Shortly after my third child Sarah was born, I had the chance to review the Sleepy Wrap baby carrier.  I fell in love, hard and fast – the Sleepy Wrap is without a doubt the most comfortable and easy to use carrier for babies up to a year old on the market (of the carriers I have here at home at least!)  The Sleepy Wrap also carries older children as my photos of my then two and five-year-old’s demonstrates, but it’s not the most supportive carrier for older kids.  I also would never feel confident enough to execute a back carry in one due to it’s stretchy fabric.

Naturally I was incredibly thrilled to have the opportunity to review Nap Inc.’s latest child carrier!  The Boba is a soft-structured carrier (think Ergo) designed to be used for children ages 1 to 4 (15 – 45 lbs.) for front and back carries, and my two youngest are now 16 months and 3.5 – perfect timing!  As an Ergo owner my first thoughts were – how does the Boba differ from an Ergo?  Well, to be honest there are quite a few points of differentiation, most good, some not-so-good.  There are also some similarities and challenges that seem to present themselves with any structured carrier.

Before we dig in, I want to let you know that there are lots of pretty pictures on the Boba website itself, I’m not going to use them in my review though, I have plenty of pictures of my own kids enjoying being carried!  Feel free to head on over if you’d like to see some ‘professional’ looking snaps!

So, first off, the Boba is an organic cotton carrier, made in Boulder, Colarado by mountaineering professionals – very neat!  I received the Walnut to review; there are six earthy shades to choose from.  You can find a complete list of the major features here.  The first things I noticed were the nicely contoured padded shoulder straps, the handy ‘hide-em’ elastics to roll up the excess webbing from the shoulder straps and waist strap (very nice touch!), and the heavy duty safety-buckle.

Loading both of my children in the front facing position was very simple, but I did need some help fastening the chest-strap across my back (I have limited mobility in my right arm), so I need some help there.  I played with the foot-straps some before realizing that my baby’s legs are just too short for them to work at the moment, but they are very adjustable with a neat sliding feature that let’s you move them around the bottom of the carrier.  Adjusting for circumference is tricker, as they velcro up inside of the padded waist area, which is securely fastened when you have a child in the carrier and are trying to adjust the straps.  The front carry with Sarah is blissful, it’s the snuggliest, worry-free front carry ever!  She’s in the perfect position to kiss, and the extra fabric on the sides and top really gives it a cocoon-like feel.  She slept for hours in the Boba the first time she rode in it.

Now, the shoulder straps were hard for me to get snug enough, so I called in my husband, but this isn’t unique to the Boba, I always have a hard time with this design of tightening fixture on soft-structure carriers.  Once adjusted though, between the shoulder and chest straps you can get a good custom-fit for your child.  It does take a few minutes to adjust the carrier back and forth for different children.

Now, my 3.5 year old IS tall enough to get use out of the foot-straps!  Looking at this picture I think they could be a wee bit tighter, but they’re pretty good here.  Designed to be used with shoes, the straps function almost as a stirrup, and are designed to lift the leg to a healthy, 90degree angle from hip to thigh and thigh to calf.  You can read more about it here.  I think it’s a pretty neat idea, and you can tell that the posture is definitely better with the strap as opposed to without when you compare the photos.  If she gets excited and tries to ’stand’ in the stirrups, the velcro lets loose and needs to be done up again, and she did say they were a bit ‘itchy’ – some of the velcro must have brushed her leg (something to note if your youngster has sensory-integration issues).  Again the front carry is very supportive and incredibly comfy, I could carry her for hours like this!  She likes it too .

Now, for the back carry, I actually got Sarah in without help on my first try by following the instructions!  The extra fabric on the panel really makes a difference here.  With other soft-structured carriers I often felt like my baby was leaning away from me because I couldn’t feel her upper body against my back.  With the Boba that problem is no longer there!  With some careful adjustments I can get my little girl hugged up nice and comfy….see?  I REALLY like this…sure helps when I’m doing dishes!

