The Life of a Mom

It's been a while since I had time to really blog.  Between kids, sewing, and life, I haven't spent much more than 20 min a day on the computer in the last two weeks. My fabulous husband is home for a bit, so we've been enjoying some much needed family time.  Today I posted on my fanpage that I needed a topic to blog about.  The overwhelming response through comments, emails, and messages was how I balanced my full plate.

So many moms ask me daily "how do you do it?!"--three kids under 4, a full time business, and a husband that works out of town or long hours.  My simple reply is "coffee"!  My tiger babe wakes up between 5 and 5:30 every single morning, without fail.  As long as I get my one cup mug of coffee every morning, I'm easy going about life.  I pity whoever is around me though on the days I don't have caffeine in my system!

The not so simple answer? It's just a constant juggling and balancing act.  Over the last year, I've stopped doing the bulk of my work during the day.  I simply cannot be a productive worker and a good mom at the same time.  Sure, I'll answer emails and phone calls and putter around on the light work during the day while they're napping.  But the majority of my sewing and computer work happen during bedtime hours.  Come 8 pm, my machines come out, the fabric gets dyed, and the laptop goes into high gear.

My kids like to be kids. We go out most mornings for a playdate or class or just some goof off time and errands, come home for lunch and naps, then head to the park or have some quiet painting time, crafts, baking, or movies in the afternoons.  There would be no way I could do that if I hadn't stopped doing work during the day.

As for my husband, he's been a great support through this whole adventure! We got married, had kids, and started the company, all knowing that there would be times he would have to work out of town.  It's nothing new to us, just a way of life.  Babywearing and attachment style parenting have greatly helped me manage the psuedo-single parenting life.  I also have a fantastic support system of friends and family who I can turn to at anytime for advice, help, or just a day of fun with our kids.  I have some serious respect for single parents!  I atleast get a few days break every few weeks!

There are weeks where I am way ahead with work, but those are the weeks where you will see my housework suffer.  My laundry will go a couple weeks days without being folded and the rooms are not their tidiest.  Then there are weeks where my house looks pretty good, but my work has suffered from the time spent elsewhere.

Like every other mom out there, it's just how things get done.  I love my kids and my husband, I love my family and friends, I love my job, and I love how we've chosen to make it all work together :o)

Happy Babywearing!

~Erin~

Hip and Back Carries

My intention today was to film a few short videos to show you how to do hip and back carries.  However, my 2 yr old is feeling a little under the weather today and decided naptime was to be had on my back in a simple ruck carry. So my "quiet time" has been exchanged for blogging while she sleeps on my back :)  How I love baby snuggles, no matter how old they are!

So, what I will do is put up some links for some decent videos.  If you have any questions about them (or are local and need help), let me know.  Next month we are filming professional instructional dvds for the carriers, so I'll put those videos up once they are edited.  I will try to film short clips this week for you guys.

Before I put up links I will preface them all by saying this: YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFETY OF YOUR BABY! When trying new carries, practice over a sofa, bed, or other soft surface, and get as low as possible.  If possible, practice with a baby doll first.  That being said, it is best to have another person spot you and baby.  *When I first started doing back carries, it took me about a dozen times with a 5mo old before I was comfortable.  And even then, some babies are more mobile or wiggly than others.* Another note, baby and you are adjusting to this new carry; so go for a walk or dance or sing a little to show baby that this a good carry and you can both enjoy it.

Another safety note (lots of safety notes today!) : STRETCHY WRAPS ARE NOT TO BE USED FOR BACK CARRIES! The only two exceptions are the Bali Stretch and the Calin Bleu Fleece(they are considered hybrid carriers between true stretchy and wovens).

I really like the videos and instructions that are provided on wearyourbaby.  Also, youtube can be a great resource for learning new carries as long as you are smart about knowing which ones look safe. If you are a member of TBW, then this page is awesome for carries!  The Baby Wearer dot com is essentially an online babywearing forum with fantastic information, resources, videos, and more!  Moby wrap also has some great instructions for stretchy wraps.

I hope that helps all of you with learning new carries (now that I've sent you to every other site but mine! LOL) Practice, practice practice! And now my two year old is starting to wake up, so I'll film what I can while the other two are napping!

ETA: BACK AND HIP CARRY VIDEOS! Go see our channel on youtube.com to watch videos of ruck carry, wiggleproof back carry, secure back carry, getting baby down, and hip carry.

Happy Babywearing!
~Erin

Customs and Podaegi

Today is sweltering hot here (29 degrees celsius last I looked at noon) and my brain is melting.  What I actually wanted to blog about has half slipped away so I have to wait for that train to come back to the station!

Today, I'll show you a few customs that I've done recently as I dip my hand into the world of wovens.  (And all the pretty dye jobs that go with it)
Here's why I love woven wraps:
-You can get away with a much shorter length.  With the proper technique and tightening, I can use a 3.7m length for pretty much any carry aside from a few.
- The fabrics!! Silks, wools, cottons, gauze, weaves, mmmmmm...it's all fabric heaven for me.
- The carries possible with a woven are infinite! There's the basic few to master, and realistically the rest is all fancy. :)

So here's two wovens I've dyed recently.  I really love grad dying wraps...the color combinations and mixes are never ending!!

