Things I've discovered from carrying the younger niece in a sling...

[conuly]

1. Dang. There sure are a lot of strollers around!

1.5 And they're always in the way, too. (This bit of self-satisfaction disappears when I'm having trouble grabbing all my bags to get everybody off the bus, but it's fun while it lasts!)

2. I'm stronger. Much stronger. Things are easy now that had been hard.

3. I suspect I've lost weight. In a good way.

4. It is possible to carry a 15 month old child on your front.

5. People who use baby carriers tend to pick the sort that aren't good for long-term use.

6. You can rapidly make yourself obnoxious even to your own ears by going up to people using carriers or carrying the baby while pushing the stroller and going on and on and on and on about slings. Ew. I mean, non-judgmentally (that never does any good, does it?), but still.

7. Standing up and walking back in forth in hopes of being less obnoxious that way ain't much better. No, not even when this is a legitimate way to put the baby to sleep!

8. It isn't that obnoxious to chat up people who have nifty nice slings, though. Funny how that works.

9. People think that children carrying dolls in slings is just the cutest thing ever.

10. No matter how awkward it is, the three year old will always insist on carrying her doll in the front. I either have to get her smaller dolls or figure out a better way to tie it in the front.

10.5 It may be worth it to buy her a toy mei-tai, or make one.

11. Everybody is convinced that babies can't tilt their necks sideways while sleeping, even me. Even when I know it's fine.

12. The baby sure sleeps a lot - she's happy when she's sleepy, and it's not that hard to make her fall asleep.

12.5 That doesn't necessarily mean that it's because of the sling, though.

13. These things are easier than they look.

14. Yes, the size of straps *does* matter.

15. It's really fun to pet the baby's hair or feet or play kissykissy when I'm dying of boredom on the bus.

16. Pushing a stroller when you've not done so is really weird. Made me feel disconnected from the kids in question, though I'm sure I wouldn't be if I used a stroller all the time.

17. Life is easier when I don't have to hoist a stroller ever, that's for sure.

18. It's not my job to convert people to doing things my way. They think their way works best for them, and maybe it does.

Comments

[peebs1701.livejournal.com]

redhen makes doll sized mei-tai's. Possible a little spendy (I think $20) since they don't have to hold all that much weight, but if you don't want to make you own, I really love her stuff. (www.meitaicarrier.com)

[peebs1701.livejournal.com]

Yeah, even ignoring my spelling errors, I think grammar just died with how many inappropriate commas and parenthesis I used in that post.

[conuly]

Parentheses. One has an -is, two or more has an -es.

And thanks!

[mayna.livejournal.com]

I find it easier to carry Greg (no sling) because Maylie can walk OK but if there's a stroller involved then she wants to ride. Only problem is, Greg wants to be carried and not ride in the stroller... ;-) So it's hard to push her in the stroller and carry him, easier to have her walk and carry him.

[conuly]

*twists head*

I know this makes sense - every word makes sense! but I'm sick and a bit fuzzyheaded, and I know it's all in my head, but it's not making sense to me when it should be. It's like reading Latin, except that I can do that kinda. Rephrase, please?

[mayna.livejournal.com]

Well I've got 2 kids (60 lb worth of kids) and the idea of a double stroller is that they both can ride in it. But, I find that if I take it, Greg doesn't want to ride in it. He wants to either walk or have me carry him. (if I try to get him in the stroller he'll refuse and try to stand up). He'll ride in it a little bit at first, but after we've been where we're at for awhile, he starts refusing to ride in it (or walk, I don't mind if he walks, but he'll start refusing to walk too).

Maylie, on the other hand, wants to ride in the stroller if we have a stroller with us (a single or a double, doesn't matter. She doesn't mind usurping the stroller even when her brother's along).

So if I don't take the stroller at all, Maylie will walk (and start to complain when she gets tired). Greg will walk at first but want to be carried later.

If I take a stroller, Maylie will want to ride, and Greg will want to be carried. So then I have to push the stroller with one hand and carry Greg with the other. It's easier to carry Greg with one hand and hold Maylie's hand with her walking with the other hand. ;-)

[conuly]

Now it makes sense, thankies. I don't know why it didn't before, other than that I'm coming down with something.

And I just got over a bad sinus infection a few weeks ago, so I hope this isn't as bad.

[mayna.livejournal.com]

Does Ana need more 3t clothes? Because I need to go through her clothes again and pull out the rest of the 3t ones. She's totally into 4t now, even 3t shorts are tight.

[conuly]

Jenn says no, I say she's staining up her shirts like nobody's business and that worse comes to worst we give them away to some other little kid.

