Online Yardsale!

I have accumulated quite a stash of barely used baby carriers. Mostly, it's new inventory that got tried at a babywearing meeting or two. Well my inventory is taking over so it's time to clear out things that can go. My littlest is 3 1/2 and I just don't need the stash I have acquired so it's time to start letting go. My fingers and arms hurt from editing photos and typing all day. Go check out the sale and spread the word!

A few stragglers will eventually get listed but I need a break from this! And it won't just be baby carriers!

Active Mom Carriers

I love testing new baby carriers. These days, I only test Structured Baby Carriers. I have a few in the queue. Right now, I have an Active Mom Mei Tai and an Active Mom II, which is a still Top Secret Structured Baby Carrier.

If it weren't for the fact that there is an AMC Structured Baby Carrier, I probably wouldn't have considered testing the AMC mei tai! I've said it before and will probably say it again. Mei tais and me don't get along. Well, not usually. The design of the Active Mom Mei Tai is significantly different and I must admit, I found the darned thing comfortable.

The AMC I and II have a lot of commonality, so even though I can't post any photos of the AMC II, you can figure out what it is from what I am about to say and from photos of the AMC I on the website.

The AMC I is the first mei tai, at least as far as I know, to have some kind of thick foam insert in the body of the carrier. I am not quite sure why, but this makes the carrier super comfy. Yes, even for me who can never quite get comfy in a mei tai. The AMC II is pretty much the same thing as the AMC I except with buckles instead of straps you tie. Both have the foam padding and also the body has nifty snaps so you can fold it down for a smaller baby or leave it up for an older baby or to support a sleeping baby's head.

Now let's talk colors and material. Seriously, how wonderful when I get to the part where I kick back and get all shallow. The AMC II got has a minky (or minkee) lining. I didn't even try mine on at first; I kept petting it. It turns out a lot of people had the same reaction. It comes in awesome colors. There are bright, bold solids for people like me who like to have fun with color, and also rich, traditional textured solids for a dressier or more conservative look. I imagine the AMC II will have similar choices. The look and feel is of a high quality product with attention to detail.

With the AMC II, the shoulder straps are rather long so you can easily cross them or not. They are not so bulky that crossing them is awkward. My only issue is that the AMC II chest strap is not attached. I do not know if this is a real problem or not. I find it much easier to use SSCs that have the chest strap attached; otherwise, it's just as complicated for a new babywearer as a mei tai and this could prove a bit of a turnoff.(This is grayed out because it's been fixed!)

I did have a few moms try them at my last babywearing meeting. They totally ignored the mei tai and went straight for the AMC II. Both thought it would be too big and bulky but once on, it looked perfect and they found it super comfy. And they were caught petting the minky fabric as well. So there you have it.

I can't wait for the final versions! It's been a great pleasure to try these in the testing phase.

Hip Carry in a Soft Structured Baby Carrier and other ramblings

Finally! A photo of my improved method for using an SSC for a hip carry! I've been meaning to take a photo of this for freaking ever but until you guys nag, I don't tend to get to things. (More on what I got nagged - oops I mean I offered - to do today later!)

This hip carrry method is described on The Ergo Lady's Tips & Tricks section but I never had a photo before. Someone said they couldn't understand my ramblings so voila! A long-overdue photo! Now that I've learned a thing or two about PhotoShop, like, how to extract the background (which in my place is comprised of a whole mess of kid stuff that basically looks like clutter but isn't to me), I can just have my older daughter stand on a chair and do the honors.

For those of you that are keeping track, the Ergo pictured here is doubly new. Not only is it the very latest style of New Generation Ergo Baby carrier - so it can't lose its chest strap (among other enhancements), it's also Brown (chocolate)! And organic! I just got these in today and they were so worth the wait.

The other thing I did today was try my older daughter, who is over 70 pounds, in an Ergo and a Beco XO. Field research for someone who has a special needs child who is over 40 pounds and she's trying to figure what would work best. The Ergo was definitively more comfy for us both. No, Ergo doesn't recommend wearing 70 pounds, but they used to recommend the carriers up to 65 pounds, so you know they are tested higher. When a child is in a baby carrier, there are extra stresses that must be accounted for, so the carrier is not suddenly going to break at 66 pounds.

I suspect that the reason they backed off that recommendation was twofold. First, you just are not going to enjoy lugging much more than 40 pounds or so so unless you have to, it's really time for a stroller if your child won't walk. Second, their limbs are so long that wearing them is just awkward. But have I done it? Guilty. For example, this spring, my older daughter got a splinter during a hike. She absolutely needed carrying and it is still easier with a baby carrier.