International Babywearing Week 2015

Who is excited for IBW 2015?!?!  I am!!!  Babywearing Around Tulsa has an amazing line up of events, something for every day of the week!  Check it out:

IBW 2014 Guthrie Green Wear-in

Just like last year, we will kick off IBW with a Guthrie Green Wear-In. Guthrie Green is a wonderful place to bring your family and spend a nice social Sunday afternoon.  We hope to see even more of you there this year, lets really show the folks at Guthrie Green how awesome babywearing  is!  We will meet up at one, I hear there will be live music starting around 2!

Monday evening we will have a relaxing family picnic at Hunter Park. Hunter Park has an excellent playground and plenty of space to throw down picnic blankets!  There will also be a babywearing yoga demo for those who are interested!  Bring your yoga mat if you want to follow along.

Tuesday the weather looks great for a babywearing walk!  Stay tuned to our facebook page for the exact location.

Wednesday we will have one of our most popular event, Babywearing Mini-sessions!  This is a fundraiser for the lending library, so all of our photographers are donating their time and expertise to this fun event.  For $10 you will receive a mini-session with a photographer and 2 professionally edited images with full print release.  Check out my pics from last year!

And after the mini-sessions join us for lunch at Guthrie Green.  Its food truck Wednesday, so the offerings should be plentiful and scrumptious.

Thursday its time to #EmbraceYourOptions and come try a carrier you have never tried before!  Join us at Bottoms and Beyond Boutique in Sand Springs for this fun event.

Friday we will be having fun at the Tulsa Zoo.  Meet at 10am by the big globe or just come when you can and hang out with your babywearing friends.  Let's flood the zoo with babywearing!

Saturday we will round out our week with our biggest event yet!  Join us at Go Ballistic from 1-4pm for bouncing and fun and a Mini Vendor Faire!  Curious about our vendors?  Check out the facebook event page here!  Come out and support BWAT, you only have to pay if your kiddos want to play, the vendor faire is completely free!

Can't make it to our in person events?  Don't worry!  You won't be left out of the celebrations.  Check out this list of all of our incredible on-line events!  The Babywearing Around Tulsa group page and businiess page are sure to be hopping all week long.  Start thinking now about what you might want to "Ask an Admin." Anything (within reason) goes!  Get your photos ready to share on each day's theme thread as well!  We can't wait for all the fun to begin!

We hope you make plans to celebrate International Babywearing Week with us.  It is a super fun time of year and we really go all out to make sure it is great for you.  Want to support BWAT?  Consider donating a prize to our festivities.  Email us at BabywearTulsa@gmail.com or contact us on facebook.

Squish Wearing

Let's be honest here, this is just a photo dump of cuteness. You remember that post about how I was anticipating wearing my squishy little boy while I was still pregnant?  Well here he is in all his tiny cute squishy glory.

Paz Wickandish Sunset

Very first wearing picture. We were still in the hospital and I used this Paz to announce gender. Squeaker is a boy!

Girasol Double Rainbow Azul Ring Sling

Out first grocery store trip was made snuggly and less stressful by this Girasol Ring Sling. A good ring sling is perfect for squish wearing. If you can only get one newborn carrier, I often recommend a ring sling.

Calypso

Sleepy boy needs some cuddles while big sis needs attention?  I got this. A soft wrap is the perfect way to snuggle one and play with the other.

Clementine Sunshine and Rainbows Turquoise Weft

Squeaker's first trip to the library. He found it to be a very peaceful place.

KHR Memories From Under the Bridge

A luscious fiber festival!  When he wast being doted on by all of mommy's fiber friends, he was snuggles up nice and tight.

Rainbow Frog Wet Paint

Snuggle snuggle snuggle, I just can't help it!  Look at him working on holding his head up!

In addition to their cuteness, I hope that these photos help to demonstrate how babywearing fits in to every day life and how you can keep your newborn close while still taking care of your other kids or your life.  In the majority of the wrapping pictures I am using Front Wrap Cross Carry because it is my favorite newborn carry.  It is a nice secure hold and I feel confident moving around in it.  I know that Squeaker's back and neck are well supported.  As he grows and can spread his legs naturally, instead of taking the cross passes over his legs (which is what is hiding his feet here), I will take them under so he is, in essence, sitting on an X, which will provide additional support when he reaches the wiggly stage.  For now I will take the peaceful, cuddly stage every second that I can get it.  I love to wear my little Squeaker.  (It has also renewed Bitsy's (Big Sis) interest in being worn so maybe there will be a tandem post sometime in the future!)