[mayna.livejournal.com]

Ok will do. Just thought I'd ask. I am not lacking kids to give clothes to so it's no problem. ;-)

[conuly]

We've been eating a lot of fresh fruit this summer. Nice, ripe, juicy fruit. Like cherries that spurt when you bite them. And raspberries. And strawberries. And all sorts of other red fruits.

Red stains.

It's a good diet, but not a good dye-it :P

[mayna.livejournal.com]

So... that's a yes?

[conuly]

Yup, it's a yes :)

But if my sister shows up and goes NO! NO! NO! you can ignore her. My house is bigger than hers, nyah!

[mayna.livejournal.com]

lol OK. I'll do that tomorrow... I need to see what in the way of 4t clothes she has and what she needs (we leave for NZ mid-sept and definitely need to take long pants with us, although sept is sometimes warm, sometimes cool so it's rather appropriate for here too. Amazing how fast they grow out of their clothes. It's pretty convenient though that maylie switches sizes every year just in time for summer.)

[conuly]

...

You answered these in reverse order, didn't you?

[mayna.livejournal.com]

yup. ha ha.

[peebs1701.livejournal.com]

redhen makes doll sized mei-tai's. Possible a little spendy (I think $20) since they don't have to hold all that much weight, but if you don't want to make you own, I really love her stuff. (www.meitaicarrier.com)

[peebs1701.livejournal.com]

Yeah, even ignoring my spelling errors, I think grammar just died with how many inappropriate commas and parenthesis I used in that post.

[conuly]

Parentheses. One has an -is, two or more has an -es.

And thanks!

[mayna.livejournal.com]

I find it easier to carry Greg (no sling) because Maylie can walk OK but if there's a stroller involved then she wants to ride. Only problem is, Greg wants to be carried and not ride in the stroller... ;-) So it's hard to push her in the stroller and carry him, easier to have her walk and carry him.

[conuly]

*twists head*

I know this makes sense - every word makes sense! but I'm sick and a bit fuzzyheaded, and I know it's all in my head, but it's not making sense to me when it should be. It's like reading Latin, except that I can do that kinda. Rephrase, please?

[mayna.livejournal.com]

Well I've got 2 kids (60 lb worth of kids) and the idea of a double stroller is that they both can ride in it. But, I find that if I take it, Greg doesn't want to ride in it. He wants to either walk or have me carry him. (if I try to get him in the stroller he'll refuse and try to stand up). He'll ride in it a little bit at first, but after we've been where we're at for awhile, he starts refusing to ride in it (or walk, I don't mind if he walks, but he'll start refusing to walk too).

Maylie, on the other hand, wants to ride in the stroller if we have a stroller with us (a single or a double, doesn't matter. She doesn't mind usurping the stroller even when her brother's along).

So if I don't take the stroller at all, Maylie will walk (and start to complain when she gets tired). Greg will walk at first but want to be carried later.

If I take a stroller, Maylie will want to ride, and Greg will want to be carried. So then I have to push the stroller with one hand and carry Greg with the other. It's easier to carry Greg with one hand and hold Maylie's hand with her walking with the other hand. ;-)

[conuly]

Now it makes sense, thankies. I don't know why it didn't before, other than that I'm coming down with something.

And I just got over a bad sinus infection a few weeks ago, so I hope this isn't as bad.

[mayna.livejournal.com]

Does Ana need more 3t clothes? Because I need to go through her clothes again and pull out the rest of the 3t ones. She's totally into 4t now, even 3t shorts are tight.

[conuly]

Jenn says no, I say she's staining up her shirts like nobody's business and that worse comes to worst we give them away to some other little kid.

[mayna.livejournal.com]

Ok will do. Just thought I'd ask. I am not lacking kids to give clothes to so it's no problem. ;-)

[conuly]

We've been eating a lot of fresh fruit this summer. Nice, ripe, juicy fruit. Like cherries that spurt when you bite them. And raspberries. And strawberries. And all sorts of other red fruits.

Red stains.

It's a good diet, but not a good dye-it :P

[mayna.livejournal.com]

So... that's a yes?

[conuly]

Yup, it's a yes :)

But if my sister shows up and goes NO! NO! NO! you can ignore her. My house is bigger than hers, nyah!

[mayna.livejournal.com]

lol OK. I'll do that tomorrow... I need to see what in the way of 4t clothes she has and what she needs (we leave for NZ mid-sept and definitely need to take long pants with us, although sept is sometimes warm, sometimes cool so it's rather appropriate for here too. Amazing how fast they grow out of their clothes. It's pretty convenient though that maylie switches sizes every year just in time for summer.)

[conuly]

...

You answered these in reverse order, didn't you?

[mayna.livejournal.com]

yup. ha ha.