Now with Rosie, you can see her shirt through the gap between the carrier and me – that’s just because she’s bigger (and the camera angle), she’s still nice and tight up against me as you can see.  It also looks as though I should have slid the foot straps around the unique bottom rail to be closer to the front, that would have brought her legs into a slightly better position.

Now, with her being heavier I did notice that the unpadded webbing that makes up the front portion of the Boba (where you fasten the safety buckle) carries more weight and did dig into my abdomen some.  That’s likely due to my squishy mommy belly, but it wasn’t entirely comfortable.  Some other carriers feature a flat band of fabric that goes underneath this section of webbing to distribute the weight without so much digging, but the Boba doesn’t. Thankfully, I don’t use a carrier with her often, as I’m the only carrier wearer in the family, so I usually take Sarah.  If Rosie tuckers out her Dad uses his arms .

The Boba also doesn’t have a sleeping baby head flap, but in truth, I’ve rarely been able to fasten those by myself with a baby in the carrier, and often it woke mine up.  With the extra fabric providing upper-back support, Sarah just tucked herself in closer when she fell asleep in the front carry, so I haven’t missed it yet.

With both the back and front carries high, snug, and secure, the Boba is a great carrier for moms who want to wear their babies through the winter with a baby-wearing coat.  Once you get your adjustments made you’re ready to go, there won’t be any budging.

Parents shopping for a first soft-structured baby carrier should STRONGLY consider the Boba due to the extra fabric in the panel ALONE.  The added feeling of security is so sweet, snuggly, and above all reassuring!

If you have any questions, please let me know and I’ll do my best to answer them for you from a first-hand users perspective.

Thanks to Nap Inc. I have a coupon code to share with you all!  You can buy the Boba online here for $99.00 plus shipping. If you use coupon code “QuiverfullFamily” until November 11th, US purchasers will receive free shipping, and Canadian orders will receive a $3.99 discount (every little bit helps!)  Enjoy these precious times of baby-wearing with your little ones – my too tall six-year-old so misses those special times with mommy already.

Sarah was our largest baby at birth.  Now at 11 months she’s our smallest child and earliest walker.  She is toddling ALL over the house!  She also has two teeth through (her bottom middle two) and her top middle two look like they are on the way through as well.  Ah, they grow so quickly.  Some days I feel like we’re just waiting on God for our next one, other days I feel like He knows where we’re at and there’s a reason why we’re not expecting again yet.  And of course – He does!

After having the opportunity in the past to review a Sleepy Wrap and give one away, we’ve bought them for friends and recommended them widely to one and all.  This is absolutely my most favourite carrier for newborns on up to toddlers from a comfortable front carry.  The Sleepy Wrap is so comfortable and is very easy to use, even for those new to baby-carrying.  There’s a picture of Sarah as a newborn in the wrap to jog your memory .

Now I’m excited to share a coupon code for this fabulous baby carrier with you, as well as an opportunity to vote in accordance with your love for this comfy, convenient wrap.

Sleepy Wrap has been listed on the Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine Readers Choice Awards! Readers from all over the world may vote online at the Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine Website for their favorite baby and maternity products.  Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine Reader’s Choice Awards will determine the top brands in many categories of baby and maternity products based solely on the input received from voters such as yourself. We hope that with your help, Sleepy Wrap will have it’s time to shine! 

So, what do you need to do to vote the Sleepy Wrap up?  Head on over to Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine and register for an account there (free of course).  After you activate your account, and log in, click on the big pink words Vote Now In Our Readers’ Choice Awards! under your name, and you’re off!

As their way of saying “Thank you!” our readers get a 15% off coupon code for the beautiful new Organic Sleepy Wrap! The code “ivoted” (no space!) is good until May 31st when the Pregnancy & Newborn RCA poll CLOSES! 

