Stuff Brady's Parents Like: Special Triple Feature

1.  The Moby Wrap

Carrying a baby, especially one that still has questionable neck control, is hard.  I can't just throw him on my hip and go, and the over-the-shoulder method is only successful for short distances.  Now that I'm watching these things, I've noticed that many people with kids Brady's age hold them in front, hugging the baby to their chest while they walk, and while this is very cute, it's also pretty uncomfortable.

While we were traveling, we were walking a lot; there was no way to just stay in one place, and I really didn't want to.  I ended up using this every day.  It's one long piece of stretchy cotton fabric (t-shirt material) that you tie around you and use as a carrier.  The wrapping process takes a bit of getting used to, but after a few tries I was a pro.  Brady loves sleeping and nursing in it, and it also lets him look around and get a good view of everything while we're walking.  Its best use was around mealtimes - we'd walk and look around until he dozed off, then I could wear him at a restaurant while we ate out without disturbing anyone or taking up a ton of room with a stroller.  

A lot of people seem to swear by the Baby Bjorn-style backpack carriers, and we have one of those, too (actually, it's an Ergo), but I ended up not using it at all on this trip.  The wrap was much more comfortable, and because it could be crammed in the diaper bag, it was easier to carry.  Plus, I had tons of women on the street asking me about it, and it made me feel cool.

2. Camera Phones

Ok, please, no comments about how camera phones are so six years ago, and how Earl and I are the only people on the planet that don't have them.  I finally got one two days ago, and I'm hooked.  There will be lots of camera-phone pix of Brady coming, especially since it means that now I'm always carrying a camera.  (Yes, I was usually carrying a camera before, but I was getting frustrated with the additional few ounces that it took in the diaper bag; I'm working on packing efficiently here.)

Here's my current phone wallpaper:

3. Sports Bras

An odd choice, I know, but you'd be amazed at how well these can be used to carry cell phones, cash, and other small items.  It was the only way I could bring both the phone and Brady over to the computer, and I figured that made it valuable enough to include in this post.