We got our Maya Sling wrap last week, and I've been practicing every chance I get. James is too big for the infant carries and too little for the hip carry, so we've been using the kangaroo carry mostly. (My husband is slightly disturbed by this carry because it looks like the baby has no legs.) He really enjoys this for about ten minutes, and then he is squirming and stretching. Unfortunately that means I haven't been able to get much accomplished while wearing him. I did try a nursing carry with him also, but he didn't like being so restricted (he never liked being swaddled) while eating. I was really bummed about that because I can see how the wrap sling would make nursing in public easier and more discreet than just a hooter hider.
I do believe that if I had started using the sling sooner, he would have grown accustomed to it and would be less fussy. I do hope that once he is ready for the hip carry, we will use this a lot more.
I will keep practicing and will post updates if he grows to like it. Please leave a comment if you have any advice for how else I can use this sling (besides future baby #2)!
**UPDATE- put him in sitting up, facing sideways with his head by the rings and his legs out straight. He likes this and will stay in it for over an hour while I'm shopping or doing things around the house- as long as I'm moving! Once I stand still, he fusses. He likes looking out at the world, but he also nuzzles into my chest when he is sleepy. Much better than the kangaroo carry where he has no choice but to look out.
You can get one here!
Okay- I know I haven't blogged in a while, but we have been super busy at play dates and meetups. I have to gush a little about how MeetUp.com is changing my life. I know that sounds extreme, but I have connected with some great moms in my area, and now James is hanging out with some adorable little friends. (Granted- he sleeps through a majority of things.)
I had caught myself getting a little down about being at home when all of my work friends' lives were going on without me. Because we have recently moved, I didn't have a network of friends in my area, and certainly didn't know any other stay-at-home moms. Through MeetUp.com, I am now a member of two SAHM groups that organize events and connect people for play dates. I just search by keyword and zip code, and dozens of groups pop up.
Because James is only 3 months old, he doesn't get as much out of the groups as he will when he gets a little older, but it has been great for me. I've learned a lot more about what is out there for moms in my community, I've had opportunities to talk with moms about issues and concerns, and I have made new friends that share things in common with me and my family.
And it's not just for SAHMs (there is even a group in my area for SAHDads)- you can find meetup groups for any interest: scrapbooking, cooking, dancing, politics, book clubs and more! Check it out!
Like so many others, we registered for the Graco travel system. Friends warned me that the stroller was so heavy I wouldn't use it, but I thought, "Not me- I'll appreciate the workout I'll get lifting it out of the trunk!" (Now that the baby is here, I've never even attempted to put that stroller in my trunk- it's too heavy! haha) The stroller (we call it the Cadillac.) is great for walks around the neighborhood, and we keep it in our entryway most of the time out of convenience/laziness. The car seat aspect is awesome- he sleeps very well in it, and the straps are easy to adjust.
Before I became pregnant, I never even knew the Car Seat Frame existed, but as we were registering (and I became acutely aware of what baby products women were using in public), I noticed that everyone had this! What sealed the deal for me was seeing a woman pushing it through the grocery store with ease and keeping her groceries in the basket underneath. Then I saw another woman doing the same thing two aisles over! I felt a bit frivolous because once he grows out of the infant carrier, the frame will be useless, but I knew I needed it.
Now I am lost without it! It is super lightweight and turns on a dime (which makes it much easier to move around a store than a cart). The basket underneath holds my huge diaper bag plus much more. The lady at the Target checkout yesterday couldn't believe how many items I pulled out of there!
The one negative is that it takes two hands to pop it open. There is a red plastic piece on the side that snaps together when it closes to hold it all together. It can be tricky to push apart, and there have been a few times when I couldn't get it open, which is slightly frustrating in a store parking lot when the baby is getting hot in the car. (I've learned that if you hold the stroller with the red latch on the left, it snaps open much easier.) However, it easily collapses with one hand which makes for a quick escape during a shopping meltdown.
I would advise no one to register for the Graco travel system without the Infant Car Seat Frame!
You can get it
here!
