Baby Wearing, Parte Dos - The Moby

The first carrier I ever used with Ira was the Moby. When I came home from the hospital, I knew I wanted to wear him, but I didn't yet have the baby wearing addiction that I do now.

Ira was 6 days old the first time I wore him, and it worked like a charm.  He slept the whole time, and he was nice and warm all zipped into my jacket.  

The Moby wrap is basically a really long piece of fabric that gets skinnier toward the ends that you wrap around yourself and then put your baby into.  You can carry them like I have Ira in the above photo, you can carry them facing you with legs out (with fabric between you or not), and you can do a hip carry when they're older.  Moby actually has really easy instructions here.  

The biggest complaint that I have heard from people about the Moby wrap is that they can't figure it out, or that it's hard to use because it's one long piece of fabric.  I can totally relate, especially if you're new to baby wearing.

Here's what I recommend: wait until your baby is full and happy, maybe even asleep if he's still teeny tiny and can be moved around without waking up.  If your baby starts screaming because he's otherwise mad about something, you're going to curse my name and all things baby wearing.  

Start when you're at home, either by yourself, or with just one other person to hold the baby or help you wrap.  Don't wait to bust it out in front of the in-laws, your cousins, or all of your friends from work who just came over to hang out.  You'll be stressed, you'll try to learn it too fast, and you will (again) curse my name for recommending this blankety-blank wrap.  

Also, when you're ready to put the baby in, stand in front of your bed so you won't be stressed about dropping the baby.  Of course you aren't going to drop the baby, but it's a lot easier to be relaxed if your baby is over a high bed rather than over an asphalt parking lot, or your kitchen tiles.  

If you wrap it and it doesn't feel right to you, take the baby out and try again.  As long as your baby will work with you, keep trying it.  It might take one or two tries to figure out how you're both comfortable in it.  

To wear a newborn in your Moby, you wrap it onto yourself and then put your baby's legs in the "froggy position" (like they want to be anyway) and pull all the fabric around them.  If your baby is older, you're basically doing the same thing, except you're letting their legs hang out.

If you have a brand new baby, this carrier is one of my favorites, because it keeps your baby warm no matter how chilly it is outside. Even if the weather is warm, if your baby is anything like mine, he likes to be a little hotbox.  

I also like it because it's a one-size carrier - no need to buy a bigger one if dad wants to use it.

It's a very secure carrier, and one of my first choices if I'll be doing chores, cooking, or wearing for a long time.  I feel like Ira is really comfy in it, and the fabric is soft and doesn't seem to aggravate his skin, even when I'm wearing for a long time.  It's also nice because it's a one-size carrier....I can wear it, PB can wear it, and Mimi can wear it.

The only drawbacks are that the tails are really long, so I don't like to use it if we're out and about too often.  Nobody wants their tails dragging in the Walmart parking lot. Barf. Also, now that I have a 15 pound chunky monkey, I have to tie it pretty tight or it feels like he's sliding down in it/stretching it out a lot.  Technically you can use it until baby is 35 pounds, but I can't imagine how much he'd stretch it at that point.

The Moby is still one of my favorite newborn options, and one of my favorite cold weather options!  Definitely deserves a place in your baby-wearing stash.

Happy 4 Months, Ira B!

Four Month Stats:
Height: 26 inches (95th percentile)
Weight: 15 pounds, 12 ounces (75th percentile)
Clothing Size: We are still in mainly 6-9 month clothes - some 12 month things, depending on what it is!  Baby clothes sizing is just a bunch of hoo-ha, in my opinion.

Four Month Milestones, Highlights & General Happenings

You and Peggy Sue are starting to become buddies.  Mainly because Peggy won't let Brenda Lee near you because she thinks you're her baby.  Now that you know how to work those hands, you like touching the dogs (and grabbing big handfuls of weenie dog fur, but they don't mind!)

You and Peg hanging out on the couch at the lake.

Peggy likes to give you big morning licks after I feed you in bed in the morning!

You guys like to nap with each other.

Both of you hanging out in the tent on the dock at the lake.

Sometimes you're still a little unsure, like maybe I'm going to let you be attacked by a wild animal.

We've ben going to the lake a lot!  You love the dock and boat rides.

Hanging out with Daddy at the Badin Lake Family Restaurant.

You're still sleeping in the Rock 'n' Play, though you've had a few naps (and one full night!) in your crib.

You love grabbing at the toys on your play mat!

I can pretty much get you to smile on command these days, which I love!

This was your first real time in a pool - we went to hang out with girls from my Bradley class.  You absolutely LOVED floating in the water and being worn in the water wrap in the pool.  You were the happiest baby in the world!

Your cheeks get bigger every second.

You still love the bathtub and you let me put silly soap suds on your head! 

You're really getting the hang of the exersaucer and you can pretty much stand up in that thing for 20 minutes at a time and play.

We've gotten used to the Boba and we've started using it for longer carries or times when I need to get you in a carrier quickly.  

You rolled over for the first time on June 22!  I put you on the bed to pack for the lake, and you just flopped over effortlessly, despite your usual hate for tummy time.  I got you to do it one more time (hence the video)....and you have since to do it again.  I think you just let me get it on video so I can refer to that and you don't have to keep doing it.  Sigh.  Maybe one day you'll consistently roll over!

You still have no schedule or real routine.  That's probably my fault, because in that department, you might as well be raised by wolves.  You'll pass out at 8pm in the living room or you'll stay up til midnight with us.  You still get up after about a 4-5 hour stretch of sleep, and you love to nurse nurse nurse in the mornings.  Your feedings through the day are getting more consolidated though - you'll tell me pretty quick to put that mess up because you're not interested.  You nap a lot during the day, usually taking a few hour to two-hour naps if I don't bother you and drag you all over creation.

We love your little personality more and more.  You are such a frat boy - you think everything is funny.  Silly faces, noises, and raspberries all get a big sideways grin and a laugh.  Your number one goal in life is to blow a raspberry back at us and you're getting pretty good at it.  You love to snuggle with me while we nurse at night and in the morning, and you love to be held with a blanket touching your face while you fall asleep.  You are the sweetest boy I know!