Lactation Education Consultants Course in Chicago, the Culmination of Tons of Hard Work!

For months you have read references that I have been studying for a huge Lactation consultants course/exam.  If you know me in real life, you have seen the book I have been lugging around for months.  Well the course finally came and I was impressed!  Almost everyone in the room was an RN of some type (registered nurse)  The course was run by 3 amazing women who work together under the name Lactation Education Consultants.  I highly recommend this course if you are wanting to start your journey helping mothers breastfeed.

Ok, first surprise. I guess I'm used to the Babywearing community where we are such a small group, I was overwhelmed to see 60 people in my course.

It was a lecture series over 5 days with an exam at the end. It was intense, but effective. I really enjoyed the women in the course. I made some wonderful friends through the midwest and east coast mostly.

Twan came with me and endured the stigma of being assumed to be z's dad and my husband. It's just too easy to assume, and the truth is too complicated to explain. But lol, right?

There were a few mamas there from closer by who only got to go home and see their babies at lunch, so the LEC ladies had a pumping table set up

It was a party.

I met up with a high school friend and had dinner, since I was in my old neighborhood. I know I should have been studying, but the course was so intense, I recommend one night off to those involved,

Our teachers were Fun and Funny! Thank you Jan Barger, Linda Kutner and Carole Peterson! You were energizing and inspiring! These ladies were often researching their talks and updating them with up to the minute information to keep their next-day's lecture current. They were so lively and interesting!

I was really happy on the way home knowing I passed. Thanks to everyone who helped support me through this adventure! Thank you to my husband and children for sacrificing their mama so she could learn to be a better educator, and Thank You Ann Arbor, the town that continues to nurture my feeling of having a place in this world to affect positive change. Hold your babies!!

Yummy Yummy Gonna Eat! Yeah!!!

Zephyr is growing up so fast!  in addition to crawling and babbling loudly, he is eating!!  Z is like a dust buster.  His pincher grasp is in full effect and into his mouth everything goes!

Who Me? Grow Up and Feed Myself? Never!!

Self feeding allows baby to go at his own pace, and prevents indigestion by not overstuffing baby with spoons full of too much food. Plus they develop fine motor skills and a sense of accomplishment.

Nom Nom!

Mushy foods like hummus or potatoes can be eaten by hand as well!

I am so into exploring the world with my mouth! Mom can feel that as the weather changes I might be getting my first cold.

8 months old and growing strong. Z brings us all so much joy, but probably his sister the most. She cannot get enough. Every time he smiles she melts!

 

Review Time!! Nino Heaven and Earth, and Oscha Nouveau Tiree. Two Tough Wraps!

I know, Why not post each review on it’s own you say?  I just have been so busy with new adventures in babywearing that the reviews are building up.  Ky;e and I are building a parenting center in our community as a place to center education about parenting infants and building confidence and connection in parenting skills.  We are giddy with excitement.

Ok First up, Heaven and Earth really is Heaven ON Earth!!

So, first lets clear the air, the colors in real life are beautiful. Nothing like the posted swatch or the first leaked pictures from the trade show indicated

Ok, I have to say, this is an amazing wrap. Nino Heaven and Earth was expected to be a hit here and I am not disappointed.
It is a dense smooth medium-heavy wrap that is not thick, but easy to manipulate, and sooooo supportive and beautiful in lots of carries with multiple children of all ages. I have a 4 and I would seriously Ruck my 4.5 year old if he would let me.  

It wraps and feels like p/e thin fish – - If that means something to you.    you would have to be a geek.  Scroll down if you are cool.

Wrong side first. This wrap ROCKS a torso carry. its nice and structured, no shoulder straps necessary!

this picture above is fairly true to color on my screen. It was a bad light day here 

 

Judah is long and I love my size 4 for single layer carries with her. She has to be wrapped in a supportive wrap to make it comfortable and I have been using this with her often. I would say its a new favorite.

It lays cushy and bouncy on the shoulders, like only 100% cotton does for me   It was wonderful for single layer carries with Judah.

and one of our favorite carries; http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/o…t=M4H04507.mp4

The blue and the brown are very saturated and suit each other.

Ok Next Up My Nouveau!!

It wraps really well to start. I love the texture and the weight. it is going to be great going into fall and winter as it is on the heavier side.

As it breaks in its getting very moldable and easy to tighten. It has nice structure, but its not stiff.

And then the ultimate test. Lion asked to be wrapped and cuddle at bedtime and I grabbed nouveau and thought, "here goes!" It was awesome. 100% cotton with 50 lbs! This wrap falls into the toddler-worthy category.

He was having fun "being the baby again" and I cherished the moment. Nouveau was up to the task!

Thanks to my sweet client who made bringing our Nouveau into our life so much more fun!  Bringing babies closer is an amazing gift for the world!

I LOVE SCRAPS!

Of wraps that is.

