On Saturday, Simon, Willa and I went to Montreal for the day. Simon had a concert to go to in the evening and the boys wanted to go to the cabin so the two events coincided perfectly. My mom came and got the boys on Friday and Khéna was so excited that for nearly two hours before she got here, he was dressed and waiting in the stairs, ready to go.
She came and then left right after lunch, the boys faced beamed as they headed out. Though rain was on the forecast, I wasn’t worried at all that they would have a blast.
We had a quiet evening on Friday and then got up on Saturday bright and early.
Two weeks ago I had gotten a message on Facebook asking if I might be interested in giving a babywearing workshop at a great new store/café in Montreal called Melons et Clémentines. I called the owners and we arranged to meet on Saturday morning. What a great space that has been set up and what amazing people doing it! I am so happy to be able to get to know them and now I need to get my butt into action and get ready to give workshops on both EC and babywearing. It is not going to become a big source of income but it might bring in a few dollars and it will be a great opportunity to get to know some more amazing like minded moms.
Simon and I then went for lunch and then headed out to the talk on unschooling given by Sandra and Holly Dodd. I have to admit that I didn’t find it that amazing of a talk, I guess it was a bit basic and was a repeat of a lot of things that I had read in the past, but it was fun to see the usual faces in the crowd and be able meet others. I know that I say it often, but it is so refreshing to get together with like minded people. It not only makes us feel what we are doing is “normal” but it is also great to talk and get feedback from people that are living the same challenges, going through similar experiences, dealing with the same comments and internal struggles. It gives me a boost each time.
After the talk I brought Simon to the Metro so that he could head to his show and I headed out to the West Island to pick up Sushi at my favorite place and then brought it back to my friend Gen’s house to eat and hang out with her for the evening and we talked and shared until Simon called to say he was done and then I went and got him and then we headed home, arriving at about 1am…
We got up on Sunday morning, and headed out in the cold and the rain to go pick up the boys at the cabin…
Though we have to admit that it is a lot quieter in the house without them, I was really happy to see them again. Sometimes even just a day away makes me look at them in a different way and realize just how big they are really getting.
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Posted on Oct 28th, 09 at
10:33 am under Babywearing
28
Oct
I haven’t worn Khéna in a while… nearing three he still over 40lbs and though he asks to be worn at times and I have my wrap with me pretty much all the time, he would rather walk…
Also, with my pelvis being so sore and being more and more pregnant, I am really not minding having the extra weight even though he is not much heavier than he was at one year…
I am however looking forward to baby wearing a new baby again… I LOVE to wear a little one… and I am looking forward to using my wraps again, especially a stretchy wrap with a new little one and then the Storch as the baby grows…
I had mentioned in a recent post that I had made a new friend in the area who opened a store recently… I have been talking to here more and more and we have been starting to organize a few things together for her store/my interests and the community… After talking to me, she decided to put a sign up saying that the store will be offering baby wearing classes and pre-natal classes (natural birth)… She wore her youngest a bit but not as much as she would have wanted so she doesn’t know much but was really excited when I offered to help… So I will be giving the classes and will get the money that they pay for the class, and she will be able to sell items in her store. I think it is a perfect solution. She also asked me to help give the pre-natal classes with her, and again, I would be make a little money…
So tonight, I am giving the first babywearing class, to 2 or 3 moms… We would have wanted to wait for a few more but one of the moms is about to give birth and would like to have the information before so that she can start right away…
I am not really nervous tonight, which is great and I am looking forward to get back in the groove again… I was missing it 
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Posted on Nov 14th, 08 at
8:18 am under Babywearing, Misc Ramblings
14
Nov
As you know, I am a big proponent of babywearing. I believe that it not only is the best for baby, but it also makes life a lot easier especially in the beginning… and it really is an integral part of my parenting belief.
So what are my favourites…
1. ~A Wrap~
My favourite is a good length woven wrap that doesn’t have much (or any) stretch… (such as Storchenwiege, Didymos or even the thinner Ellaroo among many others….)
Ease of use: Though they do have a learning curve and many people are frightened by the amount of material (on average about 5 metres long) I believe that they are the most versatile and the most comfortable carrier also…
Positions: They are great for newborn carries, breastfeeding (cradle), front carries, hip carries, back carries and pretty much way you could imagine wearing a baby…
What ages: Although stretchy wraps (Moby, Cuddly wrap, Maman Kangourou etc) are great for newborns and the first weeks or even a few months if the baby is small, they do not hold up for large babies… And in my experience, people who have bought a stretchy wrap as their only carrier, as the baby grows they are more likely to give up on baby wearing because it becomes uncomfortable or they need to invest in another carrier after a few months.
2. ~A Sling~
Though I didn’t use my sling at all with Khéna a sling is an amazing carrier… simple yet versatile. It was my first carrier and the one that I used the most often for quite a long time. However, they are not the best carrier for long periods of time nor are they the best for larger babies. All the weight is on one shoulder so even if the sling is positioned well after a while you start feeling the weight more.