Somer Johnson is a Babywearing enthusiast and Momma to Bitsy and Squeaker, two bundles of energy. She is a Babywearing Institute Certified Babywearing Educator.  She is also addicted to cloth diapers and makes and sells wool dryer balls as SomerKnits. Occasionally she also carves out some time to knit, spin or weave - her main pre-baby passions.

Addicted and Impatient

I wrote this post before I gave birth to my beautiful second baby.  Then I promptly neglected the blog and forgot to post this as I basked in Squeakers glorious newbornness.  

Very first picture carrying both my babies.
KHR Memories From Under the Bridge

Bitsy is three.  Three is wild.  Three is crazy.  And while I love wearing her and I will wear her as long as she will let me and my body allows, I am totally addicted to wrapping and babywearing and I WANT TO WRAP MY NEW SQUISHIE NOW.  I have this whole stash of wraps just waiting for little squish to come into the world and be snuggled.  From the day of my first positive pregnancy test, just two days after this picture was taken (at our International Babywearing Week 2014 photoshoot fundraiser), I have been planning the babywearing future of this child.  Crazy, right?  

There is just something amazing and wonderful about wearing a tiny baby.  Sniffing their heads, kissing their cheeks, snuggling their little bodies close to you - every second is precious.  And the anticipation is killing me.  

20 Weeks Pregnant
in a Girasol Double Rainbow Azul Ring Sling
Photo credit - Pixel Perfect by Ashley

Did I mention that tiny babies don't generally say no to being worn?  Toddlers and threenagers have OPINIONS.  Its nice when they want to be worn but often times the stars have to align just right.  Its totally like a threenager to say they will only be worn in the pink wrap with the pattern upside down on a full moon occurring only on the second tuesday of a month.  Or if they get a boo boo or are tired.

Wearing a borrowed baby
Front Wrap Cross Carry in a Clementine Woven Wrap

Sometimes I get impatient and I "steal" other people's babies.  The little squishie in this picture was borrowed from a good friend when I was a little past the halfway point.  The baby bump I had to wrap him over put him up in m face but I didn't mind a bit.  He fell asleep shortly after we took this picture.


Why did he fall asleep?  Because he was warm and content.  Even though I wasn't his mama, he could hear my heart beat and feel protected wrapped up close.  I WANT that for my baby.  I anticipate that.  Wrapping my baby to my chest and letting him or her snuggle in and feel LOVED and PROTECTED.  Wanted.  Happy.  Its amazing and I know it will bring me such joy.  And did I mention the wraps are pretty?  So, so pretty.  

38 Weeks Pregnant
In a Metamorphosis Reverse Half Buckle Ring Waist
from Oscha Starry Night Nebula

Luckily for me, recently Bitsy has wanted to be worn, mostly for short periods of time, which is good because this pregnant mama tires easily.  She and I are both impatient for little squishie to arrive but for now I will snuggle her as much as she will let me, knowing soon that she will have to share that attention and that it will be a whole new world for both of us.  

Waiting, waiting, waiting

I might even already have my hospital wrap picked out and packed.  Can you say gender reveal wrap?!?  Yep, if the green side is up my fellow babywearers will know its a boy but if the pink side is up we will have added another girl to our family.


***Edited to add - our first wearing photo was definitely Green side up!  Squeaker joined our family this summer and we couldn't be happier.  Its totally love and big sis is over the moon.

How Babywearing Helps Me; A Deaf Mother's Experience

A deaf mother shares her experience with how babywearing affects how she is able to care for her child. 

Babywearing is so very important to me. Why? Because I'm able to know if my baby cries, is breathing, or using her voice. What? Yes, I am deaf. 

I think baby carriers are so beneficial for deaf parents. Sadly, some people think it's dangerous for us to wear our babies because we won't know if they choke or anything like that, which isn't true. 

