MommyCon Philly Part 2

Now for the rest of the story:

We managed to sneak in a nap after the day's events, thanks to the exhaustion of our three young charges.  Then we headed out to dinner with some baby wearing friends from home.  The convention center was right next to Chinatown, so we had some fabulous Dim Sum.  Little girl was a unimpressed but sat fairly nicely through the meal.  Baby boy fell asleep nearly the moment I laid him on the bed while I made a cup of tea and slept for 12 hours straight. Little girl was happy to go to bed on her little cot, while I luxuriously stretched on my own bed!

Day 2!

We snagged breakfast at the hotel and headed over so my friend could head to her sleep consultation seminar and I caught the tail end of 8 Things the Slow Movement Can Teach You with Slow Mama.   (I would have heard the whole thing except that I had left my badge in our hotel room and had to go back for it).  What I heard was amazing.  The biggest thing that struck me was her encouragement to be yourself. She admitted that it sounded trite, but pointed out that even when we find a group we belong to, we are still tempted to change to fit in perfectly.  It gave me something to think about.  

After that, it was time for the Babywearing World Record.  Everyone crowded into the main ballroom.  It was amazing to see so many caregivers (moms, dads, grandparents, older siblings, and others) wearing their babies in every kind of carrier.  Some humor, some photos, and the exciting announcement of a Beco toddler carrier.  

There were so many great events that I had a hard time choosing: Play Based Learning, Babywearing Ballet, #ISupportYou with Jamie Lynn Grumet of I Am Not the Babysitter, and Attachment Theory with Dr. Henrik Norholt.  The only downside was having to chase the toddler instead of paying attention to all the great information coming my way.  There were also dozens of amazing vendors.  

At the end of it, MommyCon is incredibly uplifting, inspiring, and exhausting.  Just being around so many other families that are looking for the best way to raise their children is awesome.  Kids run amok and everyone looks out for them, women nurse their babies without fear of judgement, and lots of happy children are wrapped up with their beloved caregivers.  I loved seeing a 12 year old girl wearing her little baby sibling, happily kissing the top of the baby's head.  

Oh, and as for the swag bag?  It was absolutely incredible.  I got more and more excited with each item that I pulled out.  I could hardly believe the generosity of the sponsors.  

I more than got my money's worth out of the event, and I've been sharing about the amazing experience with everyone who will listen. 

Crunchy Baby Essentials

When I was pregnant, I had a lot of people telling me about the things that I *had* to have. In reality, we found that favorite things vary from family to family and baby to baby. Abby loved her swing and hated pacifiers. Other babies might be the opposite. But for us, here is our list:

 1. Cloth Diapers

For our seven pound, fourteen ounce daughter, we loved using Fuzzibunz Elite One-Size Pocket Diapers. We bought a dozen to start, along with a dozen BumGenius and a couple oddballs.  The Fuzzibunz fit her the best as a newborn.

 We also found that prefold diapers and covers worked really well for her. We used Snappis as an alternative to pinning. They were quick and easy!

Here, Abby models a diaper cover over a prefold.

 2. Cloth Wipes From the beginning, we've used a combination of cloth and disposable wipes. Our cloth wipes are actually the super cheap baby wash cloths. We received bunches as gifts in addition to a few extras that we purchased.




3. Baby Carrier We started taking Abby places right away and the stroller was a pain. There are also many proven benefits to baby wearing, to be addressed in a future post. We loved two carriers from the beginning:

 The Moby: The Moby had a bit of a learning curve but was super snuggly once we got it all figured out. By Thanksgiving, I was able to wear her while I put things on the table.








 The Beco Gemini: I bought this one on multiple recommendations. It fit both me and DH very well, it was quick, it was easy, and super comfortable and supportive. I've heard from many people that the Baby Bjorn, much more well-known, isn't as comfortable. It also has a pretty low weight limit. The Gemini can be used from birth to toddlerhood. It's also great for newborns, even without an added insert. It can also be used for hip and back carries, once the baby has good head support.

Here is Abby at three weeks old, at her first Renaissance Festival.  It's very rugged, hilly, and crowded. Not very stroller friendly. But that didn't stop us!









4. Aden & Anais Swaddle Blankets





There are many brands of cloth diapers and baby carriers that are equally awesome. However, I haven't found any other brand of cotton muslin swaddle blankets that I love as much as these. Abby was an early September baby, so flannel receiving blankets were too warm. They also weren't big enough to swaddle her easily. These generously sized blankets were big enough to really tuck in all the ends when we swaddled her, but we didn't have to worry about overheating. They were thin enough to use for car seat covers and nursing covers. We folded them over for burp cloths when we found that anything marketed as a burp cloth didn't give us anywhere near enough coverage. I've given quite a few of these as shower gifts since Abby was born and I rave about them to anyone who asks about baby gear.

Other Things We Loved
We bought a personalized wooden teething ring on Etsy.  It was easy for Abby to grip and she loved gnawing on it.  Give it a rub with food safe oil to keep it moisturized. Three month old Abby was a big fan!

Vulli Sophie the Giraffe Teether is the toy that parents love and hate. It has an annoying squeak but babies love chewing on the natural rubber.

I couldn't have lived without our swing.  It gave me a chance to eat a hot meal with two hands at the same time as my husband. But some babies hate them. I recommend trying to get one for free or borrowing one and seeing how it works out.

Other Notes

• There are lots of great cloth diaper brands out there and pockets and prefolds aren't the only option.  The fitted diapers in the shop right now are one-size, but might be a little bulky on some newborns.  Whatever you choose, keep in mind that newborn babies can go through a dozen diapers a day.  We recommend 2-3 dozen diapers, depending on how often you want to do laundry. We recommend the same number of wipes, if you will use cloth wipes exclusively.  Cloth wipes are also handy for spit up and any other number of messes.  
• For baby carriers, Boba and Ergo are also good brands for newborns.  More on baby carriers in an upcoming baby wearing post.
• If you are interested in buying any of the products I've mentioned, click through the links and product photos.
• Putting up all these squishy newborn photos made me feel really nostalgic. Abby will be eleven months old next week and rarely stays still for photos anymore.  

What are your recommendations for someone making a baby registry?