready to agree with him. This year I waited until October. Yes, thank you. I consider that an accomplishment as well. I just love the sounds of Christmas. I have lots of good CDs. The music is uplifting to me and reminds me of the joy of the season. When I was in a slump a few weeks ago, my Christmas CDs were one of the things that got me through. And they remain in my disc changer here at home.

As I child, one of my favorite records was Amy Grant's Christmas album. I know she has several now so I can't remember what the title was. But it had a song called, "Tennessee Christmas" (which I find kind of ironic since I get to spend Christmases in TN every few years now :)) and another entitled, "Emmanuel." I used to blare these songs over and over.

Now some of my favorites are:

• "December", George Winston
• "Merry Christmas", Mariah Carey
• "These Are the Special Times", Celine Dion
• Handel's Messiah
• "Christmas Live", Manheim Steamrollers

I would love other suggestions too. I'm always up for expanding my collection.

We also have a Rosie O'Donnell Christmas CD that has a duet with Elmo so you can imagine that's been getting a lot of play time around here. Emma loves to sing and dance as I do (forgot about this similarity in my last post) so I'd love to expand her collection. Any suggestions for good kids' Christmas albums?

Social Worker In Training

Many people have told me that Emma reminds them of me. Good? Bad? I imagine she got a combination of my strengths and areas in need of improvement. I think her personality is much like mine in that she is energetic and social - which again has it's goods and bads. She's a bit more spirited or strong-willed than I was as a child, but I like this. I allowed far too many friends walk all over me as a kid, and I hope she can learn to assert herself earlier than I did. She also loves creative play as I did. I used to play imaginary world with my markers and magnets. They were "people" who lived in town and they interacted with one another. Emma loves imaginary play as well. One of her favorite things to do is to go to the front door and pretend she the next door neighbor, Elia. (This is also a fictional character - my next door neighbor is named Shelley and has only come to my front door once.)

Another area I see in Emma is compassion. I like to believe that this is a strength of mine as well. She's always been very concerned about others when they are sick or upset. I remember several times when she brought friends tissues when they were crying because they were hurt or having a meltdown. Perhaps she'll pursue a helping profession as I did or at least a caring friend to others.

One of my favorite memories of Emma's compassion happened last fall when I was pregnant with Andrew. She would have been 2 1/2. Here's an excerpt from my journal:

November 14, 2005
I had a rough day today... just pregnancy hormones and anxiety, exhaustion from the weekend, etc. This afternoon Cole did something to frustrate me so I sat down in the living room with Emma and tears started coming to my eyes. When she realized this, she walked up to me, got real close to my face and said, "Talk to me. What's the matter? Tell me what's wrong." (As she's saying all this, I'm kind of in shock by the mature manner she is relating to me and trying to figure out how to answer her all at once.) So I tell her that I'm sad. "Why?" she asks. "I'm just having a bad afternoon," as I continue to cry - mostly because my 2 1/2 year old is showing such compassion. "Wait a second," she tells me, "Let me get something for you." Off she disappears to the bathroom for a tissue. She wipes my face and the tears off my shirt. "It's okay, Mommy."

This evening we will get together with some friends who were in a small group with us for several years. Among them will be our friend, Mary Jane. She is the wife of our wonderful friend, Aaron, who died a couple of weeks ago. As we were driving today, Emma asks me out of the blue, "Mommy, will Mary Jane tell us how she is feeling tonight?"

Now is that a social worker in the making or what?!

5 Point Harness

A friend of mine forwarded me this web video about the importance of 5 point harness carseats. I encourage anyone reading this post who ever drives or rides in a vehicle with children to take a few minutes to view this video. It makes a compelling argument for 5 point harness seats over booster seats. This video is VERY difficult to get through but I like to think it will save a life.

How To Be A Good Wife

Ha! Got y'all to read this one, didn't I?! Well, this was prompted by a conversation I had with some girlfriends this evening. We were joking about this "How To Be a Good Wife" article that's been circulated through the years. I guess there are a few nice, general tips, like "be happy to see him" and "listen to him," although I think those rules should be followed by both parties whenever possible. But overall, the list is pretty sad. Now don't get me wrong... I love my husband dearly and I know he works hard every day and I do think he deserves to be treated well. But so do I!! And yes, I really think women were created for purposes other than taking care of men and children. So there.

Feel free to visit this article on Snopes to read about how one might be a good wife.

p.s. Touch up my makeup? How about take a shower?! :) (Is my sarcasm obvious?)

