What the heck is babywearing? That was my first thought when I entered this sub-culture of parenting practices. I was on a search to make my life easier when I stumbled across the term.

Here's what started it all...I was a second time mom (advanced maternal age at that!) with a very active (read: I-can't-keep-up-with-you-COME-HERE!) 3 yo boy. I could not, for the LIFE of me, handle a newborn and a toddler/pre-schooler. I took the Baby Bjorn out of the attic because I needed to eat lunch! I didn't want to put the newborn down because I was afraid that first son would be a little too loving once my back was turned. And I couldn't open a jar of peanut butter with one hand. So, on went the Bjorn. A few minutes later (yeah, I said minutes), baby is buckled up and snapped in. I make lunch. Mmmmm, food never tasted so good!

Then I remembered why I wasn't too fond of the Bjorn with first son. My back started to ache. And it's an old back, too. And, I didn't like the feeling of baby just hanging in front of me. Legs hanging, arms hanging, baby suspended by his crotch. BY HIS CROTCH? Wait a minute, that can't be right! Those boy parts aren't supposed to be smooshed with every last eight pounds of him. I HAD to find anther way. So I googled "baby carriers." WHOA! YIKES! HUH? (Try it, and see what you come up with!) Soon enough, that initial shock turned into "OH, I get it!" and "Oh, I WANT it!"

I got my first Ring Sling in a matter of days and fell in love. It was a Snuggle Gear Traveler. Small rings, closed tail and worked just perfectly for me. I was hands free, baby snuggled up to me, and loving every minute of it. That's the picture of it, taken the minute it got out of the package. Second son wanted to try it out. I wasn't too good with the ring placment at that time (they should be higher up; in a sort of corsage position and the fabric should be cupping the shoulder), I've gotten much better at it! I'll tell you about that later...