Ring Slings, Mei Tais, and Pouches, Oh My!!!!

As I wrote yesterday, I made it through many years (and four babies, to be exact) with only my lowly Snugli. I was simply addicted to babywearing, and couldn't imagine life without it.

So it came to be that I gave birth to my 5th child, David, and my sister generously lent me her NoJo BabySling. And so, my odyssey into babywearing diversification had begun. The ring sling was a new concept for me, but several of my friends in seminary had Maya Wraps, and I was eager to test the concept. The main difference was that my Nojo was padded, and the Maya wraps were not. Adjusting to the ring sling took some time. There was a bit of a learning curve, I must admit. But I eventually got it all figured out. And my trusty, faithful Snugli was finally retired. I think I might still have it - I will have to dig around and see...

And so, my love affair with ring slings began. I used the heck out of that sling. I carried David everywhere. My parents gave me a second-hand swing, but I rarely used it. Both David and I were happier with him being worn. It was natural to me by this point, and we were homeschooling. It made it so much easier to be able to have David happy in the sling that to have him whining on the floor or somewhere else wile I was helping the kids with school.

But the fall that David was 9 months old, my sister was getting ready to have her 4th baby, and so, like the good sister I am, I packed up our shared stash of newborn clothes and the sling. *sniff* We had no extra money, with Brian being in seminary, so I couldn't replace it. But I have the most generous friends in the world - my on-line mommy=friends... And several of them very kindly sent me replacements - either from their own stash, or brand new. You ladies are angels! I was now the very proud owner of a mama-made ring sling (unpadded, unlike the Nojo, which was heavily padded), an Over The Shoulder Baby Holder ring sling, and a Kozy Carrier Mei Tai. A whole new world of possibilities had opened up to me...

I liked the OTBH in the house, for naps. The padding was nice and comfy for David. I used the mama-made RS when we went out, because it fit neatly and compactly in the diaper bag. It was also the RS of choice as he grew, because it was more adjustable than the OTSBH, and I am very short - the padding would get in the way. But I absolutely LOVED the versatility of my Kozy. It was everything that the Snugli of old had been, but better. And WAY cooler. Front-carry, back-carry, hip-carry. I get so many compliments when I wear the Kozy.

And so I was able to continue to wear David. And then, when Hannah cam along, another one of my on-line mommy-friends offered to sell me her Lucky Baby pouch sing. And I took her up on her offer. Boy, am I glad I did! I am a total LB convert. It's my go-to sling, now. It has that nice, soft, buttery minkee lining. *sigh* It is compact, and multifunctional. And oh-so-stylish. It's pretty much perfect! This lovely lady threw in a Comfy Joey silk pouch sling, too, for free! It's been wonderful for those formal outings. I've attended a couple of weddings and brought it along. So chic!

But I still have all of my stash accessible, and I do still use them all. The Kozy is great for long walks, and she loves the back-carry. The kids use my ring slings, because they are adjustable. Yes, my children (girls *and* boys) wear their siblings. It warms my heart... They are going to be such good attached parents, some day... And the LB lives on top of the diaper bag, ready to come with me, and ready to grab if I need to comfort a teething, cranky little girl. ANd the Joey for hot summer days, and for when I'm in the mood to be stylin'.

So there you have it... My babywearing journey, in a nutshell. I've come a long way in 14 years, from that light blue Snugli. But I wouldn't have changed it for the world. Now, maybe I ought to work on pics of the stash...