Meals for the Week

I guess I never got around to posting last week's meals. Other than the corn chowder, I made meatloaf/mashed potatoes one night and chicken cordon bleu/brown rice another. I'm not cooking a whole lot this week which is okay with me. We have something every single evening through Saturday so I'm trying not to overdo it with too much cooking. Ha!

Monday - Sausage penne, spaghetti squash
Tuesday - Leftovers (the kids have flu shots at 6 pm - not the most convenient time)
Wednesday - FAB at church (I believe we're having soup)
Thursday - Leftovers or something quick and simple (Again, I have a meeting at 6 pm)
Friday - Going to friends' for dinner - I'll take a cooked vegie of some sort
Saturday - Lasagna, green salad, orange salad, garlic bread (double bday celebration here)

Latest Reads

I just finished my most recent book last evening - The Memory Keeper's Daughter, by Kim Edwards. What a wonderful, engaging book!! When I saw that two of my favorite authors, Jodi Picoult and Sue Monk Kidd had commented on the cover, I figured it must be a great book, and it was. Just to give you an idea, a man (who is also a doctor) delivers his wife's twins one snowy evening in the 1960s. After the boy is born healthy, he delivers a daughter who has Down's syndrome. He asks his nurse to take her away to an institution. Instead the nurse raised her as her own in another city. The doctor tells his wife that the girl was dead at birth. Now doesn't that make you want to pick this book up right away?!

The novel I read prior to this one was The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Also an excellent read but much different in nature. This book tells about the life of a boy who grows up in Afghanistan and moves to the U.S. as a young adult. Not only was the story moving, it was fascinating to read about the culture and life in that part of the world, considering the political events that have taken place. I would highly recommend this book as well.

Thanks, Mom, for recommending and loaning both of these books to me. Now it's on to Marley & Me, a book on loan from Mennocajunmamma.

Our Halloween

It wasn't planned, but we had a black and white theme this year. Actually, I had wanted to coordinate their costumes. I thought about doing a cowgirl/cowboy thing but then Sarah happened upon this cute penguin costume at a consignment shop. Ya'll know how much I love penguins so it was too good to pass up.

Our little penguin wasn't crazy about his hood so it was quite tricky to get the full effect of the costume. The cowgirl had a blast dressing up for preschool and for the Fall Fun Fest at church. We didn't get out trick-or-treating this year since we attended the funeral of our dear friend, Aaron Hoober. Emma didn't seem to care a bit. She still accumulated more than enough candy from the other parties. She keeps telling us to "hide it." Not sure that she fully understands what or why that would be as she knows where the "hiding" place is. I'm not too concerned since the two foods she begged for at the grocery store today were an orange and bunny carrots (regular carrots with the green attached as opposed to the very popular baby carrots.) How could I pass up those two requests?!

Supporting Individual Artisans

One thing I enjoy doing is supporting local or individual artisans. I think it's wonderful when people find an art or a trade which they are gifted in and passionate about. It makes me feel good to know that I am supporting them. I know where the money is going and that the product is good. When I can, I enjoy purchasing gifts like these for family and friends.

One of our favorite local artists is potter, Eric Strader. He's a wonderful friend of ours and very talented at what he does. We have several pieces of his pottery and find them both functional and beautiful. You can check out Eric's pottery online or if you live locally, he has an open house at his studio this Saturday, November 4 from 9AM - 6PM. I can get you more information on that if you'd like.

Another artist I support wholeheartedly is my cousin, Lori. She is not local but of course is dear to my heart since she is family. Several years ago she began making handcrafted and natural soups and has expanded her business to salts and other gifts. I absolutely love her soap as it leaves my skin clean and fresh and soft. I know she uses natural ingredients which is important to me. If you've visited my home, you know that there is a rarely a bar of soap here that is not made by Lori. Two of my favorites are her calendula bar for babies and her Cocoa Mint Swirl PLUS bar. But really, I can't stop there because I've never used one that I haven't loved. My husband went crazy when he first tried her shampoo bar. He exclaimed over and over about how his hair had never felt so good before. (Yes, I'm very serious about this.)

There are others who I have supported, but don't necessarily have businesses large enough to warrant a website. Sarah's sister, Hillary, for example used to make beautiful beaded jewelry. I've gotten many compliments on the earrings I have purchased from her. Hillary, do you have time for that these days or plans to return to this artistic endeavor? (Sarah may have to answer this one for us.)