 

Phrase of Enlightenment: WrapscrapCreations.etsy.com     I am SO HAPPY every time I use a key for anything, which is very often in my life, so I just wanted to say a heartfelt THANK YOU to Heather, the mama behind my favorite little etsy shop.  Keep scrappin’ Heather!!!

Can I just say that I think I have attained Huge Key Nirvana?

International Babywearing Week 2011!!!!

This is how we celebrated International Babywearing Week here in Ann Arbor!!!!  This is my first year organizing events and next year I will do much better.  We had an event every day of the week last week and it was awesome!!!  Babywearing International sent each of their chapters an awesome package full of goodies (read:carriers ) and our attendance at Ann Arbor Babywearers Grows weekly!

Our Monday event for International Babywearing Week was a Mall Walk at Briarwood Mall in Ann Arbor. It was well attended and fun! We started at the playplace

I made everyone take a group pic before we set off Sometimes I feel like a bit of a nerd

I think We looked AWESOME walking around the mall.

I ordered some IBW stickers from Cafe Press and we used them a ton at all of the events. Malawi Fish and a sleeping baby and the Babywearing International logo. Its too cute for me!

Tuesday we had our Regular Meeting,(see sidebar for link) but I added a twist of posting on Facebook that the ladies could Buy/Sell/Trade with each other, which is normally discouraged in abundance at the meeting for fear of distraction.  It is a Fun distraction though!

There were tons of pile of carriers of all kinds

We also had 2 new moms pregnant with twins!

Because we have so many VBE's and senior members and experienced mamas, everyone who comes for help to try carriers always finds it.

 

The Onya Baby finally came in at Elephant Ears and everyone else seems to love it as much as we do! This babe is 1 year old. sniff sniff, where does the time go!

Wednesday’s Event was Farmers Market Day.  We all went to set up a table at our local Farmers market and promote Babywearing and Babywearing Safety.

Everyone did an Amazing Job!

Here's a look at our table up-close. We gave stickers to lots of people and safety brochures

Stylish Babywearer Alert! This is a Petunia Picklebottom Special Edition Ergo

I love Ann ARbor Babywearers! Thank you so much to our Hard Working Voulnteer Babywearing Educators! (in an Onya baby carrier and and Easycare #1 ringsling by Sleeping Baby Productions)

 

We have such an awesome fun diverse group!!!! Thans for all of your hard work on the long day of farmers market day all!

Thursday was DIY day at Lindsay’s house.  DIY stands for Do-It-Yourself and Lindsay really can do it all!  I wasn’t able to attend, (I had to work 1 day this week right? ) But I hear Lindsay talked to people about making Ringslings, wraps and Mei-Tais.  Many of my favorite links for DIY can be found on http://www.sleepingbabyyproductions.com

Friday was a Stash Party and Snack-Fest at my house!

Friday I hosted a get-together at my house to share my collection of Babywearing Art and Artifact as well as my carrier collection.

I tried to put everything out. I have over 60 brands of carriers in my collection. I should make a list, I know, but with what time??

Lindsay Brought the Box from Babywearing International! Thanks BWI!!! Geckos Mauvien 7, hubba hubba!!

Nati Linen Swallows

 

Vatani Valensole

Judah slept in my Toddler Bambaroo Wrap Conversion. Its awesome! Kiss to Millie!!

4 awesome purple wraps. By total accident. I just love purple!!! Geckos Mauvien, Zara Purple, Viola Ellipses and Latemeria Fish.

Barb was the first to try on the chocolate nougat silk ellipses. She is really an amazing wrapper.

They are really stunning in person. The mama, baby and wrap

Then , the ultimate surprise, for the woman who didnt get back to her computer to see who actually rsvp'd that they were coming to her event, my long time online friend Traurweiden from TBW!! Barb and I were so happy we giggled, and it really was a wonderful meeting. Such a sweet mama!

Thanks to everyone who came out to support International Babywearing Week.  I know I was so thrilled and impressed by all the support and comments we got from our community and I suspect we will see increased attendance!  Happy IBW 2011!!!!!

 

Doula training at The Center For the Childbearing Year

The Center For The Childbearing Year is a wonderful resource here in Ann Arbor Michigan for childbirth education and doula training courses.  The group that I spoke to 2 weeks ago was eager and excited to be working with moms and babies.   We talked all about airway safety ( http://www.babyslingsafety.blogspot.com/ ) and spine development.  Crying prevention as well as use of different carriers.  It was a blast. Thanks to The Center For the Childbearing Year for adding Crying Prevention and Babywearing Education to your training for doulas!

These 17 Doula's - in -Training were the perfect audience for my crying prevention education.

I had them practicing with a variety of carriers

I love my wrapsody

Thans C4CBY!! Looking forward to the next group!

 

September Meeting Fun!!

