The FIRST Idaho Falls meeting!

We are so excited to be meeting in Idaho Falls now!
(Special thanks to Rachel for letting us use her house for meetings.)

We also have 4 new leaders in training for the Idaho Falls groups:
Kayla, Katie, Rachel and Natasha.

Welcome aboard girls!

Some shots of the meeting:

It was a really fun group of ladies and something that was exciting was finding out a few gals had just googled "Idaho babywear" and found us and showed up to our meeting! Fantastic!

Next month I (Kimber) will be in Pocatello teaching a babywearing class with my husband and we plan to meet with the new Pocatello leaders in training so we can start organizing the Pocatello meetings.
I am also hoping to make it up to Boise to meet with our sister group, the Treasure Valley Babywearers.

It is very exciting to see the growth of the Idaho Babywearers right now!

Spring Fundraiser time!

What in the world are the Idaho Babywearers up to now?

Check it out HERE.

It is going to be a hoot!
Spread the word and come join the fun!

Your Baby(wearing) Bump

One of the things about most babywearers I know is that at some point we get pregnant... again!
A lot of women think that means no more babywearing.
Yet, most toddlers I know still want to be carried by mama, so why are we removing one of our most useful tools from our parenting arsenal?

You CAN still babywear when you are pregnant.

For the first few weeks you can use front and back carries as if you aren't even pregnant.
But then the BUMP shows up!

Check our Angela. She is barely into her second trimester and looking amazing for BABY NUMBER FIVE ON THE WAY!
Back carries are perfect when your waistline disappears.
Angela has tied this above her belly for her comfort and little Eliana looks pretty content on mama's back.

But guess what... you can wear your baby up until you go in to labor if you really want to.
I was wearing my three year old up until about 4 days before I had my fourth baby.
It is doable and very comfy. Okay, as comfy as it gets when you are a million years pregnant.

Look at Marie! She is due to have her fourth little one this month!
(No, that baby on her back isn't hers! That is Liam and he belongs to another mama.)
Notice how Marie has buckled the wait strap below her waist. She could got above like Angela, but is more comfortable this way.
Still comfy, able to parent and getting a work out!

You can always wear a baby on your hip in a ringsling or a pouch if you want. I've even tried a front carry really high above my belly. It worked but it wasn't my favorite.

Of course, it is great to wear a baby when you are pregnant, but my favorite part of pregnancy is when it is over and I can wear that squishy newborn on the outside!

Can't wait to see our newest members of the Idaho Babywearer's family this year!

Rigby Idaho March Meeting

Look at these awesome babywearing parents!
Don't mind the doof in the middle there, she needs to get more sleep.

One of our presidents, Angela.
As you can see by her expression, our meetings are a HOOT!


This Saturday is our first Idaho Falls meeting!
2 pm at 1436 Falcon Drive.

Come join in on the fun!

Just one more place we find babywearing

Children's literature!  My first grader brought this book home from school this weekend.

And look at this mama right there sending her kid off to the 100th day of kindergarten.

Ophelia (stuck with 100 stickers from her hat down to her boots) has twin siblings.  But that certainly doesn't stop her mama from walking her to the bus stop!

Ophelia's mama is smart and resourceful and she got herself a pouch.  She also has pearls on and earrings in her ears at the bus stop that early in the morning!  (Not too sure about her pants and slippers, but who am I to talk since I'm the queen of putting my snow pants on over my pajamas to go wait for the bus with my kid.)

It always makes me giddy to stumble across little things like this.  And those little baby otters look so snug and happy.   

Babywearing in a small town

I'm new to this small town.  We've been here for about a year and a half.  Long enough for me to make a bit of a mark, but not so much of a mark that everyone knows me and what I'm about.

I consider myself a pretty hard core babywearer.  I've worn my last three children very regularly, I lead the local meetings and I'm not afraid to tell someone they ought to just get a carrier.  So far I have "converted" about four moms in this little town.

What cracks me up about the whole thing is that people see me with a baby tied to me and they say things like, "Jen has one of those!  She does EVERYTHING with that baby."  Or "L. has one of those.  She does EVERYTHING with that baby."

These comments make me giddy.  I feel like they are affirming me and my "mission" without even knowing who I am or what kind of a babywearing fanatic I really am. 

This is Jen at Halloween.

She is the scout leader who got attacked by that bear (that is tied to her).  I think it's a brilliant costume.

She also did several hikes--one I think was 11 miles through a foot of snow--with a group of other ladies.  Jen was the only one with a baby and she didn't miss a beat.  She did have some help--some of the other hikers took a turn or two carrying the baby for her.  But she did the whole hike and she had a great time.  She also left a lot of her fellow hikers with a pretty great impression of babywearing.

Babywearing in a small town is pretty great.  I love that people tell me about all the great things my local babywearing friends are doing while babywearing.  I love that they get it even without knowing much about it.  And I love that they share their impressions with me, the crazy lady who thinks EVERY baby should be worn!

Carry on!