When you Vote now you can also enter to win Pregnancy & Newborn’s GRAND PRIZE SELECTION OF THE WINNING GEAR! So have fun, vote on the categories you’re familiar with, and if you love Sleepy Wrap’s, keep them in mind!

Ah, April has been a busy month here on the blog, and it’s been SO long since we had a personal update!  We celebrated many birthdays in April, Rose, then me, and then Kaelynn, all within a single week, busy times.  Sarah also started walking last month at 9 months of age, we were shocked.  She was our heaviest baby at birth, our smallest baby at 6 months and our earliest walker!  She’s so busy climbing up onto things and toddling around (though five steps is her limit before she plunks down) that she’s finding all sorts of mischief to get into!  It looks so funny to see her toddling around, she’s still so short and tiny – around 17 lbs. at 10 months now.  Every day I am given to spend with my children reminds me of God’s goodness in blessing me with their precious presence and the love they fill my life with.

When I received my first issue of Teach Magazine I was dumbouded to find that the Spring issue’s theme was “Marriages Made Marvelous”.  As some of my loyal readers know, my marriage went through some extraordinarily difficult times late last year, and the beginning of this year.  We are now rebuilding our relationship, and the godly advice of the experienced wives and mothers found within the pages of this issue were a great blessing to me.

Unlike so many other homeschooling magazines, Teach delves into the real lifestyle of homeschoolig: homemaking, child-training, marriage and more.  While readers wil find curricula disussed within it’s pages, the emphasis is clearly upon Christ and His kingdom made manifest in the home.  Homeschooling then flows from this foundation rather than having the right ‘program’ in place.  The magazine’s focus then is upon encouragement, practical advice and wisdom in the form of Titus 2 mentoring.

Along with ediatrix Lorrie Flem, familiar names such as Marilyn Boyer, Sally Clarkson, Lynda Coats join forces with many other gifted, experienced mothers and writers to share gathered gems of wisdom.  Featured articles in this issue include:

“R-E-S-P-E-C-T, That is What He Wants from Me” by Bonita Lillie

“How to Ruin a Perfectly Good Husband” by Phyllis Sather

“Advice From the ‘Me of Now’ to the ‘Me of Then’” by Amy O’Quinn

and “Takin’ It to the Streets” by Marybeth Whalen

If you are unfamiliar with the magazine, it is glossy, 40 pages with full colour cover, black and white interior pages and blessedly little advertising.  If, like me, you find paying for a periodical that is comprised mainly of advertisements frustrating, you’ll find Teach a refreshing change.

When my magazine arrived I carried it everywhere with me around the house.  The articles are easily read in snatches, most are one page in length, with a few longer pieces.  These brief pieces of encouragement are easily digested for busy mothers.  When I accidentally misplaced my copy I became quite determined in the search to recover it and after ferverent searching discovered that it had slipped down into the inside of the couch!  I was so relieved to find it and continue reading.

Having come to Jesus only two and a half years ago, my husband and I are often at a loss as to how a Christ-like marriage operates.  We both lack healthy models of marriage from our childhood and often feel blundering in our attempts to realize a Godly partnership.  The word images created in the Spring issue of Teach are now cemented into my heart as examples of self-sacrificial devotion on the part of one, or both partners and are helping me to recalibrate my relationship compass.

However, my greatest ‘ah-hah’ moment, simple though it may seem – was truly cognizing the need to specifically ask Jesus to manifest the fruits of the spirit in my marriage.  It is only through His enabling power that a God-glorifying marriage is possible  I can already see God’s hand at work in our home as He increases our family’s love towards one another and an increasing sense of peace.

SUBSCRIBE TO TEACH MAGAZINE NOW, OR PURCHASE THIS ISSUE HERE!

Some of my readers know from previous posts that we’re a baby packing family.  Babies hanging off of us, toddlers on knees and hips, nearly all day long, every day for the past 5 and a half years.  We love our wee ones, and having them near us, and they love it too!

