Babywearing and Baby Favorites

I find myself a little obsessed with 'baby wearing.' I think it's the combination of having use of both your hands (I didn't quite realize the beauty of this concept until holding a baby all the time...) while keeping the little teddy still so close by. Unfortunately, Ella is kind of hit or miss with whether or not she likes to lounge in the Ergo carrier...

But, in researching baby carriers, I don't remember finding anything negative about the Ergo! So, I did want to share my own personal experiences so people on the lookout can get both sides:

Cons:

-in hot weather, Ella would get hot and start to rustle around and cry- at least I assume she cried because she was hot. When I took her out, both she and my shirt would be all sweaty.

-it doesn't fold up very small, so when you want to take it off and store it in your diaper bag/purse, it either doesn't fit or is quite the hassle. I want to wear Eleanor at church so Brent and I don't have to hold her all the time, but when she would get tired of the Ergo, I'm not sure where I would put it. Also for outings and whatnot, this is a bit annoying.

-it's tricky for Brent to wear because in the back (around shoulder blades area) is a buckle you have to snap, and unfortunately Brent is either too big of a guy or doesn't have quite the arm flexibility to snap it himself. 

-it's kind of hard to sit down in it. Doable, but hard.

Pros:

-it is super comfortable for me once I have it on. Ella (though only around 11-12 lbs. now) doesn't seem heavy at all when I walk around in it.

-it has a little zipper pocket for your keys and whatnot and a little hood you can snap on to keep Ella's head from falling back.

I'm really curious about the Sakura Bloom ring sling but it is so expensive! It seems that it would fold up small when not in use, it doesn't seem as padded and therefore not as hot, and it seems like it might be easier to get Eleanor in and out of. But... I also thought the Ergo was perfect before I got it too. Recently though (through chatting with Lacey), I found a Facebook group called Utah County Babywearers that has a lending library where you can try out different carriers for just a few dollars. Fingers crossed. 

Also, I thought I'd list out a few of my favorite baby items. I was obsessed with looking at these types of lists before I had Eleanor.

-these cloth diapers to use as burp cloths. They are just so absorbent- seemingly more so than the regular burp cloths I used before.

-Muslin blankets. All the other blankets seemed too heavy and thick. And plus, these were awesome to swaddle Ella in (she doesn't seem to need to be swaddled anymore, now we just lay one over her bottom half while she's sleeping- there's one in the pic above). It blew my mind that seemingly every other mama recommended them... but they really are wonderfully light and soft. 

-This baby body wash & shampoo by Aveeno smells so delicious and baby like! I think it smells better than the Johnson&Johnson wash. 

-baby socks. Her feet always seem to feel cold and clammy, so I always want to put socks on her. Plus, they are just so teeny!

This little photo, with her clasped hands over her belly, looks like Jabba the Hut... hilarious, yes. Am I a weirdo? Yes.