My sunset wrap

J and her precious 1 week old

Now for the podaegi! I tried one last weekend during my babywearing course and I loved the idea of it! So cool and fun to play with :)  So, I came home and put fabrics together to decide what I wanted.  A podaegi is a traditional Korean carrier.  Korea is cold, so this carrier doubled as a blanket.  They would swaddle baby in the blanket part of the carrier and put them on their backs(can be used for font carries).  On a side note, it's very cool to see how climates and cultures influence babywearing and carriers used.

So here's my podaegi:

The only other custom this week has been a gauze wrap (you can see it on our facebook fanpage).   If you have customs we'd love to see pictures of them!



And on that note, my 5 month old bambina just peed on my lap (too hot for diaper or clothes today) while nursing! Happy Babywearing everyone!!

Erin

Summer and Babywearing

Raise your hand if you're babywearing in the summer.  A lot of you are probably reading this and thinking "Are you crazy lady?! I'm already sweltering in my own clothes, never mind an extra few layers of fabric and a baby!"  With the heat wave expected this week, I think today's post will give you some ideas for summer babywearing.

Well, let me fill you in on a little secret......ready?.....GAUZE WRAPS!

See, I told you I wasn't crazy!  Okay, so today's wrap is a babyette gauze wrap (she has an etsy store and the selection is amazing!) I purchased mine from Natural Urban Mamas.  I am a wrap person.  I have loved wraps from day one and it is my go to carrier for everything! I love stretchies, wovens, and now gauzes!  Anyways, on with today's wrap.  We took a venture to the zoo with some friends this morning, and I figured "hey, I have a new wrap to break in, lets take it with since it's stupidly hot lately".  We stayed cool the entire time! I started with a back carry, since that is baby R's favorite place to hang out. Three layers(modified ruck) and still nice and cool, she even had a nap in there.  Time to eat, and we switched to a hip carry (thank you Arie for teaching me how to conquer this awesome carry!) so I could nurse her and walk.  Next up, lunch time for older kids, and a nap for baby R-switched to a front kangaroo carry.

Mmmm...and well we're looking at this picture, don't you just LOVE this print?! It's pastel stripes and totally up my alley!!
So, final thoughts on this wrap are: very cool and breezy even in this heat, very supportive, and easy to use once you've mastered the basics of wrapping.

I know not everyone's a wrapper, so look for a ring sling (which everyone needs in their stash anyways!) in a mesh or lightweight material.  A mei tai also may offer less fabric covering babe.

Some basic summer babywearing safety:
-Baby should have a good summer hat
-Try to stay in the shade for babes (especially those under 6 months)
- Remember you're sharing body heat, so dress baby in one layer less (onesie or diaper is just fine) We've gone many a days with babe naked in the wrap,
-Hydration! This goes for babe too.  Nursing more often or, if old enough, offering a cold water bottle is a good way to keep babe hydrated.
- Babes over 6 months can use a good sunscreen (we love California Baby and Think Baby).  Remember that their legs are usually out of the wrap and need protection too.

There are so many great summer events to take in, and I personally love my daily dose of sunshine.  So go forward babywearing moms and find that great summer carrier!!

Welcome to our blog!

It is finally time that we get online in blog form! So, welcome one and all!  Over the past three years, I have learned so much information on babywearing.  I recently took a two day intensive course and became a certified babywearing educator.  I pick up new skills and information everyday as the learning curve goes on.  I am not a writer in any sense of the imagination, but I'm hoping this will be a place where you can find information, answers, and perhaps some humor amongst it all.

I'll start by introducing myself and the company.  Hi, my name is Erin and I am the owner of Cosy Baby, Happy Mommy Inc.  I have three wonderful girls ( 3 year old-almost 4 though, 2 year old, and 5 month old) and am married to my amazingly supportive husband.  Almost 4 years ago, my first daughter was born and we knew right away she was going to be a handful.  She did not sleep for almost 3 days until my milk came in! Next came the colic, but babywearing saved us.  By wearing her almost all day, we were able to eliminate most of the screaming hours from 12 hrs a day to almost 5 (if you had a colicky baby, you would know that this is incredible!!)

But, alas, my first carrier was a store bought carrier and within 2 weeks I was in pain and getting migraines from the pinching in my neck and shoulders.  My chiropractor advised me to throw it out and find a wrap. And so started the journey! One wrap and 20 min of playing with fabric and frustruation, and we were in and settled and happy again. From there I started making wraps for friends, and did more research into different carriers and played with my sewing machine ALOT.  In March 2007 we incorporated and became a small home based business.

3 years later, and three cosy babies later, we are a thriving home based business and expanding into many retail stores across the country.  While I make wraps, sling, mei tais, and other items, my goal is to provide moms with the carrier comfortable for them, whether it be from my company or not.  My own personal stash includes over 14 carriers from other companies that I love and will not part with.

Welcome!