Ask Holly

Ask Holly: What Is the Best Baby Carrier?

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Hi Holly,
My niece is having her first baby, mine is now 16 years old!!! so its been a while, but I am looking for a great baby wrap, carrier for her, do you have any recommendations?

Hi-
I’m glad you asked. I love baby wearing and have tried almost every kind of sling/wrap/carrier there is. (Except for the forward facing type, which is not recommended.)

If your niece will mostly be carrying the baby during the infant stage, I recommend the Moby Wrap. It is versatile and the baby feels secure and snuggled, while not restricting her airways or unnaturally forcing her legs into an uncomfortable position. I used the Moby from birth until 8 months with my son.

I also recommend the Ergo Baby Carrier. I carried my son in it until he was over 2 years old and more than 30 pounds. It is very user friendly and can be worn on the front or back.

Congratulations on your soon to be grand-niece!

Here is some more info on baby carriers.

Recommendations, Teethers

Chew Beads!

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I recently had a birthday, and one of my favorite gifts came from my 5 month old baby. He had enough sense to pick something out for me that he could use too!

They are called ChewBeads, and they are a genius invention. My baby is grabbing everything he can find and stuffing it into his mouth as fast as possible. So this has meant wearing no jewelry in recent months.

Enter ChewBeads!

From the website:
* Beads are made with 100% silicone (similar to pacifiers & nipples)
* Soft on babies gums and emerging teeth
* Easily cleaned with dish soap & water, also dishwasher safe!
* No BPA, PVC, Phthalates, Cadmium, or Lead
* Necklaces have a breakaway clasp for added safety
* Necklaces are a great sensory tool to help your baby focus while nursing
* Bracelets are a colorful reminder of which side you’ve just nursed

A great gift idea for any baby mamas in your life!

Prevention

Green Christmas Tree

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Last year we chopped down our own organic Christmas tree.

The plan was to do it again this year, but then we actually thought about it. Realizing we have a very active five month old in tow, we decided to do the next best thing.

Buy a tree from Whole Foods, of course.

Is there anyone on the planet who does not know how much I love that store? They purchase the trees from Bottomley Evergreens & Farms– a family owned and operated farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains. For every tree that is cut down, two more trees are planted the following year. What’s not to love?

First we picked out a tree:

 

Then the terrific tree handler helped us prepare it for our journey home:

 

He tied it down tight:

 

And we’re off!

 

It was such a fun walk home, and melted my heart watching a three year old boy so proudly pulling his Christmas tree on his little red wagon. I wouldn’t trade that memory for chopping down our own tree any day.

 

How’s that for green?

Travel

Time To Travel with Two!

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Up to this point, we have had huge success traveling and flying with our 3 year old. I lost track of the number of planes he has been on, but I know it’s over thirty. The time has come to see what kind of traveler his 4 month old brother is, and how his parents handle flying with two kids.
I recently read a really good tip about traveling by Marcy from (Don’t Be) Too Timid and Squeamish–
“Adults, you may not want to hear this, but you need to police yourself. Don’t complain about a delay, a gruff waiter, or a cup of coffee that’s not perfect. If kids hear you complaining, before you know it everyone will be feeling negative. Keep the mood positive by keeping the complaints to yourself.”
This made me realize I spend so much time worrying about the kids that I give little thought to the person whose actions I actually have control over- mine.
So this weekend I will be practicing lots of patience and taking many deep breaths. And I’ll probably have a couple of surprises up my sleeve.

I’ll let you know how it goes.