Rob, my cousin and husband to Sarah, is also a gifted artisan. He crafts Shaker boxes. I'm not aware of any he has sold but perhaps this is in his plan for the future. We were so extremely lucky to receive some as a gift a few years ago. Since having a family, his time is more limited to pursue this, I understand. But I hear of some he occasionally makes and they are absolutely gorgeous!

There are many others of you who have gifts of creating in the home, in the kitchen, in the garden. Are there others I am missing or whom you can suggest? I would love to hear about other artisans you support and/or recommend.

Recently Devoured

You may have seen Corn Chowder on my menu for a couple of weeks. I finally made it, along with some homemade oatmeal bread, for dinner this past Sunday. All four of us loved it. This recipe is from my friend, Beth, an occasional commenter on this blog. Thanks, Beth, for introducing this to us!!

Corn Chowder

1/2 c. butter (I'm sure you could cut this down but I didn't :))
2 potatoes, peeled and diced (I used three)
2 ribs celery, minced
2 T. chopped green or red sweet pepper
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 T. flour
1 t. salt
1 cup water
2 T. chicken bouillon
20 oz. frozen corn
3 - 4 c. Half-n-half or milk (I used 2 c. fat free half-n-half and 2 c. skim milk)
large can chicken breast (optional - Beth adds this to make it a little heartier... I did too)

Saute first 5 ingredients about 10 minutes or until almost tender. Blend in flour and salt. Cook one minute. Stir in water and bouillon, stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes. Then add corn and milk (this is when I added the chicken too.) Gently heat through.

Crunch

So I backed into our Corolla with our van yesterday. (I thought about posting a picture but I'll spare you the visual.) It was so stupid. I was backing out of the garage as Pete ran into the house to get something quick before we left for church. I should be used to this by now since we've been parking our Corolla in the driveway many nights. But I guess Pete's usually got it at work by the time I leave with the van. Anyway, I should have been paying attention. And I wasn't. At all. I didn't even look into my rear or sideview mirrors. CRUNCH. Dumb.

The damage really isn't all that bad. Some scratches on both vehicles and a loose bumper on the van. The brand new van. The one we are still paying on. Yeah, that one. This is why I've always been more comfortable driving my older, used cars. My hubby handled it well. He said it's nothing a little paint won't fix. Of course he knew how horrible I felt so what could he say?! Really, the worst part is that it was completely avoidable and I just wasn't paying attention. I did something similar to this when I was a young adult home on break from college. I drove our Toyota Camry into the mailbox.... while jamming to John Mellencamp on the radio. That was probably just more irresponsible than anything. But at least it was an old car.

Feel free to share any similar stories... or not. It just might make me feel a little better. :)

Apple Picking

The kids and I went to an apple orchard with Emma's preschool on Tuesday (I wanted to post this yesterday but my computer was being stubborn.) It was a chilly day, but one of teachers said it felt like Miami Beach compared to the day before. So we were fortunate to have the day with more sunshine. Both children did a wonderful job and had lots of fun as we rode the hayride, picked some Fuji apples, selected a spaghetti squash, and walked through the corn maze.














One of our favorite things to eat for breakfast are apple fritters. Since we have a plethora of apples right now, I made these for Emma and I yesterday. Yum!!


Breakfast Apple Fritters
Mix the following together with a wire whip:
3 eggs
1 c. milk
1 c. flour
pinch of salt
little sugar
2-3 chopped, peeled apples
Fry in a hot skillet. Serve with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Meals for the Week

I was a little late planning this week so I'm a little late posting...

Monday - Chicken Tortilla casserole, corn, peaches
Tuesday - Pot Roast with potatoes and carrots
Wednesday- FAB at church
Thursday - Corn Chowder, cheese, homemade bread if I'm ambitious
Friday/Saturday - dinner plans both evenings so less cooking!!

We head to the apple orchard with Emma's preschool class tomorrow so perhaps I'll treat my family to a homemade apple pie this week (okay, so my homemade pie uses a Pillsbury crust... it's worth the less stress for me, but I sure would like to take Sarah's seminar someday!!)

Good Evening, Lousy Night

One thing about this stage of night is that staying overnight in a new place can be miserable. Our family is not used to sleeping altogether in one room. I realize this individual space is unique to us developed countries. I actually tried the family bed with both children and could not make it work. Our family members just all sleep better in our own cozy little beds.

