I Love My Beco Baby Carrier!

Recently I told you about my love for my fleece Hotslings pouch (even typing that I feel a little sad that I can't use it anymore). When our days with the pouch were numbered, I started doing some research on what might be a good replacement. I wasn't a fan of ring slings. Some people love them, but I just never got the hang of them. Plus, Sprout was getting a little heavy for a one-shoulder carry. I also considered woven wraps. There are beautiful wraps out there that can be very comfortable and can hold a lot more weight than the Moby wrap. But I never took to the Moby & was afraid I wouldn't like the woven wraps either. But since I did like the Ergo (the few times I tried with Peanut) I decided to look into some other soft structured carriers.

I still had my Babyhawk, but really wanted something that I could put on even faster than a mei tai. I anticipated trying to get Sprout in and out of a carrier while also needing to tend to Peanut. The Ergo was nice, but I wanted something a little more girly. I narrowed my search and eventually decided on the Beco Baby Carrier. I found a barely used "4th generation" on TheBabywearer.com.

My beautiful Sky Temple Beco was even prettier in person than it was in photos. It was easy to put on, easy to adjust and I could actually get it more snug than the Ergo. Being able to tighten the straps just a little bit more made a world of difference. I was able to get Sprout closer to my body, thus putting less strain on my back and neck. It was so cozy and comfortable!

Sprout is now 19 months old and I still wear him in the Beco almost daily. It lives in my car and I can pop him on my back in a matter of seconds. My only complaint about the Beco (at least with the 4th generation version) is the hood. The hood is detachable and is stored in a pocket when not being used. The trouble is, I never seem to know when Sprout will fall asleep. Then when I need the hood to hold up his sleepy little head, I need someone to help me put it on. So in that respect, I like the Ergo hood more since it's attached and easy to grab whenever you need it.

But overall, I think it has been the best carrier for us and I have recommended it to several people. I know Beco continues to make improvements on their carriers, so check out their website for the newest products and features.

Happy Baby Wearing!

Baby Book Rivalry

I am an only child. I clearly remember, at a very young age, my cousin complaining that her older brother had a big baby book that their mom had filled with photos and milestones. As the second born, her baby book was much smaller, had very few photos and many empty spaces where milestone markers should be. At that time I made a mental note that I would never do that to my children. My children would have equally wonderful and detailed baby books.

Peanut's baby book was carefully tended to for his first two years of life. Every new tooth, new food and "baby's 1st" was written down including date, where we were & sometimes photos. I even had a special section for the handouts from each pediatrician visit. I imagined that the adult Peanut would find much joy in this book when he had children some day.

Before Sprout was born I spent a great amount of time shopping for the perfect baby book. I eventually decided on an Eric Carle baby book that came in a little box and had brightly colored pages with all the beloved Carle characters. I loved the different milestone sections, the numerous spots for ultrasound photos, baby photos, etc. In the first couple of months I was pretty good about updating things that happened...first smile, rolling over and first Christmas. Then I started just writing things down on post-it notes as they happened and shoving them in the box. Around Sprout's first birthday I pulled the baby book out only to be overwhelmed by a pile of post-its that said things like "10/1 tooth lower left front" and "Sept ? clapped". It was a official. I had done exactly what I promised myself I'd never do.

A better mom might have reinstated her promise and worked harder at documenting her baby's special moments. I, however, have decided just to let this one go. Maybe one day I'll take the time to fill in all of the blank lines. Or maybe he won't care if his baby book has entries like "Summer 2009 - Noticed a few more teeth in there." Have I created a future rivalry between siblings? Or is it just a symptom of, what I like to call, Second Child Syndrome?

Other reasons I will not be awarded Mother of the Year.