Ann Arbor Babywearers can be a good place to get a dose of someone else's baby and get a little breather from your own This Easycare wrap made into a ringsling by sleeping baby productions is an awesome simple colorway that still lets you know if you are twisted or otherwise in fabric trouble with it's no-nonsense black and white stripes

Barb is using a doll of the right

I love the toddler snuggles!!!

This happy mama came when she was pregnant, so she looked like a pro with her first newborn!

 

Barb must really have been enjoying the drs2s she was wearing, because she kept the doll on for a bit

Amitola Red Weft

A snuggly Italian Wrap, Dolcino.

Snacks on the go is a great babywearing benefit for babies and mama!

The ABC Baby Products Show In Louisville, Kentucky, or How I got to the BCIA Annual Meeting and Sat Next to a Goddess for the second time

So, as the title implies, Zephyr and I have been on an adventure or 2 as of late.  In case you were wondering, Zephyr is awesome in an airport.  Smiling and happy as can be and everyone loves a happy baby.  This trip had 2 real purposes, to find out if there was an adjustable pouch sling on the market that I could get behind, and probably more importantly, to attend the Baby Carrier International Alliance meeting and see my classmate from babywearing school, Arie Brentnall-Compton of TadpolesandButterflies.com and the Canadian Babywearing School.  The trip went above and beyond my expectations.

Downtown Louisville, Kentucky was surprisingly fun and full of art and interest. Many people were complaining about the show's move from it's former Vegas location, but I was happy in Louisville, isn't this piece fun?

The Museum Hotel in downtown Louisville was beautiful and very hip and happening!

This room downstairs on the way to the bathroom looked like the biggest college dorm room ever.

This super sweet lady was one of our hosts at the Petunia Picklebottom/Ergo Mixer right after I got off of the airplane. As her hipness shows, she's the designer of the bags, and as my grin shows, I'm really happy that I won the bag on my shoulder in the drawing at the mixer.

Here we are with the awesome wrapping French-Canadian Mama behind Chimparoo Wraps and Carriers. She was wonderful and sweet and I can't wait to show off her new carriers when they come into Elephant Ears!

Because Z is a crawling crazy man, he wanted down in every booth in the afternoon. I just had to tell myself it was good for his immune system, but inside I was cringing. He didnt get sick though, and it's 2 weeks later, so maybe I did ok, right? At any rate, he was happy as usual

Here is Kristi, the Visionary who conceived of the BCIA, giving the welcome speech with her babe sleeping on her back

Neal is our liason with the CPSC, and he is a wonderful advocate for us in the government. I was so happy to meet him.

This is the newly elected board of the BCIA or Baby Carrier International Alliance. The Dapper man on the end is Daniel from Baba Sling in the UK. (see below)

The Baba Sling!! It's the adjustable pouch I've been looking for ever since the Kangaroo Korner became unavailable We LIKE it VERY much and I can't wait to have my hands on one and show you how it works!

I talked a ton with everybody about Crying Prevention and the curriculum I have been developing for working with new parents.

Thanks Baba Sling for your generous donation to Closeathandbaby of this amazing realistic teaching doll. It is going to a doula training course tomorrow afternoon and I can't wait for them to use it.

They were a few kids short of their whole clan, but you get the general idea of the sweet family behind Wrapsody baby wraps.

They are so fun and I was so happy to get to know them better.

These hair scarves Wrapsody makes sometimes come in (achem) bold colors Goof Baby alert!!

The morning that I flew out I had a beautiful inspiring breakfast with this Canadian Vixen and Kristi of Wrapsody. Developments to follow

Arie helped me to stay motivated to excel at my Lactation Consultant Certification Course this Month.  The coursework has been daunting, but I am certain I will be ready thanks to her motivation.

BCIA LOVE!!! Thanks for a great Annual Meeting Everyone!! I am looking forward to another year together forwarding the cause of safe babywearing all over the world!

There’s a Party in my City!

Look what we did!!! When I was a kid I always wanted to go to see Sesame Street Live, and I gave birth last time I bought tickets, so this was a big deal for me!!!

It was AWESOME!!!!!!!!

HUGS ARE FUN!!! We all wore our DJ Lance glasses that they handed out at the door.

We had a blast.

The Green Beans flashed the peace sign before his entrance. It's one of my favorite pictures ever!

Muno! He's tall and Friendly!

Babywearing in Brobee Land

What would we do without babywearing?

We had such a great time!!!!! Expect to see us do this at least 1 more time for our kids. It was worth all the hassle and expense! They still can't stop talking about it.

Ann Arbor Babywearers Picture Explosion!

Oscha is a new brand on the block, but its been amazing so far!

Aqua Waves, and a super sleepy babe.

The best part about getting together is teaching each other and getting to feel the differences between carriers.

Malawi Fish

Ginkos by didymos, a beautiful springy wrap.

Twins in a Maya Tie. by Maya Wrap.

Comfy Coxzy in a Kozy Carrier Mei Tai!

Great Ruck In your Neobulle Mannon Grise Steph!