It has been a while since I had a chance to catch up on what all has been going on at the store…We have added so many cool things, Here are a few great new items we have added…

We are so proud to be the only store in the US at this time offering the AMAZING line of CONNECTA Baby Carriers.  These carriers are made so beautifully, with great prints and a wonderful design.  It is clear why people love their Connectas.  We have lots in stock and ready to ship…Here are a few examples:

We added the bumGenius line to our store.  The first ones we got in stock were the 3.0 One Size Pocket Diaper.  We wanted to see what our customers thought of them before adding more of their items.  Well, these diapers deserve the awesome reviews they get!!  They are fabulous!  Nice trim fit on small babies as well as toddlers, great absorbancy and easy to care for.  With a one size, you can’t beat the economical aspect…and our customers agree!  If you haven’t tried them, you should:)

For a limited time we have a great offer…if you buy 12 bumGenius 3.0, you get a free pair of Babylegs.  These Babylegs are designed to perfectly compliment your bumGenius diapers.

And…since we loved these so much, we have decided to add the bumGenius ORGANIC All in One One Size Diapers to our store!  We are expecting them to arrive anyday, and are taking preorders for the Hook and Loop Closure as well as the Snap Closure.

We had such a lovely time at the Special Beginnings Birth Center this weekend!  We got the opportinity to meet many new and expecting parents, and were able to show them the different kinds of cloth diapers and baby carriers that we had available. 

It was awesome to see nearly every mom (and lots of dads, too) wearing their baby, many who already used cloth diapers or were interested in learning more about them…Lots of breastfeeding mommies (I laughed because beside the La Leche League booth there was a chair, and every 15 minutes a mom would sit and take her turn in the breastfeeding chair:)). 

Along with meeting some awesome mommies, daddies, and babies… we got a tour of the birth center and met with one of the lactation consultants that works there…I was very impressed with how family friendly the birth center is, and it is a beautiful facility.  They had 3 great birthing rooms, each with a birthing tub (2 whirlpool tubs and 1 inflatable tub).  The lactation consultant (who is also a nurse) said that most of the births tend to be waterbirths!  Each room was really nicely decorated, and would certainly feel like a welcoming environment to any family.  They had a great ‘waiting’ area, perfect for those wanting to have their family with them for their special event…there was plenty of space for other childern, as well…with lots of toys:)  There was also a full kitchen that is available to bring your food and really make yourself feel at home during your stay.

I’m not sure who all was working that day, but I was so very impressed when I walked by the front desk and heard some gentleman say ‘Well, it looks like things are starting to go well…the baby is latching on really well…’ I’m not sure what his position is there, but I was happy to hear excitement in his voice about this little baby learning to breastfeed! 

It sure does seem like a great place to have a baby, and if you are anywhere close, I would encourage you to take a trip there and have a walk through of their place…

And beyone those things, there were some really great vendors!  Check out some of the great products that these vendors have for you and your little ones!

http://www.naturalbeautyandspa.com/ A FABULOUS line of skincare for women, men, and babies.  These products are absolutely heavenly!  And Peechee is super sweet!

http://www.greenirene.com/ This is an amazing woman with a wealth of knowledge in her field.  If you want to go green, or go a little greener, she can tell you how!  She shared some amazing information with us that really helped to see that not all changes have to be big, but every little change has a big impact…She does in home consultations to really personalize the recommendations for you and your family

Of course La Leche League :)  There were several very sweet ladies who were, of course, offering a comfy place to breastfeed, as well as check out some slings, baby shoes, and information about LLL membership…Ohh, and I bet they were answering some breastfeeding questions, too:)

Alyhas Alternatives Great store offering lots of baby carriers and cloth diapers, as well as alternative menstrual care products, and lots more…She had a great selection of Moby Wraps, Zolowear Slings, and Fuzzi Bunz diapers for her customers to check out…She is an amazing woman who is a doula and childbirth educator, as well as a busy mother :)  Check out her Birth Business : www.birthdiva.com

Bediboo was there with some cute stuff, too…Along with Freehand and Ergo baby carriers, she also had lots of HABA toys that were absolutely adorable.  Bediboo has a brick and mortar store in Baltimore City, where they offer classes on cloth diapering, babywearing, and much more.   She also has an online store.

P & D Woodcrafts, Etc.  had some adorable little wooden toys…they are cute and affordable!

Daniel Creations This lady has talent!  She had a great selection of items from handmade cloth diapers, baby carriers, I Spy bags, training pants, and so much more!  Her table had so much good stuff I couldn’t tell what to look at first!  LOTS og really nice stuff:)

I’m sure there were more, but we didn’t have too much time to browse around…we had such a great time being surrounded with people who trust in birth and have a great respect for mothers and their babies.

There is a very important fundraiser happening within the babywearing community.  A very kind and generous mother, who has been there to help countless other mothers, is in need of help.  She and her children are in a terrible domestic violence situation, and her fellow community memers are working hard to raise funds to help her get her and her children to safety.  A Yahoo group has been established as well as a Hyena Cart store to take collections and to have auctions.  If you have anything to offer, please do so, this mama really needs your help.

It’s one of the most common ways I see mothers and fathers carrying their babies…in a bucket car seat.  I refer to these babies as ‘bucket babies’.  Almost everytime I go to the mall, the grocery store, the park, etc. I see babies in buckets.  I feel so bad for both the baby in the bucket, as well as the ones who need to carry it.

As I sat at the mall for an entire weekend at a vendor stand, I had the opportunity to talk with many parents who thought that carrying the bucket was the only way to go…when in fact once they realized their were more comfortable and easy to use choices available, they were interested!  We heard many reasons as to why people had chosen to keep their baby in a bucket…’she sleeps so well’, ‘it’s convenient’, ‘I don’t need to take her out and put her back in, I can just pop the seat in and out’, ‘I have tried a sling, but they don’t work for me’, ‘I can sit the bucket in the cart’, and so on…

A few of my worries with babies being left in their buckets: 

Babies like to be held, and it is good for their development.

Babies deserve to be interacted with, and their interaction is limited while they are nearly covered up and tucked into their carseat, often while it is placed in a shopping cart.

Babies like to change positions, too…it feels good after a long car ride to get out of your seat and stretch out a little…it feels good for babies, too.

Those buckets are heavy!  I can’t imagine how carrying those, as well as the weight of the baby, is good for your back, arms, or neck!

They bump into everything, your legs included.  There is really no great way to carry one of these things without having it bump into your leg with every step.  Not fun!

  I have been walking through stores with my baby closely snuggled up in a carrier, with both hands free (well, one hand free…the other one is almost always rubbing my baby’s back!), talking to my baby, knowing she can feel safe…knowing she is warm…knowing she can hear my heartbeat…and wonder why this is what I see:

 Mothers struggling to keep their babies from screaming while juggling the carseat, a shopping cart, and toys to try to distract the baby.  Sometimes a whole shopping cart is dedicated to carrying a bucket carseat, while another person needs to oush the cart to put groceries in…My guess is most babies would be happier being held, and most mothers would feel less stressed.  Isn’t that what we want?  I watch those moms and desperately want to take off my sling and put it on them. 

I have had the pleasure of teaching many parents about the benefits and convenience of wearing their baby.  Our society doesn’t seem to recognize the importance of nurturing our babies.  I hear things like “She will never want to walk if you carry her all the time”, “She is going to get spoiled”, “She can’t be comfortable like that” (meanwhile she is contently alseep), “doesn’t that hurt their legs?”, and so on…It is important to hold our babies.  Each one of them will grow up.  There will come a time when they don’t want to be held.  There will come a time when you wish you could still be holding them.