When I first started baby wearing I wore a pouch style sling.  Likely the easiest style for beginners, you just throw them over the shoulder, pop in a baby and you’re off, no fiddling, no fussing.  I just came across a new site today that sells pouch style Newborn Slings.  My first pouch style sling was around $70!  These start at $25!  A very affordable way to try out wearing your baby to see if it works for you (I think it will, happy baby = happy momma).

In addition to having detailed written instructions for a variety of carrying positions, HugaMonkey.com has video tutorials on wearing their pouch style newborn slings.  This is a huge bonus!  If you havent grown up seeing babies worn it can be a bit confusing getting started.

There are a wide variety of cute solids and prints available on their site, my favourite is the Red Boquet print.  They also have organic fabrics available starting at $35.00!  Stop by to browse their colourful selections!

Yes, there is a baby under there somewhere! It seems in my blog photos I mostly have my blue clothes on with my red sling, and now I have my red clothes on with my blue nursing cover! This is our first baby as believers and I wanted a nursing cover that I could wear while in fellowship with others. I was blessed to win this one, along with a pouch style baby sling both in the Spa Damask print, from Tot-to-go (a Canadian company!) at a Celebrity Baby Scoop contest!

The light weight, designer cotton fabric is lovely, but what really makes this a winner is the stiff material in the upper edge. I’ve never been the world’s most discreet nurser, it always seems I need to uncover quite a bit to make sure the baby is latched on properly, so this is great! I can uncover, see the baby via the porthold created by the stiff material, and still be modest! The cut of the cover is also very generous, so I’ll be able to use this with a nursing toddler as well. (If they can refrain from playing peekaboo! My second born is convinced it’s a baby peekaboo device!)

Thanks so much Tot-to-go and Celebrity Baby Scoop, the nursing cover and sling are a great blessing for our family, and our new – two week old baby.

The Sleepy Wrap baby carrier is the best baby carrier I’ve ever owned.  I don’t say that lightly.  I started wearing my babies when my first was born, over five years ago now.  I’ve owned a Rebozo, Over the Shoulder Baby Holder, Kangaroo Adjustable Fleece Pouch, Ergo, Mama Baby Ring Slings, Shower Sling, Baby Bjorn, hmmm am I missing any?  I wish that the Sleepy Wrap had been available with my first born.  I wish that I hadn’t been intimidated by baby wraps in the past.  My husband thinks we should buy more of them, in many different colours!  They are certainly affordable enough – for a baby carrier that is so easy to use, $34.00 is a steal of a deal, I doubt you could buy a similar, high quality fabric in the quantity needed for that price!  The Sleepy Wrap is made out of a mainly cotton material that is similar to a cotton French jersey, very thick, soft and high quality; much thicker and more durable than the other knit fabrics I have baby carriers made of.

Our Sleepy Wrap, in red (available in a variety of colours to suit any taste), arrived before our new baby did.  The first thing I noticed was that the instruction booklet was first class.  Printed on glossy paper, full colour, step by step photographs and clear instructions.  Though I had been intimidated and NEVER considered buying a baby wrap in the past (how complicated all that twisting and tying looked) I was surprised at how terribly easy it was to learn the basic ties.  The first time I tied too loosely and my two year old was a bit timid in the carrier.  So I tied on again, making sure to tie it snug, not leaving any extra room (don’t worry, it will look like your baby won’t fit in, but that is where the special, stretchy fabric comes into play) – and this time when I put her on she felt happy and secure.  I haven’t been carrying her in a sling or carrier much during this pregnancy, so she was out of practice, but she caught on very quickly.

