Intervention...

The first step to overcoming any addiction is admitting you have one. So here it goes.

Hi. My name is Renee, and I have a baby carrier addiction. 

Let me jump on my soap box for a minute. I am a huge fan of using a baby carrier whenever possible instead of throwing a baby in a car seat. Reason for this is because with foster babies in particular, I think it is crucial to develop that bond. Many of these kiddos have not had the love and attention they need. They may have been left alone in a crib and/or car seat for extended periods of time without that interaction between mommy and baby. This will allow me to have that closeness and still be able to live my life and get things done around the house.

So this addiction all started harmless enough and before I knew it, I was the owner of 4 baby carriers. That is right, 4 carriers. The sad thing is that I have never actually used a carrier, so I don't even know how much I will use them or what I am looking for in a carrier. It is a small problem.

It all started when I bought a car seat off a friend after her son outgrew it. When doing so, she found her old baby carrier and asked if I wanted it. It was a Baby Bjorn Classic. Never having a baby before, this was the one carrier I had ever even heard of. Of course I said yes, and I went on my merry little way not thinking a thing of it.

Baby Bjorn Classic Carrier

Well then I got really into Goodwill's 50% off Saturdays. I found amazing baby gear for pennies on the dollar. This next carrier was no exception. This thing is in amazing shape. Honestly, I think it is brand new. I can find no signs of any use or wear and tear. Plus, I found it for $2.50. People, if you haven't tried Goodwill's 50% off Saturdays, you have to do it!

This isn't the color, but the model is the same.
Chicco Ultra Soft Baby Carrier

Then the shower came. I got my most favorite carrier yet, the Ergo Baby. It had amazing reviews, several positions to use it, and has a great weight range I can use it for. This one will be in our family for years! Thank you sister for one awesome carrier. It wasn't on my registry, but she is officially ALWAYS allowed to shop outside the registry.

Ergo Baby Carrier

 



Lastly, it is the Baby K'tan. This is a carrier I actively went searching for. It all started when I learned that for my Ergo baby carrier, I would need an infant insert for little ones. When I found this one I loved that it was easy to use and was a hybrid between a wrap and a carrier (in my mind). It gives that super close snugly fit I want for those infants! When a friend approached me saying she knew of a friend of a friend selling one, I was sold. :)

Baby K'tan

The smart thing to do would be to pick one or two and sell and/or donate the remaining. Where it stands now is that I am ABSOLUTELY keeping the Ergo Baby carrier, but without purchasing the infant insert, it isn't made for little little babies. For this reason I think having one additional would be OK. I am leaning towards Baby K'tan, but I just can't decide. Opinions would be greatly appreciated. 

The struggles of a baby carrier addict...

Foster Shower Pt 2

As promised, here is the second installment of the foster shower. This will be covering the items we received as gifts from our amazingly generous friends and family. 

This drying rack is actually Mark's number one requested item on the registry. He saw it and thought it was the coolest thing ever. The branch and flower accessories for hanging items on make it even more fun. So much more appealing than a traditional drying rack on the counter.

This activity table was one of the awesome gifts my sister got for us. It is great for sitting or standing because the legs are easily removed. 

This has to be one of my absolute favorite gifts from my sister. The Ergo baby carrier was actually not on my registry, but I had my eye on it for some time. Using a baby carrier is a priority to me so having a quality carrier is going to make things so much easier. 

Now I know I am clearly not going to be breast feeding my foster kiddos, but I am a huge fan of the Boppy pillow! They are great for those kiddos that are just learning to sit up and even for tummy time!

World's softest blanket. Hands down!!!

I saw this and fell in love with it. The kiddos are going to need a security blanket type item. I thought this was perfect because it is a blanket and stuffed animal in one (similar). Now I should probably invest in multiple of these to send with the kiddos when they return home.

Now I didn't actually receive this at the shower, but my bosses daughter had given it to me to use. It is a video baby monitor. We have just played around with this a bit, but so far, I love it! 

Just a sample of a few of my favorite boys clothing items from the shower!

Same with a few of the favorite girls items!

The most common gift of the shower BOOKS! This bin is completely full of books along with several shelves full of books. I joked that our kids would be reading to us by the time they were 2! 

So this is another favorite from the shower. I saw this diaper bag and fell in LOVE! My co-workers went in and bought this for me. This silly little bag brought me SO much joy!

So now you know more about my gifts from my shower than you ever wanted to know! I am sure you will sleep better at night seeing what I got. I am sure you are holding your breath in anticipation for part 3... the spending of the gift cards. ;)