Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Wrapped Up in You

When Eliza was just four days old, Nathan and I went to Target for some emergency baby supplies. Our little girl was 5 weeks premature, and her sudden birth had taken us by surprise. I put on my Moby Wrap and placed her securely inside. I remember feeling her tiny body breathing against my chest as I walked through the aisles with Nathan.

A woman suddenly approached us. With obvious curiosity, she walked over to me and in a hushed voice asked, "Is that a...puppy?" The word "puppy" was said with such reverence that I nearly burst into laughter. Instead, I controlled myself and let her know it was actually a baby (far less exciting, I know).

Her look of curiosity turned instantly into confusion.

"A baby!? In there!?," she gasped.

I nodded.

"But it is so small!" ("It" being my daughter, who no, is not an inanimate object and thus deserves a proper pronoun).

I explained that Eliza was premature and that she only weighed 6 pounds. I opened the wrap and let her see our precious baby. The stranger nearly squealed with excitement. She was amazed by our tiny baby and even more astounded that I had her wrapped up against my body.

It seems as though most people are fascinated with mothers who wear their babies. It's common enough to see, but still attracts the attention of curious onlookers. I find myself even staring at fellow baby wearing mamas and wondering what their little one, who is often completely hidden, looks like.

We used the wrap to combat Eliza's colic. It calmed her for a little while and even helped her sleep for a few all too brief moments.
Can you see the sleep deprivation on my face? :)
We used it when Eliza was older and enjoyed walks around the neighborhood. From a very early age, she hated facing me in the wrap. She insisted on looking outward.
And now, with the twins, we are using our wrap again. Although the Moby can hold both boys at once (which is AMAZING), we decided to get another wrap so Nathan and I can each wear a baby. (Thank you wonderful lady on Craigslist who sold us our lovely new wrap for only 20 bucks!)
I'm looking forward to summer walks with the boys in their Mobys. If you couldn't tell, they are one of my favorite baby gear items.
Nathan likes them, too :)

7 comments:

  1. I love the darker one! Yay for baby wraps!

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  2. Nathan looks like he is nursing in thatlast picture. And I thought: "he would."

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  3. You are so gorgeous and look so great with your sweet babies! Everyone in Seattle wears their babies; I don't think people really notice it here. I'm pretty sure you'll fit right in in Portland too! :) Noah loved when I wore him, especially because he hated the car seat, so we never carried him anywhere in it.

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  4. Caitlin's comment cracks me up. We love some babywearing over here. Christopher has got into it more with each baby, but I still remember him wearing Megan and Gavin once in awhile.

    It's hard when you have fat babies. Logan is 20 pounds now. Thank goodness I discovered the Ergo. I love wearing them on my back. I get a lot of comments walking around the grocery store with my little guy back there.

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  5. Yay, I was wondering when I would get to see your cute twinners in a Moby Wrap. You guys are rockstars, my shoulders were so sensitive that I had to have the fabric as spread out as possible all the way half way down my upper arm almost. I looked like I did not even have a shirt on underneath :). Love your family you all are adorable.

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  6. You want to see some faces about baby wearing, try wearing your 4 year old (who is the size of a 2 year old) adopted brown child in a sling and watch the reaction. Now imagine yourself in the south and think of the reactions again. Yes, GAWKING occurs. I loved wearing him in the sling while he let me though, wouldn't trade those sweet moments for anything.

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