As you can tell from the photograph I am quite pregnant.  The Sleepy Wrap is definitely one size fits all, from teeny tiny Mamma’s to big, nine month pregnant Mamma’s, like me in the above photograph.  Rose is in the Classic, Love Your Baby hold, with her legs out, you can also choose to have the child’s legs inside of the fabric.  Rose is a big two year old, over 30 lbs. and quite tall.  Due to my pregnancy I tied the wrap under my belly, and it didn’t make it around to the back again, but no problems!  One thing I am very pleased with is that the circulation in Rose’s thighs was never cut off, her thighs never discoloured, the fabric never pinched,  and it was very soft and comfortable against her legs.  We’ve had problems with thigh constriction in other slings and carriers in the past – in order to get the child high enough and close enough to my body I had to cinch them in pretty tightly, sometimes resulting in thigh marks and discoloration….ick!

This is really the best carrier for getting your baby high and tight, once you have the wrap tied on snuggly, the rest is so simple, just pop your child in and you are ready to go with a high, tight, close, secure hold.  Soon after Sarah was born, and we got to try the wrap with her, she is around 1 week old in these photos.

Again, very easy, Sarah is in the upright newborn/infant hold.  When she falls asleep I can cover her head with some of the stretchy fabric to keep it from being floppy.

I stretched out the tying portion of the wrap to cover my belly (not all of those lumpies are baby, some are me!), but you can leave it looking more like ’straps’ if you’d like to.  This time I did get the ties to go around to my back again, but you can leave them on the front if they don’t make it back around.  I like to wear baby carriers with the fabric spread well over my shoulders and back for even weight distribution.  I can do this so well with the Sleepy Wrap that I can hardly feel my baby on – more comfy than being pregnant!  This miraculous stretchy fabric accomodates pretty near any size of child, just tying the carrier on snugly you can pop in either a newborn or a two year old, and you will still have a high, secure hold.  This carrier will also fit any member of your family.  My five year old likes to have me tie it on her so that she can carry her baby doll in it.  She keeps volunteering to carry the new baby, but I think she needs to grow a little still before she can wear Sarah.

We were shopping at the Toys R’Us for our new recliner rocking chair while I was still pregnant and I saw some expecting mother’s looking at the limited selection of baby carriers on hand (mostly Snuggli and Bjorn style carriers).  I wished that I had my Sleepy Wrap with me to show them how excellent it was, thankfully I can show you!  If you are a first time parent you can save yourself baby carrier buyer’s remorse and just buy a  Sleepy Wrap to start with.  If you are an experienced parent, you may feel reluctant to buy yet another baby carrier, or you may have felt intimidated by wraps in the past – I know that I certainly did.  I encourage you to step out in faith and buy a Sleepy Wrap as well, it is really the best carrier that our family has owned, and I only wish we’d had one for our previous children, particularly my very fussy firstborn.

Thanks so much to Sleepy Wrap, and Parent Reviewers for the opportunity to try this excellent baby carrier.

Such sweet words to the ear of a bibliophile and Mother.  I’ve never had early talkers, my youngest turned 2 in April, and she is now starting to speak in complete sentences and phrases.  One of the earliest to surface, as well as one of the most oft repeated is “Readee me Mommy!”, often repeated two to three times in rapid succession if I don’t respond quickly. 

At times this request is followed by the title of a book “Readee me Mommy, JeeJee lubs bee (Jesus Loves Me).”  Sometimes it is the title of the book that is repeated several times, accompanied by book waving in the air.  The incessant demands can become a bit trying, but above all else, I’m thrilled that she has discovered the delights to be found in books, and that their value is already well established in her life.

I am a dyed in the wool reader, which makes me suspect that my parents must have read to me often as a small child, though I have only sporadic memories of this taking place.  Both of my parents love books, and I have followed in their example.  Fostering this love of literature in my own children has proven to be surprisingly simple: regular storytimes scattered throughout the day, consistent bedtime stories and devotionals each and every night, books within easy access of little hands.  Before I knew it my children were entertaining themselves by ‘reading’ books without me.  Just sitting on the floor, quietly leafing through books to look at the pictures, sometimes stopping to ask me questions.  My oldest daughter, K – 5, pointing out pictures and events in storybooks to her younger sister.

How have you fostered a love for reading in your tiny ones?  What are the fruits of your efforts that you are now seeing in their lives?  Please share in the comments of your adventures with literature and children!

Does that seem like an impossible task? Being able to avoid offending pregnant women? Each woman full of pregnancy hormones, each with her own foibles and pet peeves? Pregnancy can be a touchy time emotionally, full of hormonal ups and downs. In my pregnancies to date I have been blessed with fairly stable emotions – managing to avoid the largest of hormonal swings, and rarely crying – praise the Lord! However, as I approach the end of this, my third pregnancy, I find myself becoming….touchy on certain subjects. Here are a few helpful tips from my personal point of view on how to deal with women in the home stretch of their pregnancy.

Yesterday we had another pre-natal appointment, due to an unfortunate chain of events it had been six weeks since my last visit to our ‘baby doctor’ who will, Lord willing, be delivering this sweet little one at home (well at my Mother’s home actually, because we live too far in the boonies). Needless to say, I have grown some since our last visit, I’m now somewhere between 34 – 35 weeks – baby isn’t far off. This is also our third baby, and I am…larger than I was with our first to be certain.

However, I’m finding that as I approach the end of this pregnancy I am on the receiving end of many, many comments from onlookers. Perhaps it’s because I don’t go out (off of our homestead) very often that I am more sensitized to this attention, but it could be those pregnancy hormones too.

I will present some case studies of actual conversations.

Case Study #1

“Oh, your girls are so sweet, look at them in their little dresses.” – Yes, who can resist little girls in dresses! I am totally okay with comments like this. Bring it on, people just think the girls are so cute.

“Oh, and you are expecting another one soon.” – Sure, that’s apparent at this point in the game, no problems here.

“When are you due?” – Fair question.

Me – “Another month or so, at least.”

Here’s where everything goes downhill.

With an obvious glance at the growing tummy, eyes widening – “Oooohhhh?!” – Sigh, the shocked expression and the no further comments in that department give pregnant moms the feeling that you are thinking, “Wow, you sure are as big as a house already, and another month to go? Oh my!”. Of course, that may not be true, but we pregnant mothers are…sensitive to these things .

Suggested response – “You look great! You must be so excited for the baby to arrive! What a blessing!”

Case Study #2

“Oh, look at your girls they are so darling, what a cutie!” – Seriously we get these comments everywhere we go – having children is an excellent conversation starter!

“Oh, and look at you too! That is so precious!” Followed by general cooing. – Sure, I’m pregnant, I don’t mind it if people notice.

“Are you due soon?” While looking at the BIG belly. It is big, I can’t deny it!

Me – “Oh, another month or so at least.”

Expression of disbelief, looking at belly. “Oh really, oh wow.” Nervous laughter.

Suggested response – “You look great! You must be so excited for the baby to arrive! What a blessing!”

(Yes, I am feeling hypersensitive about my size these days.)

Case Study #3

“Oh, I haven’t seen you in so long. Look at you, wow, you are huge!” – Okay, this is a bad start to the conversation. Never point out to a woman in her third trimester that she is huge. Trust me, she already knows.

“Wow, when are you due again? Another month? NO – I don’t think so! You look like you are ready to have that baby any day now! WOW – maybe there are two in there!” Laughter. – Well at least this person came right out and said it, instead of just acting shocked.

Comments: Still – it is really best not to mention the immensity of a pregnant woman unless you would like to offend her. On the opposite side it is also best not to tell a pregnant woman how small she is, or she may become worried that something is wrong with the baby/pregnancy. Telling her how big she is – well, it should just go without saying that this is a no-no as well.

Conclusion:

I know that pregnant women are fascinating, I am fascinated by pregnant women as well. But, how soon we forget what it is like to be so hugely pregnant, and how delicate and sensitive we should be with our comments to our pregnant friends.

(Disclaimer: Written by a hugely pregnant, hormonal woman. Advice and comments to be taken with a grain of salt, and a large dose of tongue-in-cheek humor. I am certain some of you can empathize however.)