Then Elliott arrived... and from the very first day he let it be known, loudly and clearly, that he hated seats of any kind. One day, as I was pushing him home through the snow and almost in tears at the sight of his red, screaming face, a lady approached me and gently said "Some babies just need to be held" and gestured upwards at her own chest. That was my biggest parenting epiphany. From that day on I left the stroller at home most days and carried Elliott in a Baby Bjorn my mother had kindly bought me, and we were both happier.
Elliott grew very quickly, and by two months he was too big for the Baby Bjorn. His need to be held is showing little sign of abating at 14 months, and I fully expect to be carrying him when he's this big:
Choosing a carrier to replace the Baby Bjorn is where my obsession began. If we can compare stroller shopping to car shopping, carrier shopping is like handbag shopping. You can be lured by a pretty design at any moment, and whatever you buy it will always fit! Just as with handbags, some people like to have different baby carriers to match their outfit - a concept my husband truly struggles to understand.
I have a Beco Gemini Paige which I love, and which my husband is happy to use as well. It is still comfortable to wear even though Elliott is 14 months old and over 11kg. However, looking at other carriers is FUN!
If you are a new mother reading this blog post, I'd like to give you a few links to really pretty carriers, in the hope that you'll catch the bug and we can chat prints :-P
For the most supportive carrier to take you from newborn to toddler:
Manduca
For the prettiest prints, an Asian style of tying, and a do-it-yourself ordering system you can lose yourself in for days:
BabyHawk Mei Tai
For more pretty prints:
Olives and Applesauce
For personalised appliques, gorgeous fabrics, and labour so filled with love you have to apply to go on a waiting list to have your carrier handmade in Australia:
Beetlebums
See what I mean? This can get addictive!
Tonight I came across a brand of carrier called Tula. They are based in Poland, and I feel an affinity for the globe-trotting international couple who started the company. As I looked at the fabrics, I felt my heart skip a beat at this:
It's a carrier called "Emma Mai". How perfect is that?! I'll tell you how perfect. Back when I was planning my wedding, I had a card box wrapped in this exact same fabric, and it was the inspiration for my entire wedding. This carrier and I are linked by fate!
If you think this post is getting a bit crazy, yes. I fully admit that I am the baby carrier equivalent of a crack addict...
I would love to own this carrier. Now if only the fates would align to somehow bring one to me!