Ease of use: They are great for quick in and outs, pretty easy to learn how to use and pretty versatile..
Positions: Great for newborn and breastfeeding (cradle) positions and then for front positions facing in or the Buddha position facing out and great for the hip position….
What ages: Newborn to toddler and even longer depending on weight…
3. ~A Mei Tai or other Asian inspired structured carriers~ (Ergo, Beco etc)
Though this is third on my list it is Simon’s favourite carrier… I have a Babyhawk and I used to have an Ergo and I love how easy they are to use and many people love them… like Simon who wears Khéna in the Babyhawk on a regular basis but personally they don’t fit my body type… I wish they did because they are quicker than the wrap to get on for back carries (though I think that I can wrap almost as quickly now) and they are pretty comfortable for those whose body types do work well with them.. I think that with next baby I might try to make one with “wrap like” wide shoulder straps to see if that would be better…
Ease of use: Pretty easy to use and best for quick in and outs in the back position.
Positions: facing in on the front or on back or cradle position with the newborn insert.
What ages: These are not very good for newborns or in the first months without special inserts… They are great however for older babies, toddlers and even “pre-schoolers” and I have to admit that for quick in-and-outs from and to a parents back they are easier than the wrap…
4. ~Pouch~
Pouches are at the bottom of my list… sure they can look stylish and are seen a lot… they are easy to put on and easy to use… but they also have to be fitted right so they most often cannot be used by both parents and post partum size can change so it the size that you buy at first might not be the size you need a few months later…Again, the one shoulder use, means that you will eventually get some shoulder strain after a while…
Ease of use: very easy which is probably why they are so popular…
Positions: facing in on the front, hip, facing out in the Buddha position or cradle for breastfeeding.
What ages: Newborn to smaller toddler.
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Posted on Nov 9th, 07 at
10:37 pm under Babywearing
9
Nov
Khéna is getting heavy and my beloved Ellaroo’s where just not cutting it anymore… They are beautiful, they are light and strong but the heavier the babe the more pressure points…
So I started looking around and finally decided on a Storchenwiege…
Looking around I found that the best price around here was at Maman Autrement… an Internet based company on the South shore of Montreal. I called her up and asked if I could go get it directly and went to her home last night… turns out she is a WAHM and we know a few of the same people… I debated a bit between the Natural and the Inka and decided to go with the Inka… I love the colours!
I has fun wearing Khéna today and what an amazing difference between the 2 wraps… I am so happy!!
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Posted on Nov 8th, 07 at
9:55 pm under Babywearing, Family Life, My Rants
8
Nov
What a day…
It was Khéna’s appt for the allergist today.. so Simon took the day off do that he could be with the boys while I go to the hospital. We headed into Montreal this morning and I dropped the guys off a the pool which we thought would be a fun thing for them to do together…
I headed for the hospital, found a parking space and started waiting… when we finally got into see the Allergist and going through the symptoms he had etc she said that is sounded viral and that if I didn’t want it we could just skip the allergy tests so that he didn’t have to through it all.. So I said that I agree and then she said to just start introducing a bit of everything… even peanuts can be introduced at anytime but just to watch him carefully after we do…
So, we left without testing which made us in advance to go get Simon and the boys… So I headed to Bummis for some Covers which we need and then went and waited for the guys…
Simon came out and I saw that he wasn’t too happy… turns out that he got robbed while he was in the pool… the lock on the locker was gone and they took his debit card, buss pass, some money and his work identity cards… thankfully they didn’t get his wallet and his Palm which was in his Coat… Some people really suck…. The thing that hurts us the most is the buss card.. 207$ down the drain… That really cuts into our budget…
Of course today is also the day that I bought a new wrap… I needed something more supportive than my EllaRoo’s because of Khéna’s weight… so now I have a Storchenwiege Inka! I can’t wait to try it!
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Posted on Jun 5th, 07 at
11:24 pm under Babywearing
5
Jun
It is really easy to do and is very comfy!!
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Posted on May 14th, 07 at
12:48 am under Babywearing
14
May
I love my new Ellaroo… the colours are so chocolaty…
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Posted on May 10th, 07 at
3:22 am under Babywearing, Family Life
10
May
Yesterday was our 8 year anniversary… wow… I can’t believe that it has been 8 years already… then of course… that day seems as though it was an eternity ago…
My mom was here for two days to visit and when she actually showed up I realized that Simon and I could probably go out without the older boys… Khéna of course is too young to be left for an hour or two… so Simon and I went out with Khéna and went to the little Thai restaurant that I love. It was the first time we have been out to supper together like that in about 5 years… of course we had Khéna… but it is not the same…
After the restaurant we went to a little cafe for dessert and coffee and then walked around a bit before heading home… of course the boys were still awake and had just got out of the bath when we got home…
I was a great evening…
oh… Here is one of my gifts….
A new Ellaroo… the new ELSA… mmmm… chocolate coloured…
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