You know the senses? Smell, touch, hear, sight, taste? Deaf people don't have the hearing sense but have an increase of the other senses, touch and sight. We get to feel all the details. Wearing our babies helps a lot. I don't see how it is dangerous for us to wear them? It is much safer for us to wear them than put them in strollers.. Why? We won't be able to hear them crying or screaming from there. We would have to watch them all the time while pushing the stroller. Keeping them close makes our life easier! AND, it helps them feel safe and comforts them knowing we are not ignoring them on purpose. 

And, a BONUS! --  we get to use BOTH hands to talk! Oh so much easier on us! :) (Picture shown that I got to communicate with both of my hands)

Babywearing is so much a lifesaver for me.. Of course, it is for everyone, but so much for us. #WEARALLTHEBABIES!! 

Nursing in a Soft Structured Carrier

Renee Owsley McBay is a wife and mother to 1 year old Jemma. She enjoys the closeness and convince of babywearing and sharing it with others. In her free time she volenteers for BWAT, loves watching Doctor Who, crafting, and reading just about anything she can get her hands on

Babywearing: Lots of Ups and Downs

We started out on our babywearing journey with an Ergo I found on Craigslist while I was still pregnant with my little man. It was a great carrier and it served us well, but then my son started protesting it. He was never really content if I was just standing around, but things deteriorated until he was crying, running away, or putting it away every time I pulled it out. I thought he was done with babywearing altogether and that made me really sad.

Then I found Babywearing Around Tulsa and read the term knee-to-knee. I googled it and instantly realized the problem. Silly me, before that I thought that an Ergo rated for 45 pounds could actually be used until a child weighed 45 pounds. Once I knew that the Ergo was probably super uncomfortable for my 2 year old I dug out two ancient ring slings I’d been gifted and started trying those. They were not at all ideal for a 2 year old either. (I actually think one of them might be a converted bedsheet.) Caelan did tolerate them for quick ups but they were really, really unsupportive and uncomfortable. I started looking for other options.

I bought a Tula from a sweet BWAT mama and got a quick lesson on SSCs and tried out a wrap. And I was hooked. I started out slow but I’ve collected a stash of several wraps and a wrap conversion Mei Tai. I can’t claim that my toddler was always cooperative- each time we got a new carrier or wrap, I would be sooo excited to try it, And Caelan, with his inconvenient mind of his own, would tell me “No carrier!” or “No, THIS

carrier!” THIS carrier was never the new one I wanted so badly to try on. But we’ve made so much progress. Caelan has gone from refusing all carriers to accepting (almost) all of them. At first he only wanted to ride in front, but he’s willing to do hip and back carries now. And the big one: he tolerates wrapping! Front, back, or hip carries. He often still wants to choose, but I’ll take it. There were plenty of times when I was building that stash that I wondered if he would ever let me use them. My husband was amused at the irony of me having a new hobby that relied on the baby when the baby didn’t like it.

I have no words to describe how happy I am that babywearing is working for us. I hope our story encourages others to keep trying when they hit a rough patch. (I should note: a lot of white chocolate, marshmallows, and highly preferred activities have been used to encourage the little one to go up. It’s worked!)  

Babywearing is one way we can maintain the closeness of our bond as we approach weaning. As a working mom, I’m always looking for ways to connect with my little. Babywearing overall and BWAT has been a really fun way to do that and make friends while exploring a practically unlimited number of cute options.

Wear all the babies!

Lisa is an extended nursing, full-time working, full-time grad student mom of one ridiculously cute 2.5 year old boy. She actually can NOT do it all, but babywearing allows her to almost keep her head above water.

Nursing in a Ring Sling

In this video Renee gives you tips on how to nurse in a ring sling.  The ring sling is often the easiest carrier for new moms to master nursing in but it certainly isn't the only option.  Stay tuned for more videos from Renee with tips and tricks for nursing in other carrier types.

Renee Owsley McBay is a wife and mother to 1 year old Jemma. She enjoys the closeness and convince of babywearing and sharing it with others. In her free time she volenteers for BWAT, loves watching Doctor Who, crafting, and reading just about anything she can get her hands on