I can't believe I finally caved and spent over $100 on a carrier for a baby! Everyone in my meetup group has one and they all sing it's praises, so I obviously decided to make my own. Har har. That was funny. It was really cute and more of a Mai Tai style. The thing is, the Ergo can't be replicated. I even tried out a knock off made by Infantino, who may be maligned for their slings recently, but whose frame backpack I adore. Alas, nothing would cure my thirst for the Ergo.
When I went to try them on, I should have known it was meant to be. I tossed Violet on my back and she just sat there, perched on my back, while I figured out the straps. I thought I was going to have to pick the sales woman's jaw off the floor. She said, "She's helping you." I guess most babies don't take to being tossed on their mother's backs like mine does. She knew we were in for something special.
Within a half hour of purchasing my lovely cranberry organic cotton Ergo, I was walking through the dog park with my lovely on my back. The cool thing about the Ergo is that when my toddling toddler wanted to get down and play with the dogs, I just unsnapped the chest snap and put her down to play. I could comfortably continue to wear the carrier strapped around my waist, and as soon as the little legs got tired I tossed her back in the saddle. We go to the dog park every day, and we had been having quite the conundrum of her not wanting to ride in her backpack the whole time, and not being able to do a full loop on foot (at least not at a pace that works with only 12 hours of daylight).
After we left the dog park, we headed home. Home is where many things go to be destroyed by the dogs during fits of separation anxiety and other angst of unknown origins. I quickly put a hook up in the kitchen and hung up the Ergo away from sharp teeth and prying claws. No sooner was a hot pan a-poppin' with oil that Violet wanted to be held and would not accept no for an answer. Easy peasy lemon squeezy, and no one handed cooking or oil splatter burns required. I grabbed the Ergo off the hook and wore my little lady while I cooked. It was at that moment that I realized my life had changed.
It's been about a month now, and I use the Ergo no less than three times a day. I use it for hikes, chores around the house, and unloading the groceries from the car (that's right, I can strap the baby to my back and unload the car in ONE TRIP). Violet doesn't even cry half the time when she wants to be held, she just goes over to where the Ergo hangs and points at it. Yesterday she actually fell asleep while I wore her on my back, and I was able to unclip her and lay her on the couch where she continued to sleep for another half hour.
And speaking of sleeping, since we moved up to a big girl car seat, there's no more grabbing the bucket seat and letting her finish a car nap in the grocery cart. With the Ergo, I just strap it on my front and I can transfer her without waking her and just let her sleep through a shopping trip. She did that just today to my delight. I was able to peruse the vitamin isles and find what I needed without a single bottle being thrown off the shelf. That's a treat.
Anyway, I just wanted to share this great product because it really has changed my life and I wish I had gotten it sooner. Even though I waited a year though, I still think it was worth every penny.
For more information, visit the Ergo website. If you are lucky enough to get next year's calendar, I'm in the December picture.