This weekend was our church retreat at a camp up in Michigan. Pete was in charge of Saturday activities and was set on spending the night. I originally planned to take the baby home, but changed my mind a couple of days ago. Why not go for it? Pete and I could get the kids to bed and hang out with other adults. We wouldn't have to drive to and from the camp twice. It hadn't been very successful when Emma was 18 months old two years ago, but Andrew's a different baby... better sleeper, more content. I tried to be optimistic... or maybe in denial. The evening was great. The meal was quite tasty for camp food. We enjoyed being with friends. The variety show was entertaining and the kids did fabulous. I didn't worry that it was past their bedtimes because they both were doing well and I figured they'd be extra tired then for the night. Then came the dreaded.

Emma settled in rather well -at 9pm and slept all night long. She's a rather restless sleeper we learned. She removed her pants when she got hot (her mom does this all the time!) and flailed around on the bed throughout the night. She'd sit up, get up from bed, turn her body upside down - all while staying in a sleep state. (Perhaps this is why she and I could never sleep together.) Never did she venture to our bed, talk, cry or anything.

It took us a while to get Andrew down. He hasn't slept in a pack-n-play in a while so it was different enough for him. It was too entertaining, I suppose, to stand up and look at big sister laying in her bed. But with some patience and his beloved stuffed elephant, Pete got him down. There he slept for a solid four hours. We came to bed at midnight- still too late for me, and he was awake at 1 AM. I wasn't surprised as he still wakes sometimes at night. It was especially likely being in a hotel room. But he wouldn't settle. Pete and I tried everything we could think of in the room for two entire hours. His eyes wouldn't shut. He'd play or cry if put in his bed or our bed. We feared waking Emma or the neighbors, although Emma slept through it all. Of course, Pete and I were quite grouchy, having only slept an hour - it's always worse when you're awaken from that deep sleep state. We even talked about Pete driving him home but I did not want them on the road for a hour in the middle of the night. Finally after 3AM, he settled in the pack-n-play again. I had moved it to the darkest part of the room, as far from the beds as I could go.

Another four hours and Emma wakes up ready for the day. I'm exhausted. Pete's wiped out. Andrew is blocking the door. Her stirring and talking wakes him up and we are officially screwed. I wasn't convinced he'd sleep at all since the sun was now beginning to shine. It was still over two hours from brunch and Emma was the only one who felt rested. So we packed up and left.

I value my sleep and patience is something I really need more of in these situations so I do not handle these middle-of-the-night situations nearly as well as some of you would. I could sit here and resent the fact that we tried to stay the night or that our baby did so poorly. It is frustrating and I know many of you have been there... Angie just told me a story last evening that sounded worse to me than what we experienced. So I don't feel I can complain too bad. But I do think we made the right decision in taking off. And so far 3 of the 4 of us have been able to nap here (Pete would rather watch the ND game he missed yesterday.) Won't be sleeping over at any camps in the near future though.

Wearing My Babies

I have experimented with wearing my kids since Emma was just a few weeks old. I had a tough time at first. By the time I figured the sling out and got her in a comfortable position, she was not happy with me. It just didn't work. By the time she was four months old, though, as shown in the first picture, she loved the sling, especially facing forward. This way she could snuggle with mama and bounce along to the movement while watching the world. That was a great sling, borrowed from a good friend. Then I found one at a consignment shop and returned hers. It was too big and while I attempted to make it work, it just was never comfortable. My friend, Sarah, introduced me to the Moby Wrap shortly before
Andrew was born. It's this huge piece of fabric that ties around and you can put the baby into all sorts of positions, much like a sling. I used it some as he was a baby but then as the weather got warmer, so did the wrap. We started using a borrowed Baby Bjorn (thanks, Lesley) for a long time. Andrew loved it and it was easy for both Pete and I to put on and adjust. Eventually he got heavier and I began looking for another option. That's when I discovered the pocket or pouch sling. Some women I knew had purchased really great ones but then I met a few at my mom's group that had made their own. So I tried it and it worked!! $3 for a sling that just involved sewing a few seams... can't beat that. This one is good for a hip hold for an older baby but still requires hand support. That's fine sometimes but I really have been missing the hands-free benefit of the Bjorn. So I pulled out the Moby Wrap again today and put him in an older baby position. Because of all the fabric, it seems it might distribute the weight a bit better than the Bjorn so there isn't so much pressure on shoulders. But there's an awful lot of fabric to deal with too. You'll see I need to work a little at wrapping it the right way. I want to be sure I don't cut off his circulation anywhere! But it served the purpose of walking down the street and back, and of course he loved it!!

Have you ever worn a baby? What did you use and when? Maybe Sarah or other baby-wearing bloggers want to post cute pictures of their little 